Mine La Motte death

[ResQDiver]

The recent trouble is an ongoing issue for years now.. The deaths will not be the last.. anytime you mix alcohol drugs and whatever else with a dangerous environment you will end up with the same result.

Out of everything Stingray and myself seen I bet there was only a couple glass containers there. The area that is specified for the divers is secluded from the rest of the quarry. When you get there you have to enter the water there and then go through some small caves that will allow you to enter the main area. It even has a change shack that was 90% clean ( a raccoon paid it a visit) and has some diver friently benches .. its a start...just some FYI

As for the clean up idea.. count me in for sure either with a group or alone. It may sound stupid but I enjoy having an area this close to my home that I can dive and see some bits of history that are still untouched from the late 1800s. Im use to low or non existant vis. This is a blessing compared to some of the work Ive been called to.

This place has been operating the same way since I can remember. Im 36... I think.....and Its not just drunk teenagers its adults as well.. just a tid bit of stupidity thrown in...

I also believe the owner is a diver as well just a bit up in age and doesnt do it as much. As for diving while there is a big crowd? I have not done it yet .... yet being the key word....

Either or.. count me in..
Laterz

 

[ResQDiver]

Ok... this is the last post for the evening.. I promise....

How about we make plans to dive there sometime soon.
Saturday 9-22 ? Sunday9-23?
Either or is good for me...
gnight

 

[stingray1]

I believe that I'm definately going to start working on planning a clean up dive here. It certainly would be nice if there were about thirty divers interested. That's a lot of area to cover. I could probably even concider doing the deeper areas on deco or surface supplied air. Just all depends on how many would participate. What would be a good date for this. Mid October? Drysuit time?

I've already got to talk to the owner about letting me take my dive boat and equipment in to cut a pipe away from the cave entrance and clear out a new channel to the caves. When ResQDiver and I where there I had my doubles and two stage bottles and after crossing the lagoon to the cave entrance found that I had to crawl over the top of a 4in pipe and then over the top of the collapsed rock debris to even get into the caves. That sucks with that much equipment on. So with the owners permission I'm going to take my underwater torch to remove the pipe and it may even call for some demo work to clear a new channel through the rock debris, we'll see. I'm equipted for all of it.

Bill that would be great if you could help in providing some of the air. I need to make some calls to arrange for more air though if we're serious about this. I'm almost certain that I could talk the owner into letting me put some roped bouys out there to mark off the cave entrances and out a ways from the bluffs to give a descent dive only area. There's a lot of work to be done to accomplish this undertaking. But it certainly has the potential to be a good dive site maybe not as good as Mermet but none the less good.

Keep the replies coming. I'm listening and more than ready to get this going for all of us. With the local help of my buddy ResQDiver and anyone else that might have a day here and there to help great things could be accomplished here. The submerged platform is also noted as a must. Just need some barrells and some angle to weld a frame and probably a few sheets of marine plywood cable to ancor it and we are set. I can either weld on site or in my shop and transport it there. I specialize in marine construction and salvage diving for those that don't know me.

Norm

 

[bsigmund]

Guys,
I could make a dive there on the 22nd, (assisting with a class on the 23rd), and would bring my brother to help out as well. We both dive dry. Let me know if we need some air and I could bring that as well. As far as the platform, I would render any assistance I can, but I am not a welder. I can operate a wrench though. We probably ought to think about marking off the wrecked speedboat in the lagoon with a buoy as well.

Thanks,
Bill

 

[SteveC]

Let me throw a few questions out here. As far as cleaning up the deep areas, except for the caves, there is nothing deeper than about 30ft. You won’t need any deco for that.

Clearing out the tunnel between the cave area and the main quarry sounds like a good idea, but there are many tons of rock debris in there, and the tunnel is very un-sound. Remember all that rock came from the ceiling. But it would be great to be able to excess the quarry from this side, and maybe isolate our selves from the general party population.

I also wonder how feasible it would be to pick up the cans from the bottom. It might produce a silting nightmare with many divers rummaging thru the silt.

But in general, it would be great to get a nice dive site closer to home.

 

[ResQDiver]

Immediately I was standing at 45' right outside the main swim entrance. I was told that along the far wall there is about 60' then back inside the cave there is a drop of 400'....Only ones I can verify myself is the 45' and its 68 degrees...Wait until towards the end of the dive to pick up and stir up...just a thought.
Thanks guys.. cyall there.

 

[stingray1]

It's my understanding that it's deeper than that. Regardless, I'm prepared for anything that pops up. As far as the debris; I'm not planning on spending a week or more clearing a new channel. A narrow 10 to 15 foot channel about 10 ft wide is far more than adeqaute. O.k. so I may have to rethink demoling a new channel. I will not know how to best clear the new channel until I go back and re-examine the area. Then I can make a professional opinion on the new channel. It will certainly help isolate us from the swimmers. Besides, has anyone besides ResQDiver and I seen the ladder over in the main area recently. Sorry, but, I can not get out of the water there. The last rung is above the water line.

 

[theskull]

Let me throw a few questions out here. As far as cleaning up the deep areas, except for the caves, there is nothing deeper than about 30ft. You won’t need any deco for that.

Clearing out the tunnel between the cave area and the main quarry sounds like a good idea, but there are many tons of rock debris in there, and the tunnel is very un-sound. Remember all that rock came from the ceiling. But it would be great to be able to excess the quarry from this side, and maybe isolate our selves from the general party population.

I also wonder how feasible it would be to pick up the cans from the bottom. It might produce a silting nightmare with many divers rummaging thru the silt.

But in general, it would be great to get a nice dive site closer to home.

This man clearly has made a few dives at the location!

The open water area is mainly 20-30 ft. deep.
The mine itself is very unstable, and has experienced a couple collapses on its own--demo work would be very dangerous, both while doing it and for the future.
And yes, once divers start picking through the thousands of cans on the bottom, there will be a great amount of silt.

Did someone else suggest waiting till the end of the dive to pick up cans?--What do you think a clean-up dive is? If a handful of divers make a fun-dive, and then pick up a bagful of cans at the end of their dive, no real contribution will be made.

????

theskull

 

[skdvr]

I would be willing to come down sometime to help clean up. I am not to sure that the 22nd would work that great because my wife and I have aleady talked about hitting Mermet that weekend. She has never dove there and would like to see it before she gets pregnant. Plus she is NOT a fan of no vis, which is what we will have when picking up all those cans from the bottom. If we end up not going to Mermet that weekend I will see if you all are still planning on being there and I would be willing to help out.

Now I have only dove there once but at that time the water was high enogh to get out with the main ladder. That is where me and my buddy when in and out at. I did not even know about the lagon area..

Phil

 

[bsigmund]

So I am confused - Are we on for the 22nd? And if so, what time? And are we cleaning up or just diving? Again let me know if we need air for that dive. I can donate some AL80s with air. (just the air is donated, not the tanks)