The Search for Clarence Holmes in Laurel Lake Ky

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Mark Michaud SELAUSAR

Contributor
Messages
716
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Location
Slidell La
# of dives
1000 - 2499
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Equipment HELP! The Continuing Search for Clarence Holmes, Laurel Lake Kentucky[/h]
To my diver friends I am looking for 4-6 large underwater lights. These would be the type similar to the ones used in Men Of Honor. They can be 12v dc, 110v ac or even 220v ac. I need to hang them about 20-30 feet off of the bottom in our search area in Kentucky. We can make our dive profiles more shallow and using this system we should be able to illuminate the bottom from above. Even the loan of some video lights would possibly work. This is all being done on our own nickel so any help would be appreciated. We have one last area, to search, that we have evidence Clarence Holmes is there. Due to depths and cold it is slow and tedious as well as cold. By using "stadium lighting" we can search from a much shallower depth and will end this search sooner and more safely. I appreciate any help with lighting.

Forrest Wilson, Skip Kendrick, Robbie Smith and Derrick Powell have been with me and searching this lake. The profiles are 90-100' and 40-41 degrees. It is very dark and tedious. We have been there twice and are down to a specific area in which we are confident we will locate Clarence Holmes on the bottom. There is a facebook page you can visit. Come Home Clarence. You can also visit my page (Mark Michaud) for information on this search. Here are 2 videos I shot showing dives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRyxhddsh_4 Derrick Powell and Myself

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRyxhddsh_4 Forrest and I

Mark Michaud diverecoveries at charter dot net nine eight five nine six 0 one one five seven​
 
Sorry, I have no such equipment,... but I am quite curious,.... Who/ what is "Clarence Holmes"? I live about 4- 5hrs from Laurel Lake. Just a case of curiosity. Thank you.

Clarence went missing on July 05, 2102. His boat was found but he was not. The area was searched by locals and several counties with side scan, rov's and such. The search was called off because he could be in 70' - 200' and the area he is believed to be in is vast and has a standing forest below. With resources at hand, it was felt the task (risk v benefit / safety) was unable to be done. It is the side of a mountain covered in water. The water at dept is 41 degrees and good cave lights only give 10-20' of illumination. It is the hardest diving I have ever done. I was contacted in March about it. I obtained what info I could and put a team together to see what we could find.

The first 3 days was full of interviews with family and using water certified cadaver dogs (3) we worked to isolate an area to search. We could only dive 1 day due to storms. We went back with divers earlier this month and found evidence that we are close to locating him.

The hard part is we are working in 100', have no real shop support close, and can only get about 20 minutes on bottom per dive to stay out of deco, because of the limited resources. Cold also limits the time. Multiple dives over multiple days is also a factor. It was a huge task that has been narrowed down. This kind of search has not been done before, or at least I can't find any records to say it has. I have been keeping everything documented, dives, gps, depths conditions, searches used, systems we have made up for this operation, etc. We have moved to a lot of old fashion searching from a time before the bells and whistles. It is working but it is so very slow. We will locate him soon. I hope this makes sense. It is late and I probably should have waited until day to write all of this. Mark

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sout...er-Search-and-Recovery-Group/1438568169746982

https://www.facebook.com/groups/comehomeclarence/


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Thank you for the information. I know about most of the conditions you speak of. 80% of my dives have been in quarries & strip mine pits in KY. I will root around a bit & see if there is anything I can find to help you guys out.... No promises, but I'll see what I can do. I have a cave diving buddy who lives about 40- 50 min. away in Somerset, KY. I may see what he has or can find to help you out.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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