Florida Enlists a Furry, Aquatic Detective: Meet Splash the Cadaver Otter

November 3, 2025

In the world of search and rescue, where technology like AI and sonar constantly pushes boundaries, one Florida-based non-profit is going back to the basics in the most unexpected way: using a highly trained otter to find human remains underwater.

Michael Hadsell of Peace River Search and Rescue has trained an Asian small-clawed otter named Splash, whom he suggests is the only cadaver otter in the world. The motivation is simple but critical. “The problem is that we miss more recoveries than we get working on low-visibility diving and forensic diving,” Hadsell explained. “And so I’m trying to put the odds in our favor so we get more recoveries. And that’s what the Otter’s for.”

For years, the search for missing people often hit a wall at the water’s edge, as K-9 units, while effective on land, cannot dive to locate scent sources underwater. Splash changes that. He has already participated in over 20 missions so far, working with law enforcement agencies like those in Palm Beach and Martin Counties.

The otter’s effectiveness is rooted in its natural environment and biological abilities. Otters are one of the only mammals capable of actively detecting odors underwater.

Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek applauds this innovative approach, noting that it represents a blend of instinct and training. “We see a lot of innovative things with technology, AI, but we’re going back to the basics of using an animal to do what they do best, and that’s to go in their own environment and detect things that don’t belong there.”

Splash uses a unique bubble technique to “taste” the water. He exhales and inhales rapidly, shooting out air bubbles that capture volatile organic compounds (the scent of human remains) and pulling them back in to detect the location. Once he pinpoints a scent, he signals his trainer. With the demand for Splash’s assistance growing across the state, Hadsell plans on training another otter next year, cementing this unusual but effective partnership between humans and one of Florida’s native aquatic species.

Written by: Ava