Burial at sea

[Doc]

Several friends have asked that their ashes be scattered at a favorite dive site.

Having been a party to this, I know that they would have all been pleased to know that~ as their ashes seperated out into a greyish cloud underwater... fish were attracted to it and thus began the recycling process.

Like that scene in Hill Street Blues, when the boys in the Precinct asked permission to sprinkle their old Sarge's ashes on the streets of New York... but were refused... they met clandestinely to do this late at night. The cop cars converged quietly, words were said, and Sarge's ashes were scattered on the hard streets. The police cars departed in silence, and... a few minutes later, the streetsweeper came along.

Dust to dust. Rest well, my friends.

 

[Charlie99]

Like that scene in Hill Street Blues, when the boys in the Precinct asked permission to sprinkle their old Sarge's ashes on the streets of New York... but were refused... they met clandestinely to do this late at night. The cop cars converged quietly, words were said, and Sarge's ashes were scattered on the hard streets. The police cars departed in silence, and... a few minutes later, the streetsweeper came along.

Kind of like a burial at sea I observed. Unfortunately, the old admiral's remains were poured into the ocean off the windward side. Everyone just pretended not to notice the super fine ash drifting back upon the burial party and all over the deck.

We waited a respectful half hour before breaking out a fire hose to wash down the deck.

The ceremony was also made memorable when, after the ceremony was completed, the XO asked the gunnery officer how many blanks the ship carried for the M14's the honor guard had used for the salute. "What blanks?", replied the gunnery officer.

The reason for the apparent shift in wind that brought the admiral back onboard was that as officer-of-deck, I had turned the ship just as the ceremony started to get a safe firing direction so the bullets from the honor guard wouldn't come back down on other ships or boats.

 

[Steve Egner]

Several friends have asked that their ashes be scattered at a favorite dive site.

Having been a party to this, I know that they would have all been pleased to know that~ as their ashes seperated out into a greyish cloud underwater... fish were attracted to it and thus began the recycling process.

I can honestly say that I prefer the scattering of ashes to the deposit of ashes in some kind of container...

While diving a shallow bay off Quadra Island, BC, last weekend, I came across an aged box, about 10" x 10" x 8". I opened the lid, and found the inside lined with plastic wrap, and filled with ash. Probably not from the BBQ...

My feeling of eager anticipation was quickly replaced by regret... I wish I'd never found it. Apologizing silently for my intrusion, I replaced the lid, and tucked the box away where it will be less likely to be disturbed in the future.

If one must deposit a loved one's remains in a container, it might be prudent to do so at a depth beyond the reach of recreational divers. 45 FSW doesn't quite cut it.

 

[mike_s]

you can get your ashes cast in concrete and buried in sculptures off Key Biscayne.

 

[Charles R]

:14: I like the grey cloud affect myself

 

[Ocean One]

I guess I'll take the ashes to ashes fish to poo!! Route!!!!!!
No worm boxes for me!!

 

[gypsydiver19]

FYI, They make a floating urn out of a paper product that dissolves and spreads ashes over a two hour period of time. Most funeral homes can order these discs and they arent very expensive. This eliminates the wind problems often seen with the neptune society, etc.

 

[gert7to3]

I held the plastic bag with my mother-in-law's ashes underwater, then turned it inside out. I gave the GPS position and deemed it the start of a geologic journey for her when I announced it to other family members.

 

[james croft]

I too have found an urn with ashes. It was not opened but it had the dates of birth and death on it. It was a child. We left it where we found it. It was also in shallow 10' water.
My father had his ashes buried at sea from a naval ship. I received a video of the ceremony, a flag and spent shell casings along with a map of the location with the lat and long co-ordinates. Pretty stoic and moving cermony. I am sure the old man enjoyed it.
I am going to have some of my ashes loaded into some live shotgun shells and fired out over a duck swamp by my hunting buddies.

 

[Tom Winters]

You can also get your ashes put in a skyrocket and light up the world one last time.
http://www.angels-flight.net/