Night diving Illegal in the Ontario Great Lakes?

[Groundhog246]

Listening to the news this morning and they were talking about delays in the recovery of a Cessna that crashed in Lake Erie. One of the reasons quoted is that the divers couldn't dive at night, as night diving was illegal in the Great Lakes. Saw the same in a written article in local newspaper.
Anyone ever heard of this? I more strongly suspected it was some regulation against emergency services divers diving at night. Or have many of us been breaking the law?

 

[Eric__U]

i really dont think it would be for non-professional divers

 

[maj2]

I have been trying to follow this as much as possible, since it is big local news.
Unfortunately, it seems that media coverage in Detroit has been better than the Canadian coverage. The following is a link to the Detroit NBC affiliate's article on crash recovery efforts.
Pelee Crash: 'Slow Process' Continues In Recovery

Interesting how it is American news that informs us that our own "provincial labour laws forbid night dives". Sounds as if the law only applies to commercial/professional divers (although I could be wrong!).

The same Detroit news channel said tonight that divers were on standby all night in case conditions permitted recovery. Conditions have been poor. Ice thickness ranges from 1 inch to 10 inches in places, but the ice is drifting and closing opeings as soon as they can be cleared. In addition, the plane is sitting in about 20-25 feet of water, wheras the ice breakers housing the divers draw 20 ft. Makes it tough to get the boats anywhere close to the wreckage while maintaining safety.

My thoughts go out to the families affected.

 

[Groundhog246]

Labour laws or similar does sound more likely. If there's 10 inches of ice, rather than trying to keep it open with an ice breaker, let it freeze solid, then drive/helicopter out and cut a hole in the ice. Then you just have to bubble it to keep it open. Much easier than trying to dive through a moving bunch iof bergs. Other than recovering the bodies, I don't see a huge need to rush to recover bits of airplane.

 

[amobeus]

Morons

 

[Warren_L]

Night diving illegal? That's the first I've heard of it. I was just doing a night dive this past weekend in Lake Ontario. Hadn't realized I was doing something illegal....

 

[Groundhog246]

Morons

Thanks for YOUR insight. :280:

 

[maj2]

My first post was incomplete in some aspects. My apologies.

Although reports say visibility is good, this is western Lake Erie, and "good" is a relative term! Side scan sonar has given a good indication of the debris field, and they are using an ROV to determine recovery priorities.

Despite some ice being up to 10inches (according to some reports) in places, it is thin to non-existent in others. Shifting pack ice is a problem, according to this morning's Windsor Star. Bubbling will prevent refreeze, but not another chunk of ice from drifting in.

The Windsor Star also mentioned that "Because of surface ice, the divers will work from the Simon Risley using air lines instead of wearing air tanks and their dive suits will be hard wired with communication lines enabling those aboard to see what they do, as well as give instruction on where to look..."(January 20, p.A2)

Anyway... I don't pretend to be an expert in this type of thing... Just relaying local reports.

As mentioned before, one American broadcast made it sound like recovery divers were willing to go in tonight (if the opportunity arose), regardless of apparent labour law. They have still not been in the water, and weather is expected to turn nasty again in about 48 hours.

 

[crispos]

I don't see how there can be a statute in Ontario saying you can't night dive, just like I can't be prevented from taking a walk around the block at night.

Probably, if there is a prohibition against night diving for the SAR team, it is part of the same rules that didn't allow those police divers to go inside that capsized wreck a few years ago, until backup divers showed up. At the time, it was controversial because some people could have been alive. The aim of the rules were to not put the SAR divers at extreme risk. Diving in freezing water, under moving ice, and at night, to boot, feeling around for wreckage and dead bodies, must be hazardous enough. At this point, its a recovery so why endanger more lives.

 

[d33ps1x]

I'll follow the catch me if you can mothod.