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The simple things, part II: what was routine became a disaster.
- Article from:
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Fathom
- Article date:
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October 1, 2003
- Author:
- Southard, Steven R.
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Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 2003 U.S. Navy Safety Center. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A sunny day and calm water greeted the submersible Johnson Sea Link's crew as they readied their craft for diving. It was June 17, 1973, and the Johnson Sea Link sat aboard its support ship, the Sea Diver, as the larger vessel floated off the Florida Keys.
Pilot Archibald Menzies readied his crew: Dr. Robert Meek, Albert Stover, and Edwin C. Link. Looking on with a double dose of pride was Edwin A. Link, designer of the submersible and father of one of its crewmen. Their mission was to recover a fish trap that had been placed near a scuttled U.S. Navy destroyer and to see if the hulk had formed an effective coral reef.
All indications pointed to a routine dive.
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