I have dove the Conception Bay area a number of times (not in the mines) and these are first class people. It is a terrible blow that this happened:


WABANA, N.L. -- An American diver exploring a collection of flooded
iron ore mines in Newfoundland as a possible tourist destination died
Sunday while diving at the site.

The 51-year-old man, whose name wasn't released, died during an
afternoon dive into the mines in the community of Wabana on Bell
Island, the RCMP said.

The police didn't release any details about how the man died. A news
release said he was pronounced dead in hospital, though it was
unclear whether he drowned.

More information was expected to be released Monday morning.

The man was part of a group of international cave divers brought in
by Ocean Quest Adventure Resort and the Bell Island Heritage Society
to explore the mine shafts.

The expedition began last Monday and was set to last until this
Friday.

It was organized to examine the integrity of the underwater mine
shafts, identify any hazards and assess the possibility of
establishing a full-time cave-diving operation.

Bell Island, the largest of several islands in Conception Bay,
northwest of St. John's, is a tourist destination for scuba divers
and shipwreck enthusiasts.

From 1895 until 1966, more than 78 million tonnes of iron ore were
mined at the No. 2 mine, the world's largest submarine iron ore mine.