Legal liability -- vicarious and supervisory -- is discussed in terms of the underwater recovery process and the use of standard operations and procedures manual. The beginning chapters outline the investigative process, composition of the underwater recovery team, and the search. The strategy used by underwater search teams involves the temporal and geographical plotting of evidence, taking into account such factors as azimuth and aqualevel, and using a grid system and photogrammetry techniques. Some of the equipment used in underwater excavation includes airlift, jetlift, prop-wash, and lift bags. Techniques for handling evidence are discussed as they relate to automobiles, lights, filaments, firearms, vessels, ignitors, and explosives. The final chapters deal with medicolegal aspects of underwater death, the use of recovered evidence in the courtroom, and future directions for underwater investigation. Chapter references