New State Police diver in U.P.

A former member of the Delta County Sheriff Dive Rescue Team has now joined a similar team with the Michigan State Police.

Trooper Shawn Reynolds works out of the Gladstone Post.

He recently graduated from the Michigan State Police Underwater Recovery Unit Dive School.

Trooper Reynolds is now one of 26 state police divers in michigan.

Four of them are in the U.P. — one at the Negaunee Post, one at the St. Ignace Post, one at the Newberry Detachment and Reynolds.

“The state course started out with approximately 30 applicants, which were troopers from across the state of Michigan,” he said. “Of those 30 applicants, each had to take and successfully pass a swim test at the Training Academy in Lansing.”

Reynolds was one of six troopers who graduated.

The State Police dive school is an intense four-week program.

It involves more than 160 hours in a classroom, 25 miles of swimming and more than 20 hours of other training in the water.

Trooper Reynolds said the training involves “many different conditions, which range from swift water, river diving, to deep-water repetitive diving, cold-water diving.”

The State Police dive team handles about 70 calls each year across the state.

It helps with body recovery, evidence collection and maritime security details, among other tasks.