Devices and methods for recovering articles inadvertently submerged in a body of water

A recovery device for recovering an article submerged in water, the device comprising:

• a housing selectively attachable to the article and having a forward housing end and an aft housing end, the housing defining a storage chamber and having a storage chamber opening at the forward housing end;
• a flotation element releasably disposed within the storage chamber, the flotation element being substantially buoyant in water;
• a water-activated release mechanism disposed within the storage chamber and configured to prevent movement of the flotation element toward the storage chamber opening under non-immersed conditions and to allow movement of the flotation element toward and through the storage chamber opening when the recovery device is submerged in water;
• one or more connecting mechanisms, each having a first end attached to the housing and a second end attached to the flotation element,
• wherein the water-activated release mechanism contains a water soluble material and
• wherein the flotation element is disposed within the storage chamber intermediate the water-activated release mechanism and the storage chamber opening at the forward housing end, the water-activated release mechanism being configured to prevent movement of the flotation element toward the storage chamber opening under non-immersed conditions and to allow movement of the flotation element toward and through the storage chamber opening when the recovery device is submerged in water.

An attachment device for attaching a recovery device for recovering an article submerged in water to a threaded forward end of a shotgun magazine, the recovery device having a housing in which is disposed a flotation element and a water-activated release mechanism configured to prevent the flotation element from releasing from the housing under non-immersed conditions and to allow release of the flotation element from the housing when the recovery device is submerged in water, the attachment device comprising:

• an open, hollow, aft base member end, the internal section of which is cylindrical with an internal thread configured to engage the external thread of the threaded forward end of the shotgun magazine;
• and
• a forward base member end having a releasable attachment mechanism configured for attachment to an aft end of the recovery device housing,
• wherein the forward base member end is open and hollow with a cylindrical internal section that includes an internal thread configured to engage an external thread on a cylindrical external section of the recovery device.