On July 15, 1960, Sergeant Burris and Officer Herbert Bybee were practicing scuba diving for an underwater recovery unit that the department was attempting to form. They were simply practicing diving techniques at Lake Lotawana when apparently something went very wrong. At approximately 4:30 p.m. on that afternoon, the two were spotted by a resident of the lake area and everything seemed alright. However, at approximately 5:30 p.m., one of the residents noticed Sergeant Burris floating face down in the water, and Officer Bybee's body was recovered a short time later. Officer Bybee's tank was empty but Sergeant Burris's still had air pressure, so the exact cause of this incident was not known. It was department policy at that time that they should have had someone with them to watch for any problems that might arise, but on this day there was no one around to help them.

Sergeant Burris had been with the Kansas City Police Department for 10 years and was survived by his wife and daughter.

Officer Bybee had been with the Kansas City Police Department for two years and served in the United States Navy for four years. He was survived by his wife and four children.