News
Cause of Teenage New Yorker’s Fatal scuba accident could take months to determine

Cayuga County sheriff’s deputies say it could take months to determine the cause of the scuba diving accident on Oct. 20 that left 16-year-old Brandon Finch dead.
Brandon, of Bridgeport, died in the accident at the south end of Skaneateles Lake, New York.
Brandon was with Carl Hoyt, 33, of Bridgeport, and Theodore Garlock, 23, of Syracuse, for a training dive.
At some point something went wrong and Brandon began swimming toward the surface from 60 feet down. He was unresponsive before he reached the surface.
Hoyt and Garlock – both of whom are paramedics – brought Brandon to the surface and began CPR while calling 911. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Lt. Joseph Weeks said this week that deputies are awaiting the results of the final autopsy report to determine what went wrong. That report could take months to complete, Weeks said.
Brandon’s mother described her son as mature, outgoing and ambitious.
Brandon was a junior at Chittenango High School who enjoyed running, video games and playing the trumpet. He aspired to become an artist, mother Sharon Finch said.
Brandon was also a junior firefighter and planned to become a full member when he was old enough.
“He decided he just wanted to help out,” said Bridgeport Fire Chief Frank Thompson. “He was a very nice kid. I don’t think anyone ever said a bad thing about him.”
Source: www.syracuse.com
News
Jane Morgan Joins Scubaverse’s Underwater Photography Team

Scubaverse is proud to announce that renowned underwater photographer Jane Morgan is the first to join our newly launched underwater photography team, alongside team lead Saeed Rashid.
With a career spanning over two decades, Jane brings a wealth of experience, creativity, and passion for the ocean. After learning to dive in 1991, Jane’s early work in marine conservation and scuba instruction in the Philippines and Borneo laid the foundation for what would become a distinguished career in underwater photojournalism.
A chance encounter with a film camera in Egypt in 2001 sparked a lifelong passion for underwater photography. Since then, Jane’s captivating imagery has been featured in top publications around the world, from major magazines and newspapers to books and exhibitions. She has worked with the BBC, judged prestigious competitions, and earned accolades including the Plongeur d’Or at the Festival Mondial de l’Image Sous-Marine.
Now based in Cornwall, Jane dives the UK coast year-round, championing its often-overlooked marine biodiversity. She is also a proud ambassador for DYNAMICNORD and Fathoms Free, lending her voice and lens to ocean conservation efforts.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Scubaverse underwater photography team,” says Jane. “It’s an exciting opportunity to share stories from beneath the surface and connect more people with the incredible beauty—and fragility—of our oceans.”
Scubaverse founder Dave Alexander adds, “Jane is one of my absolute favourite underwater photographers, and having her on board is a huge moment for us. Her talent, passion, and dedication to marine storytelling make her an ideal fit for the team.”
We’re just getting started… come back tomorrow to meet the next member of our underwater photography dream team!
Marine Life & Conservation
Double Bubble for the Shark Trust

This week only – your donation to the Shark Trust will be doubled – at no extra cost to you!
The Shark Trust are raising vital funds for their Community Engagement Programme: empowering people to learn about sharks and rays, assisting the scientific community take action for elasmobranchs, and bring communities together to become ambassadors for change.
Every £1 you give = £2 for shark conservation. A donation of £10 becomes £20, £50 becomes £100! Help us reach our target of £10,000, if successful, this will be doubled to £20,000 by the Big Give.
Every donation makes DOUBLE the impact!
Monty Halls is backing this week of fundraising “Cousteau called sharks the “splendid savage of the sea”, and even through the more benign lens of modern shark interactions it remains a good description. The reefs I dived thirty years ago teemed with sharks, the perfect result of 450 million years of evolution. Today those same reefs are silent, the blue water empty of those elegant shadows. But hope remains that if one generation has created such devastation, so the next can reverse the damage that has been done. The Shark Trust are at the forefront of that fight.“
To find out more about the work of the Shark Trust visit their website here.
- Blogs2 months ago
GO Diving Show 2025: The Monster Mark Evans Created (And Why the Industry Loves It)
- Marine Life & Conservation2 months ago
ARC marine Celebrates “Commended” Award at Underwater Photographer of the Year with reef cube image
- News2 months ago
Humpback Mother and Calf Win Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025
- News2 months ago
Go Diving Show 2025 Exhibitor Showcase
- News3 months ago
Book Review: Amazing Diving Stories by John Bantin
- News2 months ago
Filming 360 in The Bahamas
- Gear News2 months ago
Poseidon Diving Systems Announces New UK Distribution Model
- Gear Reviews3 months ago
Gear Review: BARE 3mm OMNIRED Ultrawarm Gloves