Ambassadors

Joshua Gibbs volunteers as the Captain of Daphne Search and Rescue and is a Sergeant with Mobile Police Department in Coastal Alabama. He is a Public Safety Diving trainer for both agencies, where he instructs divers in search, recovery and underwater investigations. He is a trained Cave Recovery and Technical Diver in addition to being a Certified Alabama Peace Officer Standards and Training Instructor, Surface Water Rescue Instructor, Dive Med Specialist, and Emergency Medical Technician. He has lectured on the use of sonar and specialized search theory at Public Safety Diving Conferences, Coroner Conferences, Rescue Conferences and various other training events.

Gerry has been on the front lines volunteering as a Recovery Diver for over 30 years.  Growing up around water he became a certified SCUBA diver in 1977 and joined Garden State Underwater Recovery Unit in 1992.  Volunteering has been an integral part of his life where he has raised money for GSURU and those in need.  Over the years he has made it a priority to increase the technical capability for water searches and in 2020 he started coordinating with VodaSafe to improve the AquaEye and increase its’ visibility.  In his spare time, he likes to travel and enjoy the New Jersey shore.        

Michael Smith, 46, is a former firefighter for city and county fire departments. He has been a diver for 16 years. He currently works with Wings of Hope Search and Rescue of Wisconsin where he has been involved in a little over 500 cases to date, as a rescue and recovery diver. Mike travels the continent and uses AquaEye and other tools to provide closure to families of missing loved ones. 

In his downtime, he enjoys diving recreationally and spending time with this 3 children and wife. 

Zac Hatton has been a Law Enforcement Professional for nearly two decades and has served in multiple roles during his career. His extensive experience includes drug interdiction, juvenile criminal investigations, death investigations, and a Policy and Procedural writer for multiple governmental agencies.

In recent years however, Zac has dedicated himself to water rescue and recovery efforts and specializes in both surface water and underwater operations. 

He’s married to his high school sweet heart and they have two little girls. 

 Outside of work he loves anything outdoors… hunting, fishing and jiujitsu. 

John started his career in Law Enforcement dating back to the late 80’s. Throughout his career he has served in many capacities and disciplines working mainly in Europe in international policing. His field of interest expanded into marine rescue and amphibious craft operations. He has accumulated over 10,000 hours in piloting air-cushion vehicles as an ACV Pilot and later as an instructor. John led a team of professionals who would assist in providing reconnaissance, search and special response services during the Great Flood of the river Danube in June of 2013. The following year he returned to Canada and brought to life a Water Rescue Unit in Saskatchewan. He currently serves as Director of Operations for Amphibious Response Support Unit ONE (www.arsu.ca) and is Base Commander of the Echo Valley Water Rescue Base and Training Center. John works with a team of professional volunteers and his K9 partner (Gusztav) who provide response services, promote boating and water safety, and conduct training for other First Responders.