Mark Phillips
On July 4, 2023, we lost Mark Phillips, a public safety diving “LEGEND.” Mark’s diving and PSD accomplishments are numerous, some of which include being a retired fireman and public safety diver with 35 years of service, editor/publisher of PSDiver.com Monthly Magazine, author of the “Consensus Standards for Public Safety Diving in Zero or Low Visibility.” Mark was a member of SDI/ERDI’s Training Advisory Panel and an SDI/ERDI, PADI, IDEA, PSDA, and IAPSD Instructor. Mark was also a former faculty member of the Underwater Institute at South Texas State University and a former instructor and co-developer of the Galveston Police Department Diving Academy. “What some of you do not know is Mark was a UCI graduate and my good friend. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. God bless! –Mike Berry – Owner Underwater Criminal Investigators
Mark has dedicated his life to educating and improving the public safety dive community in every way possible and why he is the first person to be inducted to the PSD hall of fame. To say Mark has set the bar high for future inductees would be an understatement. Mark is not the only one who spent a lifetime contributing to our PSD family and why in his honor we wanted to make this hall of fame. The PSDiver Global Hall of Fame will only welcome in those people who have truly contributed to the PSD community as a whole! This will NOT be a popularity contest and candidates will have to be the real deal to be excepted by their peers into the PSDiver Global Hall Of Fame. All Requirements can be found at the bottom of this page.
EOW November 15, 2004
Corporal Robert (Bob) Gordon Teather
Corporal Robert (Bob) Teather (1947–2004) was a 28- year veteran of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (R.C.M.P.) Bob was born in Hamilton, Ontario where he joined the RCMP in September 1967. During his career with the RCMP he worked in Uniform Patrol and as a Hostage Taker-Barricaded Person Negotiator. He also had 18 years of police diving experience with over 200 recovery missions as a RCMP Diver with 7 years as one of their diving instructors. With this experience as his foundation, he lectured on diving techniques, underwater investigations, underwater crime scene photography, ice diving procedures and many other dive related topics to public safety divers throughout Canada and the United States. Bob was recognized worldwide as an authority in underwater investigations and was declared an expert witness in the Supreme Court in Canada and the Superior Court in the United States. He was in high demand as a public safety diving lecturer and loved to share his stories, and experiences incorporating humor, magic, and his love for his profession and his fellow man.
Bob was an author who wrote many magazine articles. One such article came out monthly in the “Search Line” magazine printed by International Association of Dive Rescue Specialist (IADRS). Bob also wrote several books on public safety diving and police topics. Some of which include:
- The Underwater Investigator
- Encyclopedia of Underwater Investigations
- Merlin – fiction
- Mountie Makers: Putting the Canadian in RCMP
- Scarlet Tunic
The Encyclopedia of Underwater Investigations manual is still being used today as a training manual by Dive Rescue International (DRI) and Emergency Response Diving International (ERDi) for courses both agencies teach using his manual as a reference guide.
Bob also authored 2 audio-tape cassettes and a video tape presentation discussing proper ways to interview grieving family members, and the professionalism required to be a public safety diver.
On 26 September 1981, Corporal Robert Teather, while a member of the Surrey Detachment Diving Team of the RCMP, rescued two fishermen trapped in the overturned hull of a boat. Early that morning, the boat “Respond” collided with a freighter near the mouth of the Fraser River, in British Columbia. The boat capsized with the two crewmen stranded on board. Cpl. Teather and a colleague arrived on the scene and an exploratory dive proved that only one could enter the hull at a time. Teather was inexperienced in this type of rescue but was aware that the boat was sinking, and that qualified help was miles away. Despite the lack of personnel support and unaware if the two crew members were alive, he entered the companionway. As visibility was limited to a few centimeters inside as he made his way into the engine room. Most of the way through the ship was done by feel. When he reached the galley, he opened the door, and made his way to the front of the vessel. In an air pocket fouled by diesel fumes he found the two men, one of them a non-swimmer, and their pet dog. He instructed both on the use of underwater breathing equipment, and then took the non- swimmer on his back to safety. The door to the galley that Teather had opened shut on him, and he managed to feel his way around to the handle to open it. During that time, the seaman panicked and knocked his rescuer’s mask off, but Teather managed to pin the man against the wall of the galley, put the man’s mask and regulator back in place, and got the man to the surface where the other diver took over. Teather then retrieved the other survivor. The dog was found alive the next day when the boat was recovered and removed from the water.
For his efforts, Teather was awarded the Cross of Valor, the highest ranking of the Canadian Bravery Decorations.
On February 10, 2011, Gail Shea, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans announced that the nine new vessels in a new class of mid- shore patrol vessels would be named the Hero-class patrol vessels, and would each be named after a Canadian hero. One of the new vessels has been named CCGS Corporal Teather C.V.. Cpl. Bob Teather died at the age of 57, on November 15, 2004 at Surrey Memorial Hospital of natural causes after a battle with diabetes.
Getting Inducted into the Public Safety Diver Hall of Fame
Show Proof of the candidate Being an Active Public Safety Diver on a Recognized Public Safety Team
Proof From the Candidates Department/Team showing Year of Service and Positions Held
Show Proof of How Many Documented Public Safety Dive Operations the candite operated on or led.
Describe in detail what contributions the candidate made to their team and improvements during their time on the team.
Describe in detail what contributions the candidate made to the PSD community.
Applications can be submitted to ufef501c3@gmail.com and must contain all required information and supporting documents.
