Into the deep

>> Former Simon Chang model goes diving for corpses

by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Harry Sheppard

Age: 51

Occupation: Sùreté du Québec diver

Rank: Corporal

Salary: $61,000 par annum

Bio: This rough and ready Laval resident has been diving into some of Quebec's murkiest waters and pulling out corpses, stolen cars and murder weapons since 1975. In top physical condition, Harry was chosen to be the resident SQ hunk back in the 1980s when he became the poster-boy model for the Sùreté's new Simon Chang uniforms. A licensed pilot, he says he really enjoys police work and only gets bummed when he has to swim around in disgustingly polluted bodies of water.

One of the biggest obstacles to finding a corpse in the drink: Visibility. "It's not like Jacques Cousteau on television. Usually visibility is only about a metre, so sometimes you can hardly even see your hands and then, when you find the body, it's like the person has practically jumped on you. In polluted waters the visibility is even worse."

Does he ever freak out when he suddenly comes face to face with a rotting corpse 150 feet under the water? No. "I've yet to be attacked by any dead bodies."

In the springtime, is it fun to pull out corpses that have been decomposing all winter long? No. "But it's not like in the movies when you grab a body by the arm and it comes off in your hand. The human body is incredibly strong, you know."

Do the biker wars represent a lot of overtime hours for his diving crew? No. "We used to find a lot of Hells Angels in the water back in the '80s but not so much these days. They must be digging now."

Worst part of the job: Retrieving the bodies of drowned children and returning them to their parents.

Something that he really likes: Human anatomy. Harry likes to spend as much time as he can around the pathology table. "For a diver, the most interesting parts of the body are the inner ear and the lungs. So when you get to see them up close and isolated on the table it can be pretty fascinating."

Some boating safety advice: No matter how good a swimmer you may be, always wear a life jacket. And don't wear big boots when you're going boating. "You can't imagine how many bodies I pull out of the water that have big fishing boots on their feet."

Hobbies: Harry likes to go backpacking with his wife in Central America.

Childhood dream occupation: Definitely not a cop. "I probably wanted to be a pilot."

Favourite authors: Clive Cussler, Dean Koontz.

Musical preferences: Jazz, blues. "I'll probably be at the Jazz Festival every night this year."

One of his favourite films: The Abyss. "It was pretty realistic."

Favourite television show. Harry absolutely adores Will & Grace.

Personal words of wisdom: "Always sleep on a decision before taking it. That's what my father told me and that's what I've told my own son." :

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