Octopus

The Octopus – Respectful, Careful and Rapid Recovery of a Floating Deceased Person

The Octopus is an innovation by Maritech Special for the careful, rapid and respectful securing and recovery of a floating deceased person. The system was developed in close cooperation with Rijkswaterstaat and the Dutch National Underwater Search Team (LTOZ).

The Octopus forms a protective cocoon around the deceased person, providing visual screening during recovery. The specially designed forensic cloth helps prevent direct human contact and is designed to minimise disturbance of forensic evidence.

The Octopus features inflatable air chambers. Once the deceased person has been covered, these chambers can be activated to keep the cocoon afloat and prevent it from sinking. A released rope helps prevent the cocoon from drifting away and allows it to be secured at the desired location.

Key features

• For respectful and careful securing of a floating deceased person
• Protective cocoon conceals the deceased person from view after securing
• Helps prevent drifting and sinking
• Prevents direct human contact with the deceased person
• Special forensic cloth
• Designed to minimise disturbance of forensic evidence
• Inflatable air chambers keep the cocoon afloat
• Can be operated from a vessel or by a diver
• Strong, lightweight plastic ring
• Ring can be returned for cleaning and reuse after use; the inner components are replaced
• Ring and cloth have a unique serial number
• Serial numbers are registered in a database with the issue date and user
• Adjustable pole from 1.8 to 4.6 metres

The set consists of

• Reusable plastic ring
• Special forensic cloth with air chambers
• Protective bag
• Adjustable pole from 1.8 to 4.6 metres

An optional lifting beam specifically made for the Octopus is available for lifting the deceased person from the water with a crane. An optional Octopus kit is also available with additional equipment for recovery, including a face mask and special rubber gloves.