Archive for December, 2008
Sky diving enthusiast recalls damage parachute incident
December 15th, 2008
Posted in Skydiving
A sky diving enthusiast saw his life flash before his eyes as he was plunging more than 13,000 feet in the air as his parachute failed to function.
Twenty-seven year old Rafael Sarria 
said that he was lucky to be alive after his parachute got caught on the rear flaps of the plane minutes after he jumped out. The damage on the parachute nearly cost him his life.
Sarria said that he thought his time was up as he fumbled with his parachute to open. During this time, he’s already thinking of his baby girl who he will leave behind in this world.
Luckily, his parachute partially deployed and lessened the speed of his fall. He managed to land in an avocado grove where he was immediately treated on site by the paramedics. After the basic treatment, he was immediately flown to Ryder Trauma Center in Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Doctors have said that Sarria only had a few cuts which will heal in the next few years. Maria Sarria, the sky diver’s wife, said that she found out about the accident while she was shopping for diapers for their daughter, Natalia.
Sarria is currently undergoing physical therapy and is scheduled to be released next week.
Seattle-based company repairs New York’s water supply tunnel
December 5th, 2008
Posted in working and diving
Seattle-based company Global Diving and Salvage has been contracted to 
repair the leaking water tunnel which transports half of the overall needed water supply to the residents of New York City. According to reports, about 20 million gallons of water coming from the Catskill Mountains leaks out of the tunnel per day and on several occasions, the leakage went as high as 36 million gallons.
New York’s Department of Environmental Protection reportedly entered in a 5-year project with Global Diving and Salvage to repair the tunnels. The contract costs $240 million.
About 6 deep-sea divers from the company are currently working on the repairs and has been living for a month in a sealed tank underwater. The said tank is equipped with additional diving equipment, oxygen, shower and television. They have been working on twelve-hour shifts everyday.
Part of the air sealed in the working tank is composed of helium. Therefore, these workers may need to stay in the tank for about seven days to remove the helium which is affecting their voice. The workers need to be conscious with their health because they’re burning more calories than usual. This was revealed by Global Diving Project Manager Robert Onesti.
Onesti assured everyone that these divers are fully qualified to do this risky job.