CHEBOYGAN, Michigan (6 Sep 2006) -- James Montcalm loved scuba diving so much he brought it work. "This was all his idea," Theresa Comps said Tuesday of the diving theme her former boss brought to the Cheboygan Secretary of State's office. "A lot of it is his stuff. Jim really did a good job in here, he did a lot of work to make the office have this atmosphere." Montcalm died Monday after an accident while diving the wreck of the Newell A. Eddy in Northern Lake Huron behind Bois Blanc Island. The wreck is in 165 feet of water near Raynolds Reef. Montcalm retired from the state agency in October 2002 after working at offices in Cheboygan and St. Ignace. "He started the Cheboygan office in the Lincoln Bridge Plaza in the late 1970s," said Comps. "He hired me in 1980. Jim did all the decor work here at the new office (behind Plaza 27 in front of Glen's Market) when it opened around 1998. Comps said that as a boss, Montcalm will be remembered fondly by all who served with him. "He was the best," she said enthusiastically. "You couldn't ask for a nicer guy. He was awesome." Montcalm decorated the office with old diving equipment, shipwreck artifacts and photos of things that only divers could see on the lake bottom. Many a customer has had the wait in the Cheboygan office for their turn to purchase motor vehicle licensing shortened by the fascinating items Montcalm put on the walls to alleviate boredom. Cheboygan County Sheriff Dale Clarmont said Tuesday that an investigation into Montcalm's drowning is still underway. "The investigation is in the early stages," Clarmont explained. "We have been told that he (Montcalm) ran out of air at depth. His dive equipment has been secured and we will examine it thoroughly. We're still trying to determine jurisdiction in this case." | | Newell Eddy shipwreck "There was a group of six divers aboard the Wreck Diver out of St. Ignace," stated Sgt. Charles Beckwith, who is conducting the investigation. "The divers were diving on the Newell A. Eddy in two shifts. When he ran out of air, it appears that there were attempts to give him air by other divers, but they were unsuccessful. All in the group were experienced divers." Beckwith added that Montcalm was wearing a drysuit to combat the cold water temperatures and that may somehow have played a role. "We were told that the divers had problems administering air to him due to a problem with the hood where it sealed on his face, we just don't know yet," Beckwith said. Clarmont said several members of the Cheboygan County Dive team were very familiar with Montcalm and his diving abilities and are puzzled by the accident. SOURCE - Cheboygan Daily TribuneCDNN Related NewsMICHIGAN - Wreck diver drowns after running out of airSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
