Southern Indiana Scuba's History with

Spiegel Grove and dives on the Spiegel Grove.

May, 2002  The Thursday night before the sinking on Friday  everything was on pace.  The clean up was getting near the end, the holes for access were getting finished.  Everyone was ready for the next day.  Friday morning, my dive crew got up and was getting ready to go watch the sinking.  We bought food supplies for the day of diving.  Everything was ready and we loaded up on QIII along with  Captain John Peacock and headed out for a quick dive and then to watch the sinking.

As we entered the Mangroves, we began hearing the Spiegel Grove radio traffic.  Then we heard it, she was sinking fast.  We went to the scene to see if there was anything we could do to help.  It hurt so much to see that giant ship upside down.  After all the hard work that everyone had put into it.  There she was with only the underneath side of her bow sticking out of the blue water.  We all hurt that day for Rob and everyone who worked so hard.  WOW ! It was a heart break to see the big ship like that.  We were worried about the crew who had been working on the ship.  Were they safe and accounted for? How was Rob?  I knew he mentally hurt from 8 years of hard work, then this had to happen.

Peoples' response to the early sinking  was having the sales of the Gold Medallions rise.  There was always hope that the Upper Keys Artificial Reef Association could fix it and make it a good safe dive for divers of all levels.

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