San Diego, California, USA (August 3, 2007) – Six severely wounded United States servicemen, most of whom suffered limb amputations as a result of injuries they sustained while fighting in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, will meet their goal of becoming certified scuba divers on the Dutch-Caribbean island of Bonaire this August.
Army sergeant Orlando Gill, with his wife Maria and son Darius, from Queens, New York; army sergeant Anthony Larson, with his partner Nicole, from St Cloud, Minnesota; navy officer Derrick Wallace, with his wife Shaunyce, from Washington, DC; army specialist Latseen Benson, with his wife Jessica, from League City, Texas; army specialist Matthew Ceccato from Sacramento, California; and army sergeant Michael Buyas, with his son Justin Orondo, from Washington all tried scuba diving for the first time earlier this year in the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association’s (DEMA) scuba pool during the Scuba Tour stops at the No Barriers Festival in Lake Tahoe, California and the Adaptive Water Sports Festival in Breezy Point, New York. Both events were sponsored by Disabled Sports USA Wounded Warriors Project.
During their time in DEMA’s scuba pool, the six physically disabled servicemen and their families were introduced to the freedom of scuba diving and the ease with which it is learned. They quickly discovered that scuba diving is the first activity they can enjoy together because the weightlessness of the water puts them on an equal playing field as able-bodied people. Diving allows them freedom from their wheelchairs and other prosthetic devices while simultaneously helping them to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. Once the "Wounded Warriors," their wives and children realized how easily scuba can help heal the whole family simply by allowing them to equally participate and experience new worlds, they began the dive certification process with dive centres in their local communities when they returned home.
The journey to Bonaire is the final step of the dive certification process and will include the six soldiers and their families completing their final four open-water dives in Bonaire’s calm, clear and warm water August 11-18, 2007. The water surrounding the island of Bonaire is designated as a marine park protected area and is the example which other Caribbean islands are trying to follow in protecting their coral reefs. The waters are very calm with no significant current or tidal flow, so it’s one of the most secure and stable environments in which to receive open-water dive certification. Bonaire is also a family-friendly destination, so it enhances the objective of Disabled Sports USA Wounded Warrior Project and DEMA’s joint initiative of “healing the whole family” when a loved one comes home with life-altering physical disabilities.
While on Bonaire, the participants will be treated like royalty as the residents of Bonaire roll out the red carpet for them with a dinner in the Governor’s Mansion with island dignitaries, nightly meals at various establishments, including a Texas-style barbeque, island tours, the bestowment upon each "Warrior" of a Bonaire Ambassador’s medal and even a parade led and escorted by the local Harley Davidson club.
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project, a non profit organization, is to raise public awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured servicemen and women, to help severely injured service members to aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. For more information contact Disabled Sports USA at information@dsusa.org.
DEMA, the Diving Equipment & Marketing Association, is an international organization dedicated to the promotion and growth of the recreational scuba diving and snorkelling industry. With more than 1,400 members, this non-profit, global organization promotes scuba diving through many initiatives, including consumer awareness programs as in the Scuba Tour. Over the past five years DEMA’s Scuba Tour has introduced more than 60,000 people to scuba diving in the comfort of the tour’s 18 x 30 foot, 18,000 gallon scuba pool. For more information on DEMA, call (858) 616-6408.
Located 86 miles east of Aruba, the Dutch-Caribbean island of Bonaire offers year-round sunshine, low annual rainfall, pristine coral formations and the most thriving fish population in the Caribbean. Ideal for adventurers, explorers and sun worshippers alike, Bonaire offers myriad eco-adventure activities, including world-renowned scuba diving, snorkelling, windsurfing, kiteboarding, landsailing, mountain biking, sea and mangrove kayaking, horseback riding, nature tours, hiking, birdwatching, sailing and deep-sea and bonefishing. And with a selection of accommodations ranging from full-service oceanfront resorts and condominiums to guest houses and small inns, Bonaire has something for every lifestyle and budget.
For your FREE on-line Bonaire travel guide, visit www.caribbean.com.
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