I feel truly blessed to have been able to spend time with Wes diving and listening to stories. I am just completely shocked, I have no idea what to say. My condolences to Nathan and the rest of the family.
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I feel truly blessed to have been able to spend time with Wes diving and listening to stories. I am just completely shocked, I have no idea what to say. My condolences to Nathan and the rest of the family.
Thanks.Quote:
Originally Posted by Oceanus
Wes will truly be missed, he is the reason I started Cave Diving.
Thanks. I missed a few of the speakers and hoped I'd get a chance to hear something. I saw a bunch of equipment set up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Oceanus
Jill posted on facebook with a recording.
I appreciate your pictures you posted on facebook Barbara. I felt bad I couldn't make it because I had some key staff off for summer vacation,but I have enjoyed seeing some faces I haven't seen in awhile in the pictures.
I was getting into "arguments" with people over how many folks showed up. I think it was "only" 500. Whether it was that or more, I think there would have been a lot more on a weekend. But I think it had to be at Ginnie and it therefore had to be during the week. I saw someone whom I thought looked like you, Kelly. So you were there in spirit!Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly Jessop
The NSS put up this tribute page.
I am in Kentucky and out of touch. I just learned about Wes and am so saddened by this. What a loss! I first met him at Ginnie one quiet summer day in 1985. (before the madness there). He was showing me his "new" used 16mm underwater camera he had just got. That was in another life. Wes was a great guy and brought so much of his world to others. He went much too soon!
It's been a while, and I'm still not sure what to say. I met Wes when he was 16 years old. I was twenty, and had recently starting exploring caves with my similarly untrained buddy. I was camping with some non diving buddies. Wes approached our camp site and started a conversation with us. We started talking about caves and springs and quickly passed the night. The next morning, We went to breakfast, and made a trip to Dale Stones so Wes could get fills. I'll never forget the look on the guys face(it wasn't Dale) when Wes asked him to pump his aluminum 80s to 4000 psi!
Even though he knew I wasn't cave trained, he never talked down to me, or discouraged me from cave diving. He did teach me quite a bit that day, and even offered to take me to the lips the following weekend. I didn't make it but, He also loaned me a copy of "Safe Cave Diving". I learned to Cave dive with that book. My buddy later moved back to South America, so I sent it with him to help educate divers down there. I know it saved my life! My buddy is back now and told me he still has the book. I was planning on returning it to Wes as a surprise. Too late now.
I reconnected with Wes a few years later through some mutual friends and have enjoyed his friendship ever since.
I don't think I'll be able to think about Ginnie without seeing visions of Wes, and that Grin!
It really sucks getting old! I'm getting tired of friends dying.
Lets not let this one be in vain. I know I feel a sense of shame when I think about ways I could have contributed more to protecting springs, and I vow to Wes to increase my efforts for this cause. RIP.