News
Deptherapy and Divecrew Grant Scuba Diver’s Last Wish (Watch Video)
A team from UK scuba diving rehabilitation charity, Deptherapy, and PADI 5* dive centre Divecrew, have made a scuba diver’s wish for one, last dive come true this Christmas.
Colin Clements, 60, from Woodley, Berkshire, is suffering from an aggressive form of brain cancer that will take his life in the near future. Knowing he would be unable to dive again, Colin donated his diving equipment to Deptherapy so that other divers could be helped by his loss.
When contacting Colin to offer his thanks for this brave and selfless gesture, Richard Cullen, Deptherapy Chairman, was made aware that Colin had a dying wish to undertake one, last dive. Richard, and Martin Weddell, owner of Divecrew, enlisted Colin’s friend Daphne Pearson to help, and set about planning how to make Colin’s last wish come true.
Colin’s last dive took place on Sunday 17th December at Eagle House School, Sandhurst. The dive was kept as a surprise for Colin until the moment he arrived at the swimming pool.
You can watch a BBC interview with Colin, Daphne and Martin, as well as underwater footage of his dive here:
Two Deptherapy Programme Members offered to accompany Colin on his last dive and travelled to Sandhurst from their homes in Banbury and Bristol:
- Gary Green, ex-Rifles, was blinded in the right eye by an IED in Afghanistan and suffers from acute PTSD. Gary is an Ambassador for Deptherapy, a Trustee of the charity, and a PADI AmbassaDiver. As a trainee Divemaster, Gary led Colin’s last dive.
- Chris Ganley, also ex-Rifles, served two tours in Afghanistan before suffering a devastating motorcycle accident that resulted in the amputation of his left arm and other serious injuries. Chris has received Colin’s donated buoyancy control device (BCD).
Chris and Gary help Colin with his pre-dive checks. Photo – Stuart Green for Deptherapy.
Gary Green said:
“As a new trainee Divemaster, it was a huge privilege to lead the dive and an absolute honour to dive with Colin. I hope through this dive, Deptherapy and Divecrew, have made Colin’s Christmas special and helped made his passing easier.”
Chris Ganley said:
“I thought I had been through some difficult times, but being with Colin was humbling as he talked about his death and what this dive meant to him. I don’t think words can describe what happened this afternoon. It was all so dignified and respectful to be with a man who is facing death with such courage.”
Colin spent about 15 minutes underwater with Gary and Chris, before unfortunately, being overcome with tiredness. At times during the pool session, the emotion was overwhelming for everyone involved, including Colin’s friends who had come to support him and watch the dive.
Gary, Colin and Chris post-dive. Photo – Richard Cullen for Deptherapy.
Daphne Pearson said:
“You only have to look at Colin’s face to know that you have made his dream come true. I couldn’t believe how quickly you managed to arrange all this, and to get some of the injured soldiers to dive with Colin has really touched us all.”
Colin couldn’t thank Gary and Chris enough for accompanying him on his dive. Sadly, Colin’s speech is already affected by his illness but smiling from ear to ear, he said:
“Today I am very happy; I have dived. I couldn’t have asked for any more. Thank you all so much.”
For more information about the work of Deptherapy and Deptherapy Education visit their website at www.deptherapy.co.uk.
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
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SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
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More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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