New England Police Divers Train for Underwater Recoveries in Frigid Rangeley Lake

A regional team of recovery divers hone their skills to respond to incidents in frozen waters across the Northeast.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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A team of police divers from across New England have spent the last two weeks training in the frigid waters of Rangeley Lake in Maine, practicing underwater recovery techniques that they may need to deploy in real-life emergencies. The divers, part of the New England State Police Administrators Conference (NESPAC), work to standardize equipment and training so they can be deployed to assist neighboring states when needed, such as during the 2023 Lewiston mass shooting investigation.

Why it matters

Police divers play a critical role in underwater investigations, recovering bodies, vehicles, and weapons from lakes, rivers, and coastal waters. The training in Rangeley Lake's harsh winter conditions helps ensure these highly specialized officers are prepared to respond calmly and effectively, even in the most challenging environments.

The details

During the training, the divers, in teams of three, performed a variety of underwater tasks like opening a bolted container and retrieving lost items. After a few minutes submerged, the divers surfaced where their teammates helped them remove their gear and warm up. The group is part of NESPAC, which standardizes equipment and training so divers can be deployed across state lines when needed, as they were during the 2023 Lewiston mass shooting investigation.

  • The Maine diving team has only been deployed once so far this year, to recover a car and one body from frozen waters.
  • The Rangeley Lake training has been hosted by Maine State Police for the last 10 years.

The players

Chris Cookson

A sergeant for Maine State Police and a commander for the state dive team.

Tim Beauchamp

A Maine marine patrol officer who was the first to dive into the near-freezing water during the March training.

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What they’re saying

“Being under that sheet of ice and watching your bubbles, you know, go up and dissipate across the surface — underneath the ice was, was awesome.”

— Chris Cookson, Sergeant, Maine State Police; Commander, Maine State Police Dive Team (centralmaine.com)

“Its more of a mental game than anything else.”

— Tim Beauchamp, Maine Marine Patrol Officer (centralmaine.com)

What’s next

The group plans to continue their annual training on Rangeley Lake to ensure they are prepared to respond to emergencies in frozen waters across the region.

The takeaway

The specialized training of this regional dive team highlights the critical role police divers play in underwater investigations and recoveries, and the importance of maintaining a high level of preparedness to respond effectively, even in the harshest winter conditions.