Arizona Man Uses Scuba Gear to Escape Burning Home

Whoa! Yet another reason to keep your scuba gear readily available.

A Phoenix man is lucky to be alive after using scuba gear to escape his burning multi-million dollar home.

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The homeowner, Michael Marin, told firefighters he threw on his scuba gear so he could breathe and used a collapsible safety ladder to climb out the window of his second-story bedroom.

"In all my years on the job, this is the first time I've seen somebody use scuba diving equipment to get out of a fire," said Phoenix Fire Department Capt. Dorian Jackson.

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Hat tip: Clint

Homo sapiens...

Diligently inventing ways to screw with other species for over 100,000 years.

Haha.

PADI’s DSAT Technical Diving Arm Prepares for Course Overhaul

Definitely wondering your thoughts on this.

Heeding customer feedback and finally bowing to market pressures, PADI’s DSAT technical diving arm is preparing an overhaul of its TecRec Deep and Trimix courses that will lower the entry barriers to the course and give instructors more flexibility.

Although final course outlines have not been finalized, the Tec Deep course will be broken into three parts, tentatively called “Tec 40,” “Tec 45″ and “Tec 50,” signifying the depth in meters students will be certified to dive. The current Tec Trimix course will be similarly broken into two parts, dubbed “Trimix 65″ and “Trimix 75.” DSAT hopes to introduce the courses by the end of the year.

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Good? Bad?

"A Predator on Par with a Shark"

A bit dramatic, perhaps. But that's how some experts are describing the blue catfish.

The blue catfish, introduced 30 years ago as a game fish in the James River, has risen to the top of the food chain, Virginia experts say.

"We have an invasive species that is taking over the ecosystem," Rob Latour, a marine biologist with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William and Mary, told the Newport News Daily Press. "It's a predator on par with a shark."

Blue catfish have grown explosively in population and size in the past few years while many commercial species are becoming rare, Bob Greenlee, a biologist with the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, told the Daily Press.

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Maldives Protects Giant Rays' Favorite Feeding Spots

And why wouldn't they? The marine environment is the bedrock of the Maldives economy.

In June 2009 the Maldives created three new marine protected areas that include Hanifaru and other crucial feeding areas for mantas and whale sharks, the world's largest fish (whale shark pictures, facts, and more).

Fishing, boat speeds, and waste disposal will be regulated. The new sanctuaries, however, will allow some diving and snorkeling—a healthy tourist trade may provide alternative livelihoods for fishers, experts say.

"The government is committed to protecting and preserving the Maldives' exceptional biodiversity," Maldives Environment Minister Mohamed Aslam said in a statement.

As always, the NatGeo article has stunning photos attached.

Mysterious Current Drags Away Divers at La Jolla Cove

There are some crazy currents being reported out of San Diego this week.

Scuba enthusiasts are urged to take extra precautions in the waters off La Jolla Shores today following a report of a strong underwater current that pulled about a half-dozen divers into deep water and made it difficult for them to surface.

The group of divers reported getting caught in the undertow while roughly 30 feet underwater about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, San Diego lifeguard Lt. Andy Lerum said.

They said the phenomenon lasted about 10 minutes and rapidly pulled them 30-50 feet deeper. Several described hanging on to the edge of a deep underwater canyon in the area to keep from being dragged farther down.

The divers eventually surfaced, feeling the grip of the current lessen as they reached the top, Lerum said. There were no injuries.

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Be careful out there, folks.

Aerial Escape

From Daily Mail:

With the predator lurking close behind, the intended prey takes flight - quite literally.

This flying stingray was trying to avoid the attentions of the aptly-named killer whale, which was ready to take a bite out of the fish when the stingray made its leap for safety.

While stingrays seem most content to spend their days lying at the bottom of the sea-bed, occasionally sticking their stingers into unassuming human feet, this one proved they can be moved to flights of fancy when needed.

The encounter was captured in calm waters just off St. Heliers beach in Auckland, New Zealand, yesterday.

Five or six orcas gathered in the morning sun to feast on the stingrays resting near the shore, while another 30 orcas hung around at the back of the harbour.

British Navy Diver Awarded Medal Underwater

It seems only fitting that a man who has dedicated the last 11 years of his life to underwater security receive a service medal 'in the office'.

A Portsmouth-based navy diver was given a surprise long service medal as he trained underwater.

Acting Petty Officer Andy Coulson received the award at the bottom of a Gibraltar swimming pool.

He was in the middle of a two-week exercise on the island, which included stints at the military outdoor swimming pool, when he found himself in the midst of the impromptu ceremony.

The 34-year-old Scot, who is based at Horsea Island, said: 'I was not expecting it.

'I mentioned it in passing several weeks ago that I thought it would be good to receive my medal underwater rather than on the parade ground, but I didn't expect anyone to act on it.

'I'd totally forgotten that I mentioned it, but it's something that will live with me forever – certainly one of the highlights of my 15-year career in the navy.'

As well as a long service medal, the award recognises PO Coulson's good conduct over the years as well.

His boss, Lieutenant Simon Leightley, the officer in charge Southern Diving Unit 2, said: 'Andy's been selected for promotion and will soon embark on his professional qualifying course, so it seemed an appropriate send-off to present his medal "in the office" so to speak. I gave a slightly shorter citation than normal – mostly through bubbles.'

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