Empress of Ireland Site being closed ???

[jroy017]

I have a coworker who knows I`m an avid diver tell me this morning that she heard on the radio coming to work(CBC in Montreal) that they were closing down the Empress to divers. I tried to look the info up on the CBC web site or other news sites but haven't found anything. Has anybody else heard about this ?? Or have related info ???

 

[dmdoug]

I believe that statement may have been made because of the new "historic site" designation.

In the designation is the clause that salvage companies may no longer bring up artifacts from the site. With quite a bit tied up in salvage operations for her nickel this could and will be a big hit to local salvage operators.

The Empress of Ireland is still ok to dive as a recreational dive. I had a friend complete a week worth of diving about 3 weeks ago.

If there are divers out there that wish to try and obtain a licence to conduct a survey, I believe they are not granting any licences for this site now that she has been designated a historical site.

Safe diving,

 

[mddolson]

quote:I believe that statement may have been made because of the new "historic site" designation."

This is hardly new, the Empress of Ireland was declared a historical sight well over 3 years ago.

Mike D

 

[DeepScuba]

Salvage company???

Not in decades man!!!!

And, although within recreational depth limits (For the most part) with any serious diving, it's way beyond recreational.

She's getting pretty ugly, I will tell you that much. It's falling apart inside Big-Time.

Regards.

 

[on my way wanda]

DeepScuba once bubbled...
Salvage company???

Not in decades man!!!!

And, although within recreational depth limits (For the most part) with any serious diving, it's way beyond recreational.

She's getting pretty ugly, I will tell you that much. It's falling apart inside Big-Time.

Regards.

I agree it is not considered a recreational dive at all with a wicked current and poor structure inside and out, I know that this is a dive for tec. divers and not a single tank dive as well. Later

 

[Northeastwrecks]

This dive is on my lifetime list. I hope that it remains open for tech diving. I swear that I don't want to take anything.

 

[BigAlex]

May be true in the very short future that dives on the Empress may be banned.

National Post (Oct 31/03)
http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?id=D18DB8A5-8FEC-4F79-964E-5C8501385F39

 

[Groundhog246]

This sounds like your typical Government over reaction. And we've lots of roads around here that have had way more than 6 deaths, that haven't had a single change made.
I notice in the article that the buddy pair also removed a plaque. While it saddens me when anyone (any diver) dies or is injured, you have to wonder just how stupid were these people anyway. I hope the surviving buddy was charged.

 

[DeepScuba]

Thanks for the post BA, I have been looking for evidence since yesterday.

By the way, I didn't mean that it has been decades since you were able to take stuff up from the wreck. But I new it had been a while, and certainly no major "salvaging" has been done in years!!!


Groundhog:

Don't speak too loudly about Dany, he's got more Empress dives than you and I have showers!!!!

He's a real nice, un-assuming guy. To look at him you'd never think he has the most Empress dives of I think anybody in the world.

Short and a little pudgy.....Sorry Dany!!! But just super. And don't forget, he fills our tanks!!! SO be nice

He got his stuff when it was all legal, just like the rest of them.

It's a heated debate, but if you saw the condition of the wreck, you'd be hard pressed to slam anyone for bringing up, what would now be "scraps".

As far as I'm conerned, anyone bringing up something "decent" now, decades after the major looting has been done,......is quite the feat.

And uhm, it's illegal now too.........so don't get caught.

I don't give much credence to the papers view that just "anyone" can go and dive her. Sure if you have a boat, I guess you could. But I doubt that Dany or Jean-Pierre would take you if you didn't have the qualifications.

regards

 

[Groundhog246]

DeepScuba once bubbled...
Groundhog:

Don't speak too loudly about Dany, he's got more Empress dives than you and I have showers!!!!

He got his stuff when it was all legal, just like the rest of them.

And uhm, it's illegal now too.........so don't get caught.

I haven't slightest idea who Dany is, nor did know the diver who died. But, IMNHO, people who deliberately break laws are often subject to other poor choices too. If he collected when it was legal, OK. If he thinks that gives him the right to continue to collect, not OK.

As an example I offer the divers who break the rules (lot a law, but close) at Gilboa Quarry, sneak across the wall to the deep side, suffer a failure at depth and are injured or killed. It shouldn't happen, but it does (on a far too regular basis), leading to ever more restrictions on who is allowed to dive the deep side.

Our governments have decided that they must pass ever more restricting laws to keep people from injuring or killing themselves. It'll never work, especially since there's never adequate enforcement. Those they're trying to protect will often ignore the law. It just makes life less enjoyable for the rest of us. From the cops (and other authorities) point of view, one of their biggest issue is the risk to rescue personel and the hit their budgets take. Thus, rather than have to rescue (or recover bodies) they'd ban the activity. Same discussion has taken place over the Arabia in Tobermory.

In the end, every dive has risk attached (so does driving to the dive site). Many of those who don't dive would remove that risk by not allowing us to dive. They'd also ban rock climbing, sky diving and other "dangerous" activities. I've a few acquaintances
who consider my sailing across and around Georgian Bay to be extremely dangerous and if allowed would probably restrict the legality of it. One friend has told me she'd never sail where she can't see the bottom. As a boater, the last thing I want to see is the bottom.