August 10 2008 UK Bogus bends nets Divers £250,000  A pair of divers swindled £250,000 (US$500,000) from the National Health Service for treating bogus cases of the bends.  David Welsh, 49, and diving instructor Michael Brass, 43, are facing prison sentences after being found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the NHS and perverting the course of justice. Welsh ran the Fort Bovisand diving centre, which had its own recompression chamber.  They paid strangers they met in pubs up to £200 to pose as divers who needed recompression treatment, they only needed only the real names, addresses, dates of birth and national insurance numbers of the supposed victims to work the fraud. Most had never been underwater and some could barely swim.  Welsh billed National Health Trusts from all over the UK £6,500 a time for treating the 37 fake victims.  The fraud was discovered when police investigated two cases of divers from Liverpool who were supposedly treated for the bends at the recompression chamber.    Full story...

August 25 2008 HawaiiArchaeologists have located British whaler sunk by bad weather in 1837 off Kure Atoll Artefacts from the remains of a wreck believed to be of the British whaling vessel Gledstanes lost for 171 years have been found off Kure Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The artefacts include four large anchors, cannons and cannonballs. The Gledstanes is the fourth whaling vessel found in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, evidence of the area's significance as a 19th-century whaling area.  The divers who found the shipwreck were taking part in the 2008 Maritime Heritage Expedition, sponsored by NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries.  Full story...

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Australia Celebrating 20 Years PADI Membership
Image20 years is a huge commitment to any organisation and recently the ‘PADI Class of 1988’ gathered for a weekend of diving to celebrate 20 Years of PADI Membership.

PADI Course Director, Richard Nicholls owner of Dive Centre Manly, recognized the significance of this occasion and worked with the PADI Asia Pacific team to contact old friends to celebrate. A location was needed and where better than a local liveaboard trip on Oceantrek at beautiful Jervis Bay, south of Sydney.
Six PADI Members, including four Course Directors, plus family and friends were able to make the trip with apologies received from three more.

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PADI Members Celebrating 20 years, L to R: Greg Sawdy, Brent Hedges, Richard Nicholls, Lyn Cleary, John O’Brien and Logan Apperley.

A great weekend was had by all with fantastic diving in clear water from the outstanding liveaboard. Old memories were relived and friendships rekindled during presentations of 20 year trophies and Certificates.  

Thanks to PADI Course Director, Lyn Cleary and PADI MSDT Mick Saliwon - owners of Oceantrek for their hospitality and great diving. Thanks also to Dominic Barrington for his wonderful photographic record of the weekend.

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20 Year Members with family and friends - L to R: Back Row: Richard Evans, Logan Apperley, Brent Hedges, Richard Nicholls, Eddie Smith, John O’Brien and Lyn Cleary. Front Row: Dominic Barrington, Wendy Hedges, Greg Sawdy, Janet Clough and Young Hee Haniss.

 

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