Latest news with #AlanHamilton
ABC News
09-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
Sea burials rare but possible for those willing to face the obstacles
In the past decade, just 15 sea burial permits have been granted in Australia for people who wished to find their final resting place in the deep blue ocean. In some states, such as Tasmania, no sea burial permits have been granted since electronic records started in 1997. Travis Hamilton recently took on the "huge" challenge of fulfilling his dad Alan's burial wishes. Mr Hamilton said his father was a visionary with an unconventional approach to life, who held a lifelong wish to be interred at sea. Alan's send-off in April, 120 kilometres off the coast of Portland in Victoria, fulfilled that wish. He was the first Victorian in a decade to be buried at sea. It took 4.5 hours by boat to reach what became Alan's final resting place in the Southern Ocean. As the sun rose that morning, his body, wrapped in a natural shroud, was secured to a specially made wooden platform on a boat. A small group of family was there for the final farewell, supported by funeral staff and the boat's crew. They faced challenging 3-metre swells to reach the chosen location. But when they arrived, it was "eerily calm" and the "perfect" patch of blue. Alan's shrouded and weighted body quickly disappeared after being released into the sea. A biodegradable wreath and letters from family and friends were thrown into the ocean afterwards, and the boat traced a circle of honour around the burial site. Mr Hamilton said dolphins broke the surface of the water near the vessel soon after they departed. "It was spectacular, it was beautiful; I'd say it was joyous," Mr Hamilton told ABC Radio Melbourne. Mr Hamilton began researching sea burials when his father shared his desire for one in about 2020. He quickly realised how many challenges he'd have to overcome to achieve it. "When I told dad all of these challenges … he just smiled and said, 'Well, that's what I want,'" Mr Hamilton said. A state and federal permit was required for Alan's sea burial, which had to be done at a location with a depth of no less than 3,000 metres. To reach a patch of water of that depth, his body had to be transported beyond Australia's continental shelf. A chartered boat made the journey, requiring a captain willing to participate who then needed permits for the boat to travel the required distance and additional safety gear onboard. Portland is the closest port to the continental shelf in Victoria, and so became the location for departure. This required collaboration with a local funeral home to ensure Alan's body could be kept in a climate-controlled environment following transit from metropolitan Melbourne. Funeral operator Simon Mummé said many roadblocks and logistical challenges were overcome to ensure the burial could happen. He advised others organising a sea burial to start planning as early as possible, allowing time to overcome the many obstacles that must be faced. Embalming of the body, as is typically done, is prohibited for a sea burial. Mr Mummé said Alan's body could only be bathed and washed, then was kept in a climate-controlled environment to slow nature's processes. The shroud had to be biodegradable and weighted, Mr Mummé opted for iron weights over lead to reduce the environmental impact. Crucially, written consent from the deceased is needed. A formal letter or information in a will expressing the desire for a sea burial is essential. Mr Mummé said he was advised that online information stating the deceased must have a strong connection to the sea was not true or current. Alan did not have a strong connection to the sea, but liked to fish occasionally. A sea burial can cost upwards of $35,000 and the date must be flexible to allow for poor weather. If the cost or need for flexibility is prohibitive, there are alternatives that provide a connection to the sea. Funeral director Kimba Griffith once worked with clients attempting to fulfil a friend's wish for a sea burial, but ultimately advised them to choose a different option. "We found a charter company who would do it and we also found a funeral director in Warrnambool who would assist," she said. For alternative memorials or burials, Ms Griffith suggested returning a person's ashes to the water using a biodegradable urn, made from sand and vegetable matter. A coastal drive-by in a hearse, during which family and friends gather to toast the person, is another idea. A paddle out, where ashes are scattered by a group on surfboards or a vessel, is another popular choice. Lady Nelson tall ship master Astrid Wilson likes the simple but meaningful gesture of scattering ashes at sea. Ms Wilson has attended many memorials in a professional and personal capacity, where ashes were scattered from a boat or ship. No permit is required to scatter ashes in the ocean or water in Australia. Ms Wilson advised caution when scattering ashes, to ensure they did not blow back on participants. Ashes did blow back during an emotional memorial she once attended on a large ferry. Ms Wilson said she believed the person being remembered would have seen the humour in it. "It was for a chick who worked on Bass Strait her whole life — she was quite young — and cancer took her," she said. "She just wanted to go back to where she felt her happiest, which was at work on a ship on Bass Strait. "It was so special … she [her ashes] did swirl around and end up on the boat, but it was really good because it was just part of her." Mr Hamilton said he felt a huge sense of relief in being able to fulfil his dad Alan's final wish for a sea burial. Through his father's burial, and his own journey working in the funeral industry, he said he had learnt the importance of ritual. "Even if someone is cremated, the act of going out and having some sort of ceremony is really important," Mr Hamilton said.
American Military News
01-05-2025
- American Military News
500 firearms are recovered from Palisades fire zone. LAPD wants to reunite them with their owners
Cleanup crews on the site of the Palisades fire have found roughly 500 firearms in the debris of homes that burned earlier this year and the Los Angeles Police Department is now working to reunite the weapons with their owners. Most of the charred handguns and rifles found in the ash appear damaged, with the stocks burned away and the metal baked to a copper color, according to photos shared by the LAPD on Wednesday. The guns are difficult to identify due to the fire damage, police said, but the LAPD's Gun Recovery Unit wants to give their owners the chance to claim them. LAPD officials did not say how many — if any — of the recovered firearms are still functional but authorities made clear that they also want to have a record of which guns are destroyed or returned to their rightful owners and how many are still unaccounted for. The data collected will be entered into the state's Automated Firearms System, according to police. Driven by strong winds, the Palisades fire burned for 24 days, killed 12 people and destroyed over 6,800 structures. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. In recent months, cleanup crews have removed debris from the burn scars, discovered the firearms and have turned them over to police. 'Since January, LAPD officers have been working through the painstaking process of recovering and rendering approximately 500 firearms safe,' LAPD Chief of Detectives Alan Hamilton said in a statement. 'We recognize that these firearms may hold significant sentimental value to their owners, whether as family heirlooms, historical pieces or personal mementos, and we are doing our best to reunite them with their owners.' Gun owners can contact the LAPD with their home address and the description of the firearm to begin the recovery process. They can either report the firearm as 'lost property' to any LAPD police station, online or via email. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has not released any information about firearms recovered from the Eaton fire zone. ___ © 2025 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Los Angeles police hope to reunite firearm owners with guns after devastating Palisades Fire
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is giving firearms owners a chance to reclaim their guns, which were recovered from the charred remains left behind by the Palisades Fire earlier this year. The Palisades Fire burned 23,448 acres on the west side of Los Angeles after being sparked on Jan. 7, 2025. On Wednesday, the LAPD asked individuals who believe they may have lost a firearm in the Palisades Fire to contact the department's Gun Recovery Unit by email to reconnect with their gun. In a press release, the LAPD told citizens that in order to start the process, they will need to provide personal identifying information like proof of residential address and a description of their firearm. Palisades, Eaton Fires In Southern California 100% Contained, Officials Say "Since January, LAPD officers have been working through the painstaking process of recovering and rendering approximately 500 firearms safe," LAPD Chief of Detectives, Alan Hamilton said. "We recognize that these firearms may hold significant sentimental value to their owners, whether as family heirlooms, historical pieces, or personal mementos, and we are doing our best to reunite them with their owners." Read On The Fox News App Throughout the process of removing debris, the LAPD and other local agencies and recovery teams located about 500 firearms. Many of the guns sustained severe fire damage, making them difficult to identify. California Man Pleads Guilty After His Drone Collides With Aircraft Fighting Palisades Fire Although the guns may be in bad condition, the LAPD said it remains committed to ensuring the items are processed, identified and returned to their rightful owners. To report a lost firearm as a result of the Palisades Fire, community members are encouraged to file a lost property report at any LAPD police station or at They can also email the gun recovery unit at palisadesfire@ Los Angeles Agency Reveals Estimated Economic Impact Of Deadly Wildfires As Infernos Still Rage The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, which is responsible for the burning of 14,201 acres, created the worst natural disaster in Los Angeles County history, killing 28 people and damaging or destroying over 16,000 structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Several smaller fires also contributed to the devastation. At the height of the fires, 180,000 people were under evacuation orders, according to Los Angeles County officials. Damage and economic losses are estimated at more than $250 billion, according to private forecaster AccuWeather. Fox News Digital's Landon Mion contributed to this article source: Los Angeles police hope to reunite firearm owners with guns after devastating Palisades Fire
Fox News
01-05-2025
- Fox News
Los Angeles police hope to reunite firearm owners with guns after devastating Palisades Fire
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is giving firearms owners a chance to reclaim their guns, which were recovered from the charred remains left behind by the Palisades Fire earlier this year. The Palisades Fire burned 23,448 acres on the west side of Los Angeles after being sparked on Jan. 7, 2025. On Wednesday, the LAPD asked individuals who believe they may have lost a firearm in the Palisades Fire to contact the department's Gun Recovery Unit by email to reconnect with their gun. In a press release, the LAPD told citizens that in order to start the process, they will need to provide personal identifying information like proof of residential address and a description of their firearm. "Since January, LAPD officers have been working through the painstaking process of recovering and rendering approximately 500 firearms safe," LAPD Chief of Detectives, Alan Hamilton said. "We recognize that these firearms may hold significant sentimental value to their owners, whether as family heirlooms, historical pieces, or personal mementos, and we are doing our best to reunite them with their owners." Throughout the process of removing debris, the LAPD and other local agencies and recovery teams located about 500 firearms. Many of the guns sustained severe fire damage, making them difficult to identify. Although the guns may be in bad condition, the LAPD said it remains committed to ensuring the items are processed, identified and returned to their rightful owners. To report a lost firearm as a result of the Palisades Fire, community members are encouraged to file a lost property report at any LAPD police station or at They can also email the gun recovery unit at palisadesfire@ The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, which is responsible for the burning of 14,201 acres, created the worst natural disaster in Los Angeles County history, killing 28 people and damaging or destroying over 16,000 structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Several smaller fires also contributed to the devastation. At the height of the fires, 180,000 people were under evacuation orders, according to Los Angeles County officials. Damage and economic losses are estimated at more than $250 billion, according to private forecaster AccuWeather.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Lost your gun in the Palisades Fire? Here's how to get it back
It's been a 'painstaking' process, but authorities are now ready to ask individuals who may have lost a firearm in the Palisades Fire to come forward. According to Los Angeles Police Department Chief of Detectives Alan Hamilton, since the fire broke out on Jan. 7, officers recovered approximately 500 guns. Controlled burn could help figure out how the Palisades Fire started 'LAPD officers have been working through the painstaking process of recovering and rendering approximately 500 firearms safe,' he said in an LAPD news release. 'We recognize that these firearms may hold significant sentimental value to their owners, whether as family heirlooms, historical pieces or personal mementos, and we are doing our best to reunite them with their owners.' Many of the guns found during the debris removal process have sustained 'severe' fire damage, making them difficult to identify; however, the department is focused on getting belongings back to people who have already gone through so much. 'Despite the condition of these recovered weapons, the department remains committed to ensuring that these items are properly processed, identified and when appropriate, returned to their rightful owners,' the LAPD media release states. Anyone who believes they lost a firearm in the Palisades Fire should contact the LAPD Gun Recovery Unit by emailing palisadesfire@ All community members must be able to provide personal identifying information, such as proof of address and a description of the firearm. To report a firearm as 'lost property,' make a lost property report at any LAPD police station or online at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
