Things you've found under water

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So what did you do with the diver who was wearing it?
See previous post about duffel bag with weights.
 
Yesterday went into the water of a pond in Northern Maine after a brand-new hunting rifle + scope (worth about 2K) and a backpack full of gear including a handgun. A hunter had flipped his canoe and lost the pack and rifle about thirty yards off shore. He got to shore and roughly knew where the items might have gone down...roughly...had to do quite a search pattern (circular search with a line and reel from an anchor off a canoe). Even though depth was less than 20', viz was zilch with a two-foot thick very mucky bottom, easily stirred up. Anyway, found the first item when I snagged the rifle with my reel line. Using a UW metal detector, I finally found the backpack which had drifted some from where the rifle went down. Good thing he had a pistol in the backpack for the detector to pick up on. Saved him a bunch of money, even after charging him for my time, mileage and services.
 
Yesterday went into the water of a pond in Northern Maine after a brand-new hunting rifle + scope (worth about 2K) and a backpack full of gear including a handgun. A hunter had flipped his canoe and lost the pack and rifle about thirty yards off shore. He got to shore and roughly knew where the items might have gone down...roughly...had to do quite a search pattern (circular search with a line and reel from an anchor off a canoe). Even though depth was less than 20', viz was zilch with a two-foot thick very mucky bottom, easily stirred up. Anyway, found the first item when I snagged the rifle with my reel line. Using a UW metal detector, I finally found the backpack which had drifted some from where the rifle went down. Good thing he had a pistol in the backpack for the detector to pick up on. Saved him a bunch of money, even after charging him for my time, mileage and services.
Fast enough that the weapons were saved? I bet the scope was toast at a minimum.
 
Strangest thing? I weight belt, dive light that was on and a mask and snorkel in a cave near shore on Santa Barbara Island. Then I looked up and noticed there was a large air pocket. I surfaced and then found a screaming, highly panicked diver clinging to the near vertical walls of the cave. Long story but we got him out safely...
 
Yesterday went into the water of a pond in Northern Maine after a brand-new hunting rifle + scope (worth about 2K) and a backpack full of gear including a handgun. A hunter had flipped his canoe and lost the pack and rifle about thirty yards off shore. He got to shore and roughly knew where the items might have gone down...roughly...had to do quite a search pattern (circular search with a line and reel from an anchor off a canoe). Even though depth was less than 20', viz was zilch with a two-foot thick very mucky bottom, easily stirred up. Anyway, found the first item when I snagged the rifle with my reel line. Using a UW metal detector, I finally found the backpack which had drifted some from where the rifle went down. Good thing he had a pistol in the backpack for the detector to pick up on. Saved him a bunch of money, even after charging him for my time, mileage and services.
Those lakes are my normal diving spots in the summer...

Jim..
 
Those lakes are my normal diving spots in the summer...

Jim..

There was not much to the pond, including not much flora. Not much in the way of fish either, probably a few pickerel not much else. But the marsh at the end of it is a great place to set up for deer hunting.
 
Did you keep him or return him to the rightful owner (spouse)?
Definitely returned. And then I had several stiff drinks. The gravity of thinking about the outcome if I had not happened into the same cave weighed heavily on me. I'm glad to have been part of the happy outcome but don't wish to experience anything like it again. Another diver on a different boat was not so lucky that weekend. RIP Rick Hadley.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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