United States

The steamship SS Pacific went down in November of 1875 with the loss of at least 325 passengers.
The steamship SS Pacific went down in November of 1875 with the loss of at least 275 passengers and crew.

Steamship lost in 1875 off Washington coast located

The SS Pacific was on its way from Puget Sound and Victoria to San Francisco when it collided with a big sailing ship in the dark off Cape Flattery on November 4, 1875 and sank in less than an hour. The Pacific had an estimated 275 passengers and crew aboard of which only two survived, making the sinking the most deadly maritime disaster in Northwest history. 

Only a handful of details of what happened came to light afterwards because there were only two survivors—one who floated around on debris for 40 hours, and another for 80 hours.

Black sea bass (Centropristis striata) hovering over the reef. Georgia, Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary.
Black sea bass (Centropristis striata) hovering over the reef. Georgia, Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary.

National Marine Sanctuary system celebrates 50th anniversary

Fifty years ago, the United States Congress, prompted by the Santa Barbara oil spill off the coast of California, three years earlier, passed the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act which allowed for the creation of marine sanctuaries. Since October 1972, the National Marine Sanctuary System has grown into a nationwide network of 15 national marine sanctuaries and two marine national monuments that conserve more than 620,000 square miles of ocean and great lakes waters.

Recalled BCD Models BT1380108ML / BT1380108XLXXL – Orange Trim
Recalled BCD Models BT1380108ML / BT1380108XLXXL – Orange Trim

AquaLung recalls some Apeks branded BCDs

Name of Product:

Apeks Exotec SCUBA Diving Buoyancy Compensator Devices (BCDs)

Hazard:

The dump valve knob can get stuck when the recalled BCD is inflated, opening the dump valve which stops the BCD from fully inflating. This can result in a loss of buoyancy control and poses injury (decompression sickness) and drowning hazards.

Remedy:

Repair

Recall Date:

October 20, 2022

Units:

330

 

LIDA Annual Film Festival

LIDA Annual Film Festival
The Long Island Divers Association (LIDA) is a not-for-profit regional organization dedicated to the promotion of local diving

We are very excited to return to an in-person event this year and will be hosting the film festival at Hofstra University. After three years of Covid restrictions, it’s time for divers to once again enjoy the pleasures of meeting in person.

You are invited to submit proposals for possible inclusion in this event. The Film Festival is an annual fundraising event for LIDA and traditionally features an exciting slate of world-renowned speakers, filmmakers and photographers.

Painting of a pinnace by Cornelis Verbeeck, 1625
Historical sources refer to the Sparrow-Hawk as a small pinnace. This 1625 painting by Cornelis Verbeeck shows a Dutch pinnace in rough seas (Wikimedia Commons/public domain)

Study reveals more clues to New England shipwreck of 1626

Based on where the timbers were found, it was long believed that they were from the 12-meter (40ft) ship. The Sparrow-Hawk is the oldest known shipwreck in English Colonial America. Until now, there has always been some uncertainty about its true identity.

Tamara Brown, Tammy Brown, Divers Academy International, US Department of Justice, WDHOF, Women Divers Hall of Fame, Rosemary E Lunn, Roz Lunn, XRay Mag, X-Ray Magazine, scuba diving news, commerical diving news
Tamara Brown pictured in circa 2000, when she was part of the inaugural class inducted into the USA centric 'Women Divers Hall of Fame'

WDHOF Member jailed for fraud

In addition to the prison term, US District Judge Joseph H Rodriguez has sentenced Tamara Brown to three years of supervised release, fined her US$50,000 and ordered restitution of US$1.1 million.

The 58-year-old commercial diver of Haddon Heights, New Jersey had previously admitted guilt to one count of wire fraud in connection with her operation of a commercial diving school from January 2012 through to July 2018.

WDHOF Responds

A spokeman for the Women Divers Hall of Fame exclusively told X-Ray Mag on 16 January 2022 "WDHOF takes pride in our members’ accomplishments and efforts that were so significant they were inducted into the organization. We also appreciate their continued enthusiasm for helping the organization strive to make a positive impact through our training grants and scholarships. WDHOF has always had the expectation that our members continue to be ethical and honorable in their actions.

Lake of Dreams: The Remaking of Tennessee's Gray Quarry

Gray Quarry, Tennesee, USA. Photo by Gordon Hutchinson
Gray Quarry, Tennesee, USA. Photo by Gordon Hutchinson

Avid diver and professor of computing Dr. Phil Pfeiffer gives an account of how the love of diving, persistence, US$100,000, and a homebrew aerator turned an abandoned quarry in the US state of Tennessee into a thriving dive site for a region that lacked one—and had lost prospective divers for want of a site.

Wisconsin Historical Society archaeologists, assisted by divers from the Dane County Sheriff's Office, recovered the historic canoe from Lake Mendota on November 2, 2021
Wisconsin Historical Society archaeologists, assisted by divers from the Dane County Sheriff's Office, recovered the historic canoe from Lake Mendota on November 2, 2021

1,200-year-old canoe found in Wisconsin lake

Wisconsin Historical Society maritime archaeologists recovered a historic dugout wood canoe from the bottom of Lake Mendota in the US state of Wisconsin yesterday, just a few months after learning of its existence in June 2021. The canoe is a remarkable artifact, made from a single tree.