PUERTO GALERA, Philippines (28 Mar 2004) -- Renowned technical diver John Bennett is missing and presumed dead after a dive in Korea on March 15, 2004. His friends around the globe mourn the passing of a true inspiration in the diving world. John was an integral part of scuba diving in the Philippines for well over a decade before moving to Port Douglas, Australia in early 2003; during his diving career he shared his passion for the ocean and sense of adventure with literally thousands of people. Along with a small group of dedicated divers he pioneered deep diving in Puerto Galera and to an extent Asia. He broke the Asian world record for depth on open circuit scuba and the world record on several occasions before becoming the first man to ever go below 1,000 feet on open circuit. His achievements are known throughout the diving world but what touched those that he came in to contact with was his modesty and personality; he had time for everyone and never tired of talking about diving. John is survived by his long term partner Gabby and two young children, Josh and Katie. "If there was a wall, I wanted to see how deep…I wanted to know what was at the bottom of the wall." John Bennett |
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Due to the extent of his contribution to the diving community John was uninsured. A group of his friends have set up a memorial trust to assist with his family's future. | | John Bennett To contribute: The John Bennett Memorial Trust
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Macrossan Street, Port Douglas, 4871 Australia
BSB Number: 064 835
Account number: 10069314 John's professionalism, dedication and humbleness affected so many. He will be deeply missed. SOURCE - The John Bennett Memorial Trust |
