Marine Salvage & Underwater Recovery

When equipment, machinery, vessel components, or other material ends up underwater, recovering it takes more than attaching a line and pulling.

Fixt Marine provides commercial diving support for marine salvage and underwater recovery projects. Our divers can locate submerged objects, evaluate their condition, clear obstructions, establish rigging, attach lifting equipment, and guide the recovery from the water.

Each salvage operation is planned around the weight, condition, location, water depth, bottom type, available access, and lifting equipment needed to bring the object safely to the surface.

Tell us what was lost, where it went down, and what is known about its size and weight. We will help develop a practical recovery plan.

Marine salvage capabilities

Fixt Marine can support the recovery or removal of:

• Sunken boats and small commercial vessels
• Marine construction equipment
• Pumps, motors, and machinery
• Anchors, chains, and cables
• Lost tools and equipment
• Propellers, shafts, and vessel components
• Dock sections and fender components
• Dredging equipment and pipeline
• Barges and work platforms
• Vehicles and trailers
• Storm-damaged marine structures
• Submerged debris and navigation hazards
• Materials lost during construction or loading
• Equipment buried in mud or sediment

The recovery method depends on what is underwater and the condition in which it is found. Some objects can be recovered with a simple rigging operation. Others require excavation, controlled lifting, dewatering, stabilization, or partial disassembly before they can be moved.

Underwater search and location

The first step is confirming where the object is and how it is positioned.

When the approximate location is known, a diver can conduct a physical search using reference lines, grid patterns, measurements, and tactile methods. This is often effective in the low-visibility conditions common throughout Gulf Coast waterways.

Depending on the search area and target, the operation may involve:

• Diver search patterns
• Surface marker buoys
• Drag lines or grappling equipment
• Sonar or electronic locating equipment
• Underwater cameras
• Measurements from known structures
• Information from witnesses or vessel crews
• Previous survey or inspection data

A broad search for a small object can require substantially more time than recovering an object at a confirmed location. Accurate coordinates, photographs, equipment dimensions, and details about how the object was lost help reduce search time.

Diver inspection and recovery planning

Before an object is lifted, the diver evaluates its position and visible condition.

The inspection may identify:

• Orientation on the bottom
• Burial in mud, sand, or sediment
• Structural damage
• Potential lifting points
• Sharp edges and entanglement hazards
• Connected cables, hoses, or piping
• Remaining fuel or fluids
• Trapped water, air, or pressure
• Nearby structures and utilities
• Bottom conditions and suction forces
• Clearance needed during recovery

This information is used to determine whether the object can be lifted intact or whether additional preparation is required.

Underwater rigging

A recovery is only as reliable as the rigging attached to the object.

Fixt Marine divers can establish lifting points and connect slings, shackles, chains, cables, lifting beams, or other rigging selected for the operation. When no suitable lifting point is accessible, the crew may need to excavate beneath the object, clear debris, install temporary rigging, or create access for a sling.

The recovery plan must account for the actual underwater condition of the object. Equipment that appears intact from the surface may be weakened, buried, partially collapsed, or unable to support its original weight.

Lift-bag recovery

Commercial lift bags can provide controlled buoyancy for appropriate underwater recovery projects.

Lift bags may be used to:

• Raise equipment from the bottom
• Reduce the load on a crane or winch
• Move an object into a better lifting position
• Support an object during rigging
• Float an item to a designated recovery point
• Assist with vessel or structure stabilization

Lift bags are not appropriate for every project. Current, water depth, object condition, overhead obstructions, uncontrolled ascent, and the ability to vent or control the bag must all be considered.

For heavier or more complex loads, lift bags may be used with a crane, excavator, winch, barge, or support vessel.

Sunken vessel recovery

Recovering a sunken boat or work vessel may require several stages.

Depending on the vessel, Fixt Marine can assist with:

• Locating and inspecting the vessel
• Determining its underwater orientation
• Closing or plugging accessible openings
• Removing or controlling entanglement hazards
• Establishing lifting and stabilization points
• Attaching lift bags or crane rigging
• Supporting pumping and dewatering
• Guiding the vessel during lifting
• Moving the vessel to a ramp, shoreline, barge, or haul-out point
• Documenting underwater conditions

Larger vessels, damaged hulls, unstable wreckage, fuel releases, and recoveries within navigable channels may require cranes, barges, environmental response equipment, engineering support, and coordination with regulatory authorities.

Fixt Marine can provide the diving portion of the operation and coordinate with the equipment operators and contractors involved in the lift.

Machinery and equipment recovery

Construction and industrial equipment can become buried or embedded after entering the water. Mud suction and sediment accumulation can make the recovery load significantly greater than the listed weight of the equipment.

Before lifting, a diver may need to:

• Expose the equipment with a hydraulic dredge
• Remove accumulated sediment
• Disconnect hoses, cables, or attachments
• Install rigging beneath the equipment
• Reposition the object
• Remove detachable components
• Confirm clearance from nearby structures

Fixt Marine can combine diver-assisted dredging, underwater cutting, rigging, and lifting support as part of the same recovery operation.

Debris and obstruction removal

Submerged debris can interfere with vessel traffic, damage equipment, obstruct intakes, or prevent marine construction work from continuing.

We can help remove:

• Steel beams and structural members
• Broken pilings
• Dock and fender components
• Cable, rope, and chain
• Construction debris
• Fishing gear and nets
• Wreckage
• Obstructions around vessels
• Debris blocking intakes or outfalls

Material may be rigged and lifted intact or cut into manageable sections underwater before removal.

Emergency salvage response

Some recovery projects cannot wait. A submerged vessel, navigation obstruction, lost dredging component, or piece of equipment blocking an active work area can quickly interrupt operations.

Fixt Marine provides emergency salvage and recovery support when personnel and equipment are available.

For the fastest evaluation, provide:

• Exact location or coordinates
• Description of the object
• Estimated weight and dimensions
• Water depth
• Time and circumstances of the loss
• Photographs or equipment specifications
• Whether the object is marked
• Known fuel, oil, battery, or hazardous-material concerns
• Available crane, excavator, vessel, or shoreline access
• Required recovery timeline

Recovery equipment

The equipment selected for a salvage operation may include:

• Commercial diving systems
• Underwater communications
• Commercial lift bags
• Hydraulic dredge pumps
• Hydraulic cutting tools
• Underwater burning equipment
• Slings, shackles, chains, and lifting hardware
• Winches and come-alongs
• Pumps and dewatering equipment
• Surface marker buoys
• Underwater cameras and lighting

Cranes, excavators, barges, towing vessels, disposal containers, and other heavy equipment can be supplied by the customer or coordinated as part of the project scope.

Why use a commercial diving contractor?

Attempting to retrieve a submerged object by dragging hooks or pulling unknown rigging from the surface can damage the equipment, nearby structures, and the recovery vessel. It can also create an unstable load without anyone confirming what is happening underwater.

A commercial diver can inspect the object, establish proper lifting points, monitor the load, and communicate with the surface crew throughout the operation. This gives the lifting operator better information and allows problems to be addressed before the object is raised.

Factors that affect salvage pricing

Marine salvage is priced according to the actual conditions and resources required for the recovery.

Major pricing factors include:

• Search area and certainty of location
• Water depth and current
• Visibility
• Object size and weight
• Burial in sediment
• Structural condition
• Required rigging
• Need for underwater cutting or dredging
• Crane, barge, or vessel requirements
• Mobilization distance
• Emergency or after-hours response
• Fuel or environmental hazards
• Disposal and transportation requirements
• Time required to complete the recovery

A small object at a confirmed location may be straightforward. A damaged or buried object of unknown weight requires more planning and carries greater uncertainty. Fixt Marine will define the known scope, assumptions, and rates before mobilization whenever circumstances allow.