Post by admin4laney on Aug 11, 2005 13:05:28 GMT -5
New Sonar Looks For Clues In River
LAST UPDATE: 8/10/2005 7:00:47 PM
A team is trained to use a new high tech tool that can find what criminals dump in the Ohio River. Stolen cars, murder weapons, cars, possibly with bodies in them, are trapped in the murky waters of the Ohio River. Criminals often go straight to the river to dump evidence of crimes. Now that evidence is going to be much easier to find. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office now has a high tech sonar scan that shows images of items at the bottom of the river. Local 12's CrimeStoppers Reporter Deborah Dixon tells us how sound waves in the water can reveal what is hidden.
Task Force One has been around a few years. It's a water recovery team that is now seeing the Ohio River and what's in it in a new light.
Deputy Larry Henderson, Hamilton County Sheriff's Office: "The sound frequencies are designed to come out of the side here, the same on the other side."
Captain Brian Dowers tows the sonar system, called a towfish, near the river bottom. Sound waves bounce back when they hit something, sending an image to this computer. This is the sonar image of a car recovered by Task Force One. On it's side, the shadow tells the team how large the item is. Previous scans this image of a plane...and this image of a body. Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson calculates the position of targets found using a global positioning device. The yellow line on the monitor is the towfish.
Deputy Larry Henderson, Hamilton County Sheriff's Office: "You can measure from the center of the yellow to the blackness. It will tell you exactly how far off the bottom the towfish is."
Wednesday Task Force One is pulling the towfish in search of Laney Gwinner's missing Honda Del Sol. The Fairfield woman was murdered, then dumped in the river, seven and a half years ago. Her car is still missing. Investigators have an idea where it is. Before sonar, searches of the Ohio's black water were dark and dangerous.
Chief Tom Turner, Loveland Symmes Fire Department: "Before we were blind. We would have to search inch by inch by hand in the dark."
Capt Brian Dowers, Loveland Symmes Fire Department: "The image and resolution is unbelievable, and we can mark it, bring in a dive team, put divers on top of it, bring items out of the water."
The sonar system can also be used to check boat hulls, dams and bridges for bombs contraband and weapons. Criminals count on the murky Ohio to hide evidence. Now, sonar can see right through the coverup.
Sheriff Simon Leis paid for the sidescan sonar with $36,000 in drug forfeiture money. Task Force One involves Clermont and Hamilton County Deputies, and Loveland Symmes Fire Department.
LAST UPDATE: 8/10/2005 7:00:47 PM
A team is trained to use a new high tech tool that can find what criminals dump in the Ohio River. Stolen cars, murder weapons, cars, possibly with bodies in them, are trapped in the murky waters of the Ohio River. Criminals often go straight to the river to dump evidence of crimes. Now that evidence is going to be much easier to find. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office now has a high tech sonar scan that shows images of items at the bottom of the river. Local 12's CrimeStoppers Reporter Deborah Dixon tells us how sound waves in the water can reveal what is hidden.
Task Force One has been around a few years. It's a water recovery team that is now seeing the Ohio River and what's in it in a new light.
Deputy Larry Henderson, Hamilton County Sheriff's Office: "The sound frequencies are designed to come out of the side here, the same on the other side."
Captain Brian Dowers tows the sonar system, called a towfish, near the river bottom. Sound waves bounce back when they hit something, sending an image to this computer. This is the sonar image of a car recovered by Task Force One. On it's side, the shadow tells the team how large the item is. Previous scans this image of a plane...and this image of a body. Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson calculates the position of targets found using a global positioning device. The yellow line on the monitor is the towfish.
Deputy Larry Henderson, Hamilton County Sheriff's Office: "You can measure from the center of the yellow to the blackness. It will tell you exactly how far off the bottom the towfish is."
Wednesday Task Force One is pulling the towfish in search of Laney Gwinner's missing Honda Del Sol. The Fairfield woman was murdered, then dumped in the river, seven and a half years ago. Her car is still missing. Investigators have an idea where it is. Before sonar, searches of the Ohio's black water were dark and dangerous.
Chief Tom Turner, Loveland Symmes Fire Department: "Before we were blind. We would have to search inch by inch by hand in the dark."
Capt Brian Dowers, Loveland Symmes Fire Department: "The image and resolution is unbelievable, and we can mark it, bring in a dive team, put divers on top of it, bring items out of the water."
The sonar system can also be used to check boat hulls, dams and bridges for bombs contraband and weapons. Criminals count on the murky Ohio to hide evidence. Now, sonar can see right through the coverup.
Sheriff Simon Leis paid for the sidescan sonar with $36,000 in drug forfeiture money. Task Force One involves Clermont and Hamilton County Deputies, and Loveland Symmes Fire Department.
