The IUCRR — International Underwater Cave Rescue and Recovery, Inc. — is an international, all-volunteer, not-for-profit public service and educational organization registered in the State of Florida.
Mission
A two-part mission
The first part of the mission is to support all Public Safety Agencies and work within their Incident Command System in the rescue and/or recovery of victims in an underwater-overhead environment — environments partially or fully underwater with an overhead obstruction such as caves, caverns, and mine shafts, including virtual overhead environments.
The second, equally critical part is to acquire all relevant data from those incidents and create reports for Accident Analysis. Its ultimate purpose is education: showing the cave-diving community and the public how underwater-overhead diving can be made safer.
The all-volunteer team is organized through Regional Coordinators, trained to work within Incident Command to assist law enforcement agencies — at their request — when a diver enters an underwater-overhead environment and does not return within their allotted time. Each Regional Coordinator maintains a current list of qualified recovery divers in their area, every one of them certified by a recognized cave-diving organization and trained in Rescue/Recovery Surface Operations Management (RRSOM) before joining the call-out list.
History
From a 1982 workshop to a worldwide team
The IUCRR was founded in 1999 by Henry Nicholson and Robert Laird, but its origins begin at the 1982 NSS-CDS (National Speleological Society – Cave Diving Section) cave diving workshop in Branford, Florida. Nicholson, a sheriff’s department dive team leader, had experienced a close call that made the hazards facing public safety dive teams unmistakable: teams were responding to incidents beyond their level of training, with inadequate technical equipment.
The NSS-CDS executive committee responded by authorizing a cave diving recovery team made up of law enforcement officers who were cave divers, and training other responsible cave divers to be available to affected agencies. Four cornerstones defined the structure: a program coordinator, an instructional seminar, a call-out list, and a method of immediate response. The NACD (National Association of Cave Divers) created an almost identical process, and both certification agencies used the shared instruction seminar. The team grew steadily in numbers and expertise.
In January 1999, the NSS-CDS and NACD boards agreed the Rescue and Recovery Team should not belong to any one cave diving organization. It was re-established as a bipartisan program under the joint auspices of the NSS-CDS, the NACD, and other cave diving agencies — and the IUCRR was created, eliminating duplication and giving Public Safety Agencies a single point of contact. Call-out communications have evolved with the times: from telephone trees to pagers, then email and text messages.
As you know we formed the Cave Diving Recovery Team in 1982. We taught many Recovery Classes during that time… In January of 1999 … the Recovery Team (with the approval and support of NACD and NSS/CDS) established its own entity. It was renamed The International Underwater Cave Rescue/Recovery Team (IUCRR).
Henry Nicholson, May 1999
IUCRR Directors
| Henry Nicholson | 1999–2001 |
| Mark Fowler | 2001–2005 |
| Ken Hill | 2005–2023 |
| Conrad Pfeifer | 2023–2025 |
| Mark Fowler | 2025–present |
Accident Analysis
| Dave Desautels | 1982–1989 |
| Sheck Exley | 1989–1994 |
| John Crea | 1994–1999 |
| Jeff Bozanic | 1999–present |
Organization
How the IUCRR is organized
Governance
Board of Directors
Governs the organization, including administrative positions and a Training Coordinator, supported by the Database Coordinator and the Medical Advisory Coordinator.
Oversight
Law Enforcement Oversight Board
The LEOB has the final say on law enforcement issues. It consists of Law Enforcement Officers who are certified cave divers, trained in managing a rescue/recovery operation.
Regions
Regional Coordinators
RCs maintain contact information for the members in their region and keep training current. Every member is trained as a Rescue/Recovery Surface Operations Manager (RRSOM).
The fundamental building block of the organization is the First Responder — the Rescue/Recovery Divers. These unpaid volunteers do the grueling work of safely locating the victim, recording critical details, and bringing them to the cave entrance. Local law enforcement is always in charge of the operation, since in most cases it is a crime scene; volunteers provide in-water and surface support when requested. No First Responder is required to participate in any given rescue/recovery — the decision, and the level of participation, is up to the individual.
The IUCRR maintains a worldwide resource list of trained volunteer First Responders, available by contacting the appropriate Regional Coordinator. There are only two levels of membership: a volunteer — 100% of whom are certified cave divers vetted by the Board of Directors or a Regional Coordinator — and a supporter, who voluntarily provides non-diving assets. The IUCRR has no paid members and operates entirely on contributed time, effort, and funds, though outside financial contributions are accepted — see Get Involved.