Police have released footage showing divers descending to the depths of a South Australian reservoir as they search for the remains of a suspected murder victim.
SA Police's Water Operations Unit arrived at the Myponga Reservoir on Monday after receiving a tip-off that the body of missing man Jeff Mundy may have been dumped by the weir.
Divers have been operating at a depth of 42 metres in almost total darkness at the site about 60 kilometres south of Adelaide.
Police believe Mr Mundy, 36, was one of three victims killed by a group of people over small drug debts.
His disappearance is being investigated as part of Taskforce Southern, a police operation launched in 2021 to investigate suspected drug-related murders in Adelaide's south.
The video released today shows police divers — who are working at such a depth that they have to undergo decompression before resurfacing — descending into, and emerging from, the murky waters.
Police said the search had now shifted to the area around the northern part of the dam wall.
Reservoir Road, which goes across the dam wall, is closed between Forktree Road and the lookout over the reservoir until Friday.
Difficult job for divers
Senior Sergeant Josh Heinze, from SA Police's Water Operations Unit, said the water was so dark it was not possible to see your fingers when holding your hand in front of your face.
"It's pitch-black, it's often cold and it can often be a bit rough, a bit stormy, dark and often you can't see what you're doing underwater," he told ABC Radio Adelaide.
"Every situation is different and obviously diving in nil-visible water has lots of challenges."
He said divers underwent a lot of training.
"Not everyone is able to comprehend in their mind how they can overcome certain fears to be able to conduct that dive safely and efficiently," he said.
"When the members are down their diving, they're sweeping their hands across the floor and they're basically trying to identify any objects and then it's up to them to decipher what that is.
"So it comes by feel, it comes with experience: so they train a lot in that nil-visible environment to basically do that role and be able to identify what they've located."
