North Bay scuba divers clean Lake Nipissing marina
Divers from the North Bay Scuba Club were gearing up and diving into Lake Nipissing's Marina boat launch to clean the waters of trash and debris ahead of the boating season.
It's also a warm up dive for club members who look ahead to starting their diving season. Six divers split up into pairs to remove what they could find in the depths of the murky waters.
"Certainly anything foreign in the water contributes to pollution and we do it as a service to the city and the marina" said North Bay Scuba Club member Rick Taylor. "Let's say there's a lawn chair down under the water and you come in with your boat. That could get caught up in your propeller."
Divers fished out beer cans, tires, rope and a whole patio umbrella.
It's also a warm up dive for scuba divers like Andrew Taylor. With his goggles on, and air tank strapped to his back, he's been fascinated by the mystery underwater.
"There's that experience of weightlessness that you have when you can see 40 feet below you and you see the bottom and you're just flying down towards it" said Taylor.
They've been cleaning the shallow area for the last 20 years finding all sorts of things.
"In the past, we've taken things out like boat tops, tarps, barbecues, tools, sunglasses and propellers" said Rick Taylor.
In some cases, the divers are able to return lost objects to the owner. The north Bay Fire Department reached out to the club asking its divers to search for a lost firefighter axe.
"Apparently they were doing a water rescue simulation and training and it was lost or slipped out of their hands during the winter" explained diver Rick Thibeault.
It was Thibeault's task to find and retrieve the axe.
The scuba club is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It used to offer training courses for new scuba divers. But that stopped about a decade ago. It still welcomes new divers of all levels who are looking to find peace and serenity when submerged underwater.
"If could stay longer, I would live there if I could" smiled Thibeault. He added veteran divers still get that thrill when taking a journey underwater.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.