On 5/28/2009 this unit received a telephone call from a volunteer fire fighter with Battleground, who said that Sheffield Township and Lafayette Fire Departments where getting toned out for a possible drowning at the Fairfield Ponds.  This unit was enroute to Fairfield ponds located  in Tippecanoe County.  The Tippecanoe County dispatchers said that one person was last seen in the water trying to swim to shore when he went underwater and never resurfaced.  This unit went to the east-side of the east pond and observed 3 subjects in the water trying to locate the victim.  This unit assisted Tippecanoe County Deputy 1 with his dive gear and explained to him where the initial search was at.  This unit then helped Tippecanoe County Deputy 1 with his gear and at the time there were 4 divers in the water.  The Tippecanoe County Water Rescue Boat had arrived and Tippecanoe County Detective 2 needed another person in the boat to tend the line for the divers.  Lafayette fireman 1 made a recovery of some fishing poles that were located in the area close to where the victim was last seen and marked the spot with a marker buoy.  Tippecanoe County Deputy 3 brought his personal boat with a sonar fish finding unit on it and fellow members of the Sheffield VFD informed this unit that he had marked a black mass on the bottom of the pond with his sonar and marked it with a marker buoy.  This unit and Detective Deputy 2 got all the divers that were ready and set up the “V” pattern.  The first pass from the South to the North was unsuccessful and on the second pass from the North to the South, the divers signaled this unit that a recovery was made and we picked up the victim and transported him to shore where an ambulance was waiting.  According to the Tippecanoe County diver and Lafayette Diver the depth was around 25 feet of water where the body was recovered.   The boat, trailer and vehicle of the victim was impounded by Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department and the victim's relatives were notified that evening.
Lafayette                     