Apparatus for marking the location of submerged articles

An apparatus comprising:

• a. a cargo suspension line, said line extending from a bucket carried by a helicopter to a releasable cargo hook on the helicopter;
• b. a housing, said housing having a first wall portion, movable from a closed position to an open position when a locking element on said housing is unlocked, said housing being attached to said cargo suspension line;
• c. a float;
• d. a tether line having an upper end attached to said float, and a lower end passing first through a second wall portion of said housing and then being attached to the bucket, said float and at least a portion of said tether line being contained within said housing;
• and,
• e. an activation cable extending between the helicopter and said locking element on said housing, whereby, when the bucket drops from the helicopter, said activation cable pulls on and unlocks said locking element, allowing said first wall portion of said housing to open, exposing said tether line and said float for deployment when the bucket becomes submerged in a body of water.

An apparatus comprising a helicopter carrying a water bucket by means of a cargo suspension line, the cargo suspension line extending between the bucket and a releasable cargo hook on the underside of the helicopter, the apparatus further comprising:

• a. a housing, said housing having a first wall portion, movable from a closed position to an open position when a locking element on said housing is unlocked;
• b. a float;
• c. a tether line having an upper end attached to said float, and a lower end passing first through a second wall portion of said housing and then being attached to the cargo suspension line, said float and at least a portion of said tether line being contained within said housing;
• d. an activation cable extending between the helicopter and said locking element on said housing, whereby, when said cargo hook is released and the bucket drops from the helicopter into a body of water, said activation cable pulls on and unlocks said locking element, allowing said first wall portion of said housing to open, exposing said tether line and said float for deployment when the bucket becomes submerged in the body of water.