DROWNING

Consider taking the following notes: 

Case number

Date/Time

Address/Location

Initial case details

Victim/Suspect info

Assigned Officer/Detective

Location of bodes of water

Water temperature

Consider the following:

What is the appropriate PPE for this scene?

Did someone start a crime scene log?

Is the scene secure and safe?

Is evidence located on the exterior/interior of the scene?

Is consent or a search warrant needed?

Overall/mid-range/close-up photographs of the scene

Intersection/street location information

Overall/mid-range/close up photographs of items of evidentiary value to include:

Bodies of water

Access points to bodies of water (doors, gates, fences)

Security systems/cameras

Overall/mid-range/close-up photographs of the victims to include:

Overall of whole body (front and back)

Mid-ranges (front and back) of upper body, abdomen, lower body

Close-ups of:

Head (front and both profiles if possible)

Arms/hands

Legs/feet

Clothing/jewelry
Tattoos/marks/scars with and without scale
Injuries with and without scale

Mark items of evidentiary value within the scene

Re-take overall/mid-range/close-up photographs of scene, items of evidentiary value and the body with photo markers in place

Collect swabs of any apparent body fluids within the scene

Collect measurements to document the location of the body within the scene

Collect additional measurements to include (if applicable):

Location of body of water

Perimeter of water body

Length of water body

Width of water body

Depth of shallow end

Depth of middle section

Depth of deep end

Depth where body was found

Water temperature

Access door lock height (interior)

Access door lock height (exterior)

Collect items of evidentiary value from with the scene

Process areas of interest within the scene using the appropriate latent print processing techniques

Conduct a secondary walk through of the scene to ensure that all evidence was documented and collected and everything of evidentiary value was appropriately processed