ORMOC, Philippines (29 May 2005) -- The scuba diving world record attempt for the deepest wreck dive has started in Ormoc Bay in the Philippines. At 8:15am nine of the world's top technical divers descended to planned depths to support lead diver Rob Lalumiere's attempt to reach the USS Cooper, which sank to a depth of 220 meters (720 feet) during World War Two. Surface support team manager Roscoe Thompson of Action Divers in Puerto Galera told CDNN the weather has remained clear and the team was confident as they geared up for the dive this morning. "The role each diver of the nine-man team is critical to the success of the dive," Thompson said. "After the changes we made yesterday and the decision to postpone the dive 24 hours, everyone is well rested and confident." The USS Cooper was torpedoed on December 3, 1944 and sank with 191 officers and crew. The primary objective of the dive, which will be witnessed by surviving USS Cooper crew, is to place a memorial plaque on the wreck to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice to defeat the Japanese during World War Two. Search for the missing destroyer For decades, the exact location of the USS Cooper remained a mystery. Official documents seemed to indicate the destroyer was in relatively shallow water but despite many dives in the area, the wreck had never been found. Enter deep wreck technical diver and World War Two history buff Rob Lalumiere. Determined to find the missing destroyer, Lalumiere teamed up with Ron Babuka, the son of William Babuka, a crew aboard the USS Sumner during the Battle of Ormoc Bay. Rob Lalumiere | | USS Cooper Babuka plotted the track the three destroyers took as they entered Ormoc Bay and engaged the enemy in battle. Using Babuka's work, official logs, and action reports from the surviving USS Sumner and Moale, Lalumiere targeted probably locations, mapped them from the surface with a depth sounder and then started a series of deep dives. In early 2004, nearly 60 years after the USS Cooper sank, Lalumiere found the wreck at a depth of 220 meters (720 feet) and immediately started planning the world-record dive that would honor the 191 officers and crew who went down with the ship. No margin for error Most recreational scuba diving is limited to a maximum depth of 40 meters (130 feet). Technical diving, which usually involves the use of mixed breathing gasses, enables divers to go much deeper but requires special training. Diving to extreme depths over 150 meters requires special training, experience, planning, surface support equipment, team diving techniques and sponsors. The cost of the USS Cooper dive is expected to exceed $25,000. Action Divers and Dive VIP Seaside Resort, both located in the renowned dive destination of Puerto Galera, are sponsoring the dive. COPYRIGHT © CDNN NewsWire |
