The water in Savannah and Brunswick harbors is black and thick, like split-pea soup. Suspended sediment in the water creates a darkness so impenetrable that a diver can become disoriented as he makes his slow descent, the glow from his flashlight doing little to light the way. In the 25-year history of Savannah District's dive team, the group has performed many difficult tasks in the inky waters of those harbors, the Intracoastal Waterway and Kings Bay Harbor. Dive officer Walt Lanier gives last minute instructions to diver Burt Moore and stand-by diver Glenn Baker.
Diving is an additional duty for each team member.
We depend on them and the monitoring equipment for support and direction. Diving is an additional duty. Walt Lanier, the district's dive officer during most of the team's existence, has led more than 350 dives in all kinds of water, supervising fellow divers and coordinating all aspects of each mission. Dives requiring underwater construction or demolition and those in excess of 100 feet are performed by contract because a decompression chamber is required at that depth. Lanier said that working at the lakes is easier and less dangerous because there is visibility, and no current to contend with.