November of 2017, Don Newham, Dave Stone, and several other divers from around the state came together and created the Lake Park Search and Rescue Dive Team. The group consists of nine committed divers who have put in the time and effort to become certified to perform Search and Rescue dives. The certification process is lengthy and requires a diver to pass strict tests that involve both swimming and handling the dive equipment.
Many people go through every part of the test and pass with flying colors until they have to go on a “blackwater dive.” When explaining the nature of a blackwater dive, Don Newham says, “A blackwater diver is like diving blind. You literally can’t see anything. You have to feel your way around. You go to the bottom and let your hands guide you.” Being underwater in complete darkness can disorient a diver causing them to lose their bearings. For some, one black dive is all they need to run for the hills in spite of all the other training they have completed.
This is part of what makes the members of the LPSR dive team so unique. They know the risks, yet they are the first ones to head to the water when they get a Search and Rescue call. Many times, they will offer to go even if other local dive teams turn down the job. Blackwater dives are especially risky in this area due to the alligators and snapping turtles that inhabit swamps, lakes, and rivers. Don Newham says, “You really don’t know what you’re going to run across. It could be a snapping turtle, an alligator or a rock.”
The divers know the risks, but they do it anyway. “Knowing a life has been extended because of our ability to perform as a team is the reward. I do also like exploring the space I am searching, and feeling the closure when the find and recovery or rescue has taken place,” says Jeremy Dickey. Most of the guys love what they do and they love the people they work with. The guys on the team rely on each other to have their backs even in the most difficult of situations and work together to keep every diver safe as possible at all times.
Just recently, they received a call to go to Madison, Florida to recover a safe that had been stolen in a burglary and thrown into one of the rivers. The team took the job and not only recovered the safe, but also recovered several other items that allowed local law enforcement to close some of their other cases. In the past, they have recovered guns, weapons, tools, and car parts. If it’s down there, they will find it.
James Beletic, Lake Park Chief of Police, is proud to have the dive team as part of the Lake Park family. “They do the things other law enforcement dive teams turn down. They inspire all of us.” All of the members of the team volunteer their time and they all own their equipment. They take the time to keep their skills sharp and their certifications up to date so that when the need arises, they are ready to go. They serve because they want to, not because they have to.
Most of them have family members who are involved in diving as well. The group gets together most weekends and dives as a group. They perform both fresh and salt water dives and have traveled as far as the Florida Keys to practice. If someone can’t make a weekend dive or wants to spend time honing their skills, Larry Tobey of the YMCA on Gornto Road allows them to use the YMCA swimming pool. Once they check in, they can suit up and practice swimming laps or diving.
One of the members of the dive team, Dave Stone, owns Southern Ocean Sports on Ashley Street in Valdosta. Known as “the Kraken,” Stone is well known for not only his store but also his morning radio show on 92.9 All American Country. Stone encourages people to try diving. It’s fun and exciting and something you can do as a family. He enjoys the time he spends with his fellow divers and looks forward to going on as many dives as possible when his schedule allows it.
The members of the Lake Park Search and Rescue Dive team deserve credit for being crazy enough to do the things that others won’t. When something is lost in the bottom of a dark, murky lake or river, it won’t be recovered by your average diver. It will be recovered by one of these guys. These unsung heroes thrive on diving into the darkest of waters to find whatever may be lost. In most cases, they find so much more than what they’re searching for. But isn’t that the fun of the search?