Dive Team Scours Tulsa Pond After Human Foot Found

Ashli Sims, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- The Tulsa Police dive team spent Tuesday afternoon scouring an east Tulsa pond after a human foot was discovered in the small body of water.

Tulsa Police say a woman was walking her dog just before noon when the dog went into the water and returned with a shoe that contained the foot.

10/25/2011 Related Story: Dog Finds Human Foot In East Tulsa Retention Pond

"In an area that I searched earlier you locate a lot of rocks and a lot of sticks and stuff," said Tommy Barbee, TPD Dive Team member.

Barbee has been using his scuba skills to fight crime for eight years. He says it can be rewarding, daunting, and sometimes dangerous.

"After about three foot it goes pitch black, what we consider dark water. There's no visibility whatsoever," he said.

The dive team went outside of the crime scene search area with a News On 6 camera to show you exactly what they're dealing with in this kind of an investigation.

In a matter of moments, the murky green water is swallowed by blackness. You might think our camera was cut off if it weren't for the sound.

"You gotta sit there, relax, and focus on our job. Number one, make sure when we search an area when we come out we can say whatever we're looking for is not in that area," Barbee said.

Barbee says he meticulously searches hand by hand in a grid pattern to make sure no stone is left unturned. But when you're underwater and blind, danger can lurk anywhere.

Divers say it'll likely take several days to completely search the retention pond.