Members of the Lee’s Summit Underwater Recovery and Rescue volunteer group say recovery divers at Table Rock Lake faced several challenges on Friday morning.

“The No. 1 thing is it’s 80 feet deep,” volunteer diver Brian Meinershagen said.

Meinershagen notes the typically clear lake was likely murky due to the recent storm stirring up debris.

“It will make it what we call black water diving, where you are lucky if you can see the hand in front of your face,” Meinershagen said.

The expert diver said that means crews likely took commands from a boat as LURR frequently does.

“We have a rope at our chest that leads back to a tether handler that’s telling us, 'Hey go left or go right' as we’re searching an area,” Meinershagen said. “That’s really the only thing that we have to make sure we’re not just swimming around in the darkness.”

He said the first hour of an accident is typically the best chance of a rescue. As for being a rescue and recovery diver, he describes an emotional journey.

“[Oftentimes] I’m going out there to find someone’s loved one who may have perished and bring them to shore,” Meinershagen said. “It’s very emotional for all of us.”