A policeman has invented a device to salvage drowned bodies, out of respect for the dead, China News Service reported.

Bai Yunzhi (L1) and other policemen demonstrate how to use the device. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Bai Yunzhi has worked at the forensics unit of the public security bureau in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, for nearly 15 years. The area he works at is near the estuary to the Pearl River, where drowning cases happen from time to time.

Salvaging the bodies is not only expensive – 1,500 yuan to 4,000 yuan (about US$225 to US$600) is paid to professionals – it is also difficult due to flowing water and is sometimes shunned by professionals who consider it bad luck, Bai told reporters.

He teamed up with other three policemen earlier this year to invent a device to salvage bodies. The steel-made device comes in two parts: One part is a series of levers to fasten the body, which also help prevent damaging the body; the other part is the crane, which can hoist the body after fastening it. The device can be broken down into several parts, making it easy to carry.

It used to take three to seven hours to salvage the body, often slowing an investigation, Bai told reporters. But the new device can salvage a body in several minutes, as a video of a previous salvage shows. Also, the body isn't left with signs of dragging as it does when ropes are used.

"I hope my efforts can help the dead retain a last remnant of dignity, as well as bring the bereaved family a sense of comfort," Bai said.

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