- Messages
- 5,141
- Reaction score
- 4,137
- # of dives
- 5000 - ∞
The year was 1960...
The tribe had made a dive trip deep in to Baja Califirbna Mexico using WW11 surplus 4 X 4 1940s ambulances and had returned to Ensenada to camp prior to crossing the border.
Some went into "town' for shopping and a few drinks. Several remained behind at camp to refill all the Lungs (aka SCUBA tanks) from the WW11 Rix compressor located behind the seat in one of the ambulances and powered by a PTO from the engine. All precautions were taken to insure clean air, the engine exhaust was piped through 10 foot pipe to insure only clean off shore air was compressed in to the lungs.
Some time during the filling sessions the air direction changed to on shore sucking contaminated exhaust air into one members twin 70s,
A week later Friday June 4th, 1960 was the date the tribe had scheduled the Veleron, the largest boat in the San Pedro fleet to travel to Catalina Island to salvage a 7000 pound anchor resting off Abalone point at Catalina island.
(The Veleron had been the movie star James Cagney's private boat prior to being converted to a dive charter boat by Jack Kirk-- The boat ended its life in one of the many boats in Hong Kong harbor)
We all had our assignments; toss the 55 gallon metal barrels over the side fill with water and guide down to and secure to the anchor.
Two members were to dive to 125 and 150 to secure marker buoys on the anchor chain for ease of locating in future explorations
All wen well all returned to the boat in anticipation of the lifting to the huge anchor to the surface -- all except the diver who was to go to 150 feet after a few anxious moments it was determined he was not going to surface and preparations were made to search and recover his body which was located at 210 feet mouth piece in place, floating a few feet above the bottom as if he was asleep
Later it was discovered his twin 70s were saturated with carbon monoxide from the filling a week previous
It can and will happen
The victim was a graduate of the US Naval academy had severed in the Korean war, was an LA co UW Instructor, the first and only to perish in the water-- And I telephoned his parents to inform them of his passing
Sam Miller, 111
The tribe had made a dive trip deep in to Baja Califirbna Mexico using WW11 surplus 4 X 4 1940s ambulances and had returned to Ensenada to camp prior to crossing the border.
Some went into "town' for shopping and a few drinks. Several remained behind at camp to refill all the Lungs (aka SCUBA tanks) from the WW11 Rix compressor located behind the seat in one of the ambulances and powered by a PTO from the engine. All precautions were taken to insure clean air, the engine exhaust was piped through 10 foot pipe to insure only clean off shore air was compressed in to the lungs.
Some time during the filling sessions the air direction changed to on shore sucking contaminated exhaust air into one members twin 70s,
A week later Friday June 4th, 1960 was the date the tribe had scheduled the Veleron, the largest boat in the San Pedro fleet to travel to Catalina Island to salvage a 7000 pound anchor resting off Abalone point at Catalina island.
(The Veleron had been the movie star James Cagney's private boat prior to being converted to a dive charter boat by Jack Kirk-- The boat ended its life in one of the many boats in Hong Kong harbor)
We all had our assignments; toss the 55 gallon metal barrels over the side fill with water and guide down to and secure to the anchor.
Two members were to dive to 125 and 150 to secure marker buoys on the anchor chain for ease of locating in future explorations
All wen well all returned to the boat in anticipation of the lifting to the huge anchor to the surface -- all except the diver who was to go to 150 feet after a few anxious moments it was determined he was not going to surface and preparations were made to search and recover his body which was located at 210 feet mouth piece in place, floating a few feet above the bottom as if he was asleep
Later it was discovered his twin 70s were saturated with carbon monoxide from the filling a week previous
It can and will happen
The victim was a graduate of the US Naval academy had severed in the Korean war, was an LA co UW Instructor, the first and only to perish in the water-- And I telephoned his parents to inform them of his passing
Sam Miller, 111
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