- Underwater investigator Mike Berry always loved the water and dreamed of being a scuba diver.
- Turned his passion into his life’s purpose, becoming an underwater criminal investigator.
- Having been in the industry for 44 years, Mike has helped solve thousands of criminal investigations.
Here Mike tells his story in his own words.
Zipping up my wetsuit and strapping on my scuba tank, I plunged into the icy lake.
Several feet under, there was zero visibility in the murky water, and the only sound was my slow and controlled breathing through my diving mask.
I wasn’t in some tropical paradise looking to spot colourful fish.
I’d been hired to locate a rifle that had been used in a murder.
Being an underwater criminal investigator is not for the faint hearted.
My profession mostly involves lots of deep water, dark surroundings, deadly weapons and sometimes decaying human bodies.
But to me it’s about seeking justice.
Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve had a deep love for the water.
At five years old I used to stare at a picture on the wall in our house of my dad, George, in scuba gear and I knew I wanted to be a scuba diver.
Dad bought me my first mask and snorkel so I could search for tadpoles and fish in local creeks, ponds and lakes.
He had been diving long before I was born, so he was stoked when I shared a keen interest in his favourite hobby.
‘Justice is served.’
Growing up, I was enthralled by Sea Hunt – a black and white TV show about a lone diver solving underwater mysteries.
I also loved cop and crime shows on television, throwing a fist in the air when the goodies caught the baddies.
‘Justice is served!’ I’d cheer as my mum, Wilma, chuckled.
All this inspired me to join the police force, aged 21, after a three-year stint in the army.
Around the same time, I also had scuba diving lessons, building on the skills Dad had taught me as a young boy.
During my first year of training on the job, one day a colleague invited me on a car ride to a pond, as part of a case he was working on.
‘Do you scuba dive by any chance?’ he asked as we reached our destination.
‘Yeah!’ I beamed.
When he asked me to join him on a dive to find stolen guns, I was both baffled and intrigued.
‘That’s a real job?’
‘That’s a real job?’ I asked, gobsmacked.
I thought it was just a quirky plot from my favourite childhood show.
After suiting up, I waded into the water and searched for weapons my colleague believed had been disposed of in the mud.
I’d been searching for 40 minutes, when I felt my hand strike a piece of metal.
‘I found a gun!’ I called out, ecstatic.
I couldn’t believe I’d struck gold on my first attempt, and instantly knew I’d found my dream job.
As soon as I passed my training to become a police officer, I joined the police dive team.
A few years later, I became a scuba instructor.
‘We believe a body’s been dumped in one of the lakes in this area.’
Starting up my own business, Underwater Criminal Investigations (UCI), I started teaching other people how to search underwater for bodies, criminal evidence and vehicles.
I worked closely with other police, and they’d call me up if they needed a diver to help them track down evidence in the water.
It could be anything from stolen goods to a missing person’s case.
‘We believe a body’s been dumped in one of the lakes in this area,’ the coppers would tell me over the phone.
I’d drive out and plan which lake to start investigating first, and make a search pattern to follow.
Sometimes, I got lucky and found the body. Other times, I spent days searching to no avail.
When I was 36, I married the love of my life Kathy and we went on to have two beautiful daughters, Hannah and Emma.
As children, the girls loved diving and would join me at UCI conferences across the country.
‘Show us how to find the stolen jewellery!’ my girls jumped up and down.
They loved seeing me in action and learning about what I do.
Over the decades, I’ve discovered thousands of pieces of evidence and bodies – many that have also been a part of true crime podcasts, TV shows and documentaries.
But my career highlight by far has been my participation in the FBI’s Anthrax Investigation.
Soon after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, letters that were laced with anthrax – a deadly bacterial infection – were mailed to politicians and media workers across the US.
This resulted in the deaths of five people and 17 others were infected, marking it as the worst biological attack in US history.
I was brought is as the operation’s dive commander, leading 12 dive teams searching for evidence relating to the case.
Having now been in the job for 44 years – and counting – I can’t imagine a more rewarding career.
In that time I’ve not only helped to solve thousands of criminal investigations, I’ve been able to teach my skills to other determined divers and share standards on underwater criminal investigation practices across the world.
I also had the pleasure of teaching a number of Australian police divers who have come to America to attend my courses.
They then returned home to share the training with their dive team.
And I’ve released four books, including my UCI manual, The Water’s Edge, to give some insight into what we do.
After all my years working in crime, so many people ask how I sleep at night, and I always say to them, ‘very well’.
I don’t have post-traumatic stress disorder or night terrors from all the bodies I’ve recovered over the years.
Instead, I sleep soundly knowing I’ve given closure to devastated families who wanted to be reunited with their deceased loved ones, and that I’ve helped give them a sense of peace with the answers I’ve been able to provide them.
But it is often confronting. At UCI, I still train divers on how to solve underwater criminal cases.
And it’s not uncommon for a newbie to squirm or squeal when they make contact with a human limb dumped on the sea floor.
‘The trick is to remain calm at all times. Remember you’re bringing answers to those who need it most,’ I tell them.
My wife Kathy and my girls Hannah and Emma have been so supportive of my unique job.
If the questions lie underwater, I’m determined to find the answers and get to the truth.
