When McKim & Creed invested in an R2 Sonic Multibeam System to provide multibeam hydrographic survey capabilities, we knew we would be able to provide high-resolution bathymetry and imagery to our clients. What we didn’t know is that we would also be able to help solve a crime. We were testing our new system in the Cape Fear River when we were approached by a City of Wilmington, North Carolina police vessel. The officers aboard politely asked what we were doing, and we explained that we were testing a new multibeam system by conducting full bottom coverage surveys. When we described the high-resolution images we were able to capture, things got interesting. “You haven’t seen a truck down there by chance, have you?” asked the officers. “As a matter of fact, we just passed over a Dodge 1500 a few minutes ago,” we replied. ”Are you serious?” they asked. “That is the same type of vehicle we are looking for. May we board your vessel and take a look?” It turned out that the officers were investigating an insurance fraud case. They had reason to believe that the perpetrator had driven a vehicle into the river and reported it as stolen to claim the insurance money. They just needed a way to prove it.
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