Otter named “Splash” helps law enforcement find human remains underwater

A search-and-rescue team in Florida is testing a new kind of underwater crime-scene partner, and he is not a dog, a diver, or a machine.

In a FOX 13 Tampa Bay report, journalist Kimberly Kuizon introduced viewers to Splash, an Asian small-clawed otter working with Peace River K9 Search and Rescue to help locate submerged evidence and human remains. Splash has been training with the team since he was just four months old, and according to Kuizon’s report, he made his first recovery at only six months old.

The idea may sound unusual at first, but Peace River K9 Search and Rescue President Michael Hadsell told Kuizon that water has long been one of the hardest places for investigators to search when criminals try to hide evidence.

“Water has always been that area that the bad guys knew that if they dispose of it in water, they have a really good chance of getting away with it,” Hadsell said.

A New Tool For Underwater Searches

Kuizon reported that Hadsell has worked on numerous cases over the decades, using K-9 partners to help locate what criminals try to conceal. Now, Splash has joined that work as a specialized tool for underwater searches, where human divers, dogs, and equipment can face serious limits.

Hadsell said the goal is to change the assumption that evidence dropped into water is gone for good.

“We’re going to turn that over and say, ‘No, sorry, serial killer, the otter gotcha this time,’” Hadsell told Kuizon.

Splash is trained to search for remains or evidence that has been submerged, using a combination of smell, touch, and natural underwater ability. While K-9 teams are known for scent work, Hadsell explained that Splash does not rely only on odor once he enters the water.

Instead, the otter uses his highly sensitive whiskers in a way Hadsell compared to a powerful sonar system.

“He’s not just using odor as his main tool to find it,” Hadsell said. “He uses it more as a confirmation when he gets close to it, but he’s finding it using his whiskers.”

That is what makes Splash’s role so interesting. In difficult underwater conditions, especially places with poor or zero visibility, an animal built for underwater movement may be able to do work that is slow, dangerous, or limited for human searchers.

How Splash Communicates Underwater

Kuizon reported that Splash navigates through zero-visibility environments and stays connected to Hadsell through a tether line.

That tether is not just for safety. It is also part of a communication system between the otter and his handler.

When Splash detects a target, he sends a signal through the line and alerts Hadsell by seizing his dive mask. That tells the handler that Splash has found something worth checking.

The method depends heavily on trust, and Hadsell said the bond between him and Splash is essential to making the work possible.

“You have to have a trust bond with them, and they have to absolutely believe that you’re going to take good care of them,” Hadsell told Kuizon.

He said he protects his relationship with Splash so the otter knows he will be there and will take care of him.

That part of the program matters because this is not simply a technical experiment. It is a working relationship between a handler and an animal, similar in spirit to K-9 work, but with a very different kind of animal in a much different environment.

Nine Recoveries And Counting

According to Kuizon’s report, Splash has already built a strong record for such a young and unusual search partner.

Hadsell said Splash has been involved in nine recoveries so far. Two were evidence recoveries, and seven involved human remains.

“We are at nine recoveries right now,” Hadsell said. “Two were evidence and seven were remains.”

Those numbers explain why the project is being taken seriously. Splash is not being presented as a novelty animal doing tricks near the water; he is being trained for a real forensic role that may eventually help investigators build cases and families receive long-awaited answers.

Cold cases often depend on small pieces of evidence that survive long after memories fade. If an otter can help locate submerged evidence that would otherwise remain hidden, that could become an important addition to search work in certain cases.

At the same time, the unusual nature of the program means it must be handled carefully. A find is only useful if investigators can show the search was done properly and the evidence can survive scrutiny later.

Making Sure The Evidence Holds Up

Kuizon reported that Hadsell is compiling research as Peace River K9 Search and Rescue evaluates whether to continue the otter program and possibly train more otters for similar work.

Hadsell said one of the biggest challenges is that no one has done this before, especially in a law-enforcement setting where the results may be used in court.

“No one’s done this before,” Hadsell said. “And of course, this is dealing with the edge of criminal law, so this is stuff that will become evidentiary in a court somewhere.”

He said the team wants to make sure the program is set up correctly so a case is not damaged simply because an otter was involved in the search.

“We want to make sure we set it up right, we do it right, so that when we get into court, the cases are not blown up because there’s an otter working on the case,” Hadsell said.

That concern is practical, not just legal. Courts are used to hearing about police dogs, divers, forensic technicians, and search teams, but an otter assisting in recovery work is something new. If the method is going to become accepted, it will need clear training standards, documentation, and protocols.

In that sense, Splash is not only searching underwater; he is also helping test whether a new kind of forensic search method can be made reliable enough for real criminal cases.

More Than A Search Animal

Kuizon described Splash as more than a partner for Hadsell. She called him a team member and part of the family, working alongside Peace River K9 Search and Rescue to help bring answers in difficult cases.

Hadsell’s comments made clear that the work is driven by the victims and their families, not simply by the science of training an otter.

“There’s a bad guy who got away with something, and there’s a family who’s missing their loved one, and we want to get that resolved,” Hadsell said.

That is the strongest part of the story. Splash may be the unusual face of the program, but the purpose behind the work is familiar: finding what was hidden, recovering what was lost, and helping investigators move cases forward.

For families waiting on answers, the method may matter less than the result. If Splash can help locate remains or evidence that brings a case back to life, then the otter’s role becomes far more than a curiosity.

Could Otters Join Law Enforcement Work?

Kuizon reported that within a year, Peace River K9 Search and Rescue will decide whether to continue the program and train more otters to join the team.

Hadsell believes otters could one day become a standard added tool for law enforcement, working alongside K-9 partners rather than replacing them.

That distinction is important. Splash is not being presented as a substitute for search dogs or human investigators. He is being tested for a narrow but important job: underwater searches in conditions where his natural abilities may offer an advantage.

The idea is unusual, but many law-enforcement tools once sounded unusual before training, testing, and courtroom experience made them part of standard practice.

For now, Splash remains a one-of-a-kind member of the Peace River team, with four paws, sensitive whiskers, and a growing record of recoveries.

As Kuizon’s FOX 13 report showed, his work sits at the strange but promising intersection of animal training, forensic science, and cold-case investigation. Whether the otter program expands or remains a limited experiment, Splash has already helped prove that answers hidden underwater may not be as unreachable as criminals once believed.