Sean,
On occasion I venture on to this board SCUBA Board. Read a few posts, some times for humor with all the people with little or no experience but with all the answers and on occasion with great awe and admiration of the UW progress.
Today I found it interesting especially about your late father, Mel and mother Delo, Whom I hope is doing well in these our later years.
Your posting recalled those halcyon days of yesteryear...
It also brought back long dormant memories of 4 Hoosier born LA Co Underwater Instructors all with diverse dreams for the future, I became a doctor, one became a world famous UW Photographer, and two who are no longer with us a Hollywood actor and a commercial diver and the late
young Hoosier named Mel from Goshen Indiana who always had a dream of finding treasure. He followed that dream to became the most successful treasure hunter in modern times
I recall when Earl Sugarman and your father hoisted a weekly underwater TV show, years before Sea Hunt...My memory is not as sharp as years ago but I recall it was from a Hotel in Redondo Beach. Perhaps the Chase hotel? It has been years since I have heard from or about Earl.
And I recall when your father was zapped by a sting ray ala Steve Irvin (only 50 years before) and was saved by the fast intervention of my neighbor, and fellow Long Beach Neptune, Doctor Nelson (Mattie) Matheson (who was a transplant from New Mexico)
On my den shelf rests a book of matches from Mel's Aqua Shop. I never smoked and don't know why I saved it all these years, probably approaching 60 years since I picked it up. It is a memento from long ago your mother (?) Delo will remember it.....
Out side cover reads as follows: MEL'S AQUA SHOP**** Skin diver's paradise***If its Underwater Equipment, I've got it! *** 1911 South Catalina Ave.*** Redondo Beach, Calif.*** the other side of the flap is a Joke from SDM*****
Inside the match book reads as follows; DON'T DIVE *** Until you have learned the proper used of the DivAir, Northhill or Aqua Lung with only one nights instruction*** given by****LA County Certified SCUBA instructors**** Cost of instruction $5.00***BREATHING UNIT and other equipment furnished by MEL'S AQUA SHOP***AT NO EXTA COST****CLASS INCLUDES***Underwater color movies ***Lecture on*** The theory of diving ****Pool instruction*** Underwater test*** Make reservations' in*** Advanced ****MEL'S AQUA SHOP
Last time I had contact and ever so briefly with your father was at the LA Co 40th reunion, almost 20 years ago, he was not doing well but still demanded that the cigarette habit be satisfied.
I watched the movie about the Catalina dive trip...Lots of Memories. The boat was the Veleron, owned and operated by Orange county resident Jack Kirk of then "Goat Hill," long since changed to "Coasta Mesa." The boat was constructed and formerly owed by the movie star of the 30s,40s & 50s, James Cagney.
The Veleron was sold and ended it's days as a floating home in Hong Kong harbor.
The following event caused Jack to sell the Veleron and never ever own another dive boat
I was witness to a SCUBA diver being struck by a boat was in November 1959. We had gone to Santa Barbara Island on a private boat for lobster diving. After a day of diving we anchored in a cove, along with a number of other boats including Goat Hill (Costa Mesa) resident Jack Kirk's large dive boat the "Veleron."
Several of the divers on the Veleron decided to go for a night dive even through the were at anchor in a recognized anchoring location and other boats would probably arriving later to anchor.
All was well until the cry was heard loud and clear "Look out!" followed by "Oh My God!" and a loud scream "Help!" We were close enough to see Bobbie Frazier strip down and jump off the Veleron as Jack and the passengers begin scrambling to give assistance. From our vantage point as the closest boat we saw a very bloody and lifeless body being lifted on the deck.
I had known the deck hand Bobbie for a number of years so I shouted to Bobbie "How bad is he?" Bobbie replied "Bad, very bad, we need to air lift him to the hospital " and requested that we move as close as possible and shine our boat lights on the deck of the Veleron as a guide in the USCG Helicopter in locating the boat. Almost immediately we were joined by the other boats who had pulled anchor to assist in lighting the area.
About 45 minutes later the helicopter arrived dropped a basket to the deck of the Veleron. The victim was secured in the basket the helicopter began winding in the cable lifting the severally injured diver into the night air. Much to the horror of the passengers and crew , and the boats surrounding the Veleron, some where between 60 & 100 feet in the air the cable broke and the basket and victim crashed on the deck of the Veleron and into the water.
A few moments later Bobbie shouted a "Thank you" to the surrounding boats and asked that move away.... The diver was dead and they were heading for San Pedro. Thus ended a very traumatic hour and a half at San Clemente Island.
Early the next morning we and most of the pleasure boats who had been at anchor also headed for home.
The Los Angeles Times reported the accident as follows:
"DIFFICULT RESCUE 23 November 1959 Los Angeles Times (California)
Skin Diver, Hit by Boat, Falls From Copter, Dies
Harold B. Gavenman of Canoga Park California was skin diving on Saturday 21 November 1959 off Santa Barbara Island. He was one of several diving from a barge (the Veleron) in an island cove. He surfaced in front of an oncoming lobster boat and was sucked into the propeller. The lobster boat operator jumped in and pulled him onboard, radioed for help, and took him by boat to the barge. An Air Force helicopter made 30 attempts to secure a line to him. Once they were successful, when he was raised about 100 feet in the liter basket, the cable broke and he was dropped onto the barge and rolled off the side. Those on the barge were able to recover him, then took him by a fast power boat cruiser to Santa Catalina Island, he was then life flighted from to Newport Beach and pronounced dead on arrival at Hoag Memorial Hospital".
Epilogue-- about a year later the widow who was not on the boat brought suit against Jack Kirk and his crew of the Veleron, the lobster boat that struck the victim, the US CG , the cable manufacture and just about every one who was in any way associated with the accident-but not one diver stepped forward to state diving in a known anchorage at night is an acceptable diving practice ( especially with the one candle power generally home made diving lights of that pioneer era)
....The memories ...we were so privileged to be of an event that was experienced by only a few and will never ever be experience again on this earth Those were The days of our dives...
Dr. Samuel Miller, 111
LA Co UW Instructor, #11, NAUI instructor #27, PADI #241 and the rest of the alphabet etc, etc