I think that was Andy Bator.Having been on what has amounted to extended shore leave for some time now, I was saddened to come back aboard and hear of Jim's death. My sincere condolences then to all his family and friends. Of little cheer it might be, but let me repeat that Jim was very well regarded by anyone who knew him, and his dive center 'HQ' there in Pompano somewhat legendary to say the least. Certainly a gentlemen and a very able skipper and diver to say the least.
As others here, I also did many dives with Jim in the early 90's, when I lived on and off in Florida over several years during my many levels of 'technical' diver and instructor training.
As matter of fact I did my first trimix dive of my trimix course (being 'Mounted') off Jims boat in 92 or 93 (but had done plenty of deep air with him prior to that). And as luck would have it, or not as the case may be, on that very first trimix dive one of Jims very good friends, a spearo (not on our trimix course) diving on air on the RBJ /CC - whose name I can't recall now - took an o2 hit and died on the bottom while we were just meters away. We saw it all happen in slo-mo as it were. Mount tried diligently to save him, but he was dead within moments, literally. Well, that's what happens after all I guess when you mistakenly switch to pure O2 at the best part of, what, 75m / 250 odd feet (yeah, so much for diving with independent doubles where you had to switch regs at depth). After we had all surfaced, Jim went down and recovered the body. Twas a sad day for all. So that very first trimix dive on the RBJ/CC showed me first hand what I was getting myself in for. Seems it was a pretty serious business that technical diving stuff.
Anyway I digress; back to Jim. No doubt some of you have seen it, but below is a quite realistic sketch (circa how those wrecks looked in that early 90's time frame anyway) Jim did of the RBJ & CC (the red dot marks where the tragedy described above took place). Brings back fond memories of Jim, and a not so fond memory of that dive.
So Jim, long may you run!
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