Agent Bobby Chacon

I was contacted by our Washington field office and asked to bring the dive team down to Virginia.

I was contacted by our Washington field office and asked to bring the dive team down to Virginia.

Believe me, even the most innocuous dive, there's danger. I wanted to know, you know, if there was anthrax in that water, could it be breathing? Like, what happens? Because our masks cover our full face and we're in dry suits, but they're not 100%.

Believe me, even the most innocuous dive, there's danger. I wanted to know, you know, if there was anthrax in that water, could it be breathing? Like, what happens? Because our masks cover our full face and we're in dry suits, but they're not 100%.

The first thing I was told was that They had a person of interest, and that person was a lab worker, and that they may have disposed of something they used at home, in the case, in a lake by their house. It was probably a dozen to 15 football fields or more. I mean, it was big. But the size of the lake is only the start of Bobby's challenges. This particular case was really shrouded in secrecy.

The first thing I was told was that They had a person of interest, and that person was a lab worker, and that they may have disposed of something they used at home, in the case, in a lake by their house. It was probably a dozen to 15 football fields or more. I mean, it was big. But the size of the lake is only the start of Bobby's challenges. This particular case was really shrouded in secrecy.

They couldn't tell us what we were looking for. They were just like, anything. Bring anything you find up, and we'll figure it out later. The fact is we were in the early part of the winter and I knew that the weather was going to start getting, well, it was already cold. It was going to be getting colder and the ice was going to start forming on that lake.

They couldn't tell us what we were looking for. They were just like, anything. Bring anything you find up, and we'll figure it out later. The fact is we were in the early part of the winter and I knew that the weather was going to start getting, well, it was already cold. It was going to be getting colder and the ice was going to start forming on that lake.

So we were likely going to be diving under ice.

So we were likely going to be diving under ice.

you know you can't keep that cat in the bag very long. And this was a very high-profile case. The whole country was watching. The news media was reporting heavily on it. So I always had to tell our guys, you have to temper your reactions very well when the media's around because it can be very misperceived.

you know you can't keep that cat in the bag very long. And this was a very high-profile case. The whole country was watching. The news media was reporting heavily on it. So I always had to tell our guys, you have to temper your reactions very well when the media's around because it can be very misperceived.

You're working in the complete black. And when I say black and we call it black water, it sucks the light right out of you. You can't see. And remember, you're on your belly. You're literally on the bottom and you're pulling yourself along that line. And your hand is just sweeping out in front of you and to the side of you. Just whatever your hand bumps into and you feel it.

You're working in the complete black. And when I say black and we call it black water, it sucks the light right out of you. You can't see. And remember, you're on your belly. You're literally on the bottom and you're pulling yourself along that line. And your hand is just sweeping out in front of you and to the side of you. Just whatever your hand bumps into and you feel it.

It's just really dark and it's cold and you're just, everything is, your senses are like, what is this I have in my hand? What does this feel like? Because every other sense has now kind of been removed from you. You can't hear anything except your own breathing.

It's just really dark and it's cold and you're just, everything is, your senses are like, what is this I have in my hand? What does this feel like? Because every other sense has now kind of been removed from you. You can't hear anything except your own breathing.

I remember beer cans. I remember some fishing stuff, other stuff that I brought up, tools, screwdriver, things like that. We found paint cans. We found buckets, those five-gallon compound buckets from Home Depot, those big orange buckets, you know, that you see in Home Depot. We found those, which all is, by the way, most of this stuff is stuff that we would expect to find.

I remember beer cans. I remember some fishing stuff, other stuff that I brought up, tools, screwdriver, things like that. We found paint cans. We found buckets, those five-gallon compound buckets from Home Depot, those big orange buckets, you know, that you see in Home Depot. We found those, which all is, by the way, most of this stuff is stuff that we would expect to find.

Ice is weird because it really doesn't affect your search on the bottom because ice is on top. What it does is create just an extra layer of concern about getting the diver in and out of the water in an emergency situation. It's dark and it's muddy and it's sloppy. And, you know, towards the end when I was under the ice, whenever you're under the ice, you're always like, well, this is not great.

Ice is weird because it really doesn't affect your search on the bottom because ice is on top. What it does is create just an extra layer of concern about getting the diver in and out of the water in an emergency situation. It's dark and it's muddy and it's sloppy. And, you know, towards the end when I was under the ice, whenever you're under the ice, you're always like, well, this is not great.

We found a box. that didn't mean anything to us. And we found what could be described almost as like, not surgical equipment, but like rubber gloves. You always find gloves in a lake like that.

We found a box. that didn't mean anything to us. And we found what could be described almost as like, not surgical equipment, but like rubber gloves. You always find gloves in a lake like that.