Niagara Certifies First Quadriplegic
QUADRIPLEGIC MITCH BROGAN RECENTLY qualifi ed as an HSA Advanced Open Water Diver in the Niagara Frontier area of Ontario, Canada, and holds the distinction of being the fi rst graduate of a new local program launched in August to train disabled divers. T e new Handicapped SCUBA Association (HSA) program graduated its fi rst
class of students, who now become divemasters and dive buddies to the disabled - from quadriplegics to the blind.
T e 10 Niagara Frontier area grads qualifi ed to help the disabled experience life underwater are Marilyn Rundle, Nestor Kopko, Susan Holmes, David Hurst, Gordon Ross, Anne Jackson, Jaia Konik, Adam Kostiw, Nicole AuCoin and Program Director Felicia Kostecky, who launched the program with help from HSA International founder, Jim Gatacre of California, who assisted with the course. “T e demand for SCUBA for the disabled in Canada and the U.S. is strong,” Gatacre said. “It off ers a
new world of freedom, exploration and activities that they can really enjoy.” Brogan trained through the facilities of Adventure Scuba & Watersports in St. Catharines, Ontario. Kostecky said the students will now form the base for sharing the joys of SCUBA with more
people who would otherwise not have access to the diving experience. Brogan agrees, saying, “I feel a sense of freedom diving. It’s amazing that this opportunity is here in the Niagara area where there are so many diving attractions.” T e (HSA) is dedicated to serving the estimated
3.6 million Canadians and 49 million Americans with disabilities and millions of others around the world. Based in California, its international diver education programs and
Instructor
Training Course (ITC) were developed in conjunction with PADI and NAUI. HSA has more than 3,500 qualifi ed instructors in 45 countries. Information: visit
www.hsascuba.com or contact Felicia Kostecky,
felicia@kostecky.ca or JimGatacre,
has@hsascuba.com
Heinerth Receives Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal
DIVER columnist and Suunto ambassador Jill Heinerth, a pioneering underwater explorer, has been awarded the inaugural Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. She received the prestigious award at Ottawa's Museum of Civilization on November 13th in recognition of her outstanding achievements in the fi eld of exploration. “It is an incredible honor to be recognized
with such a signifi cant award in my home country,” Heinerth said. “I’m proud to join the ranks of the remarkable Canadian explorers who came before me.” Heinerth has been at the forefront of underwater exploration for almost 20 years. An award winning fi lmmaker, she is a Sport Diver Magazine ‘Living Legend’ and is an inductee of the New York-based Explorers Club. With a focus on the water world Heinerth cycled almost 4,350 miles (7,000km) across
Heinerth honoured. Left, President of the Royal
Canadian Geographic Society Paul Ruest. Right, Governor General of Canada, David Johnson
Canada with her husband last summer, creating awareness for her ‘We Are Water’ project that puts a spotlight on the dwindling supply of fresh water in the world. The Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for
Exploration was Established by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society in 2013, to recognize singular achievements and the pursuit of excellence by an outstanding Canadian explorer or a non-Canadian for exploratory achievements within Canada. The medal celebrates Sir Christopher Ondaatje, a renowned adventurer, author and philanthropist. Through his travel and writing, Ondaatje has contributed to a greater understanding of the world and the relationship between people and lands.
HISTORIC WRECK
Thunder Bay divers David Shepherd and Robert Valley claim the tugboat Mary Ann, which they found sunk near the Welcome Islands, close by their Ontario hometown, was the fi rst boat to be registered in the Dominion of Canada, in 1867, the country’s year of confederation. The wreck divers say they found the tug accidentally while scanning for another wreck. Sunk in the 1930s, it's in remarkably good condition.
NEWS BITES SCUBA VIEW
Popular online SCUBA diving forum
ScubaBoard.com wants your opinion - the unvarnished truth - on diving. What do you think of our sport? Is SCUBA diving an expensive hobby? Is it risky? Is it for men and women? Do you have to be a good swimmer to be a diver? Is it one of those sports that allows little room for error... make one mistake and you’re toast! Weigh in on the conversation. Go to
www.scubaboard.com and let ‘em know what’s on your mind.
SHARKS GET CANCER
A tumor protruding from the mouth of a great white shark “was a very unusual sight” not previously observed, says Rachel Robbins, a shark biologist at the Fox Shark Research Foundation near Adelaide, Australia. The tumor measured one foot (30cm) long and wide, as described in a study published online in the Journal of Fish Diseases. Scientists have now documented tumors in 23 shark species, evidence that dispels the belief that the animals are immune.
www.divermag.com 15
Photo: Bonnie Findley
Photos: Courtesy HSA
Photo: Andrew Fox and Sam Cahir
Mitch Brogan, HSA certifi ed advanced diver
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