Free Republic

Norfolk, Va. — The Navy’s search for a possible diver who was trespassing in the waters surrounding the piers at Naval Station, Norfolk, will likely continue for some time, a Navy official said. “They are still searching for the possible diver,” said Kelly Wirfel, spokeswoman for Naval Station Norfolk in an email around 2:30 p.m. Monday. “It will most likely take some time until they can clear the entire area,” Wirfel said. Norfolk’s piers and ships were put on lock down Monday morning after reports of a possible diver in the water. “At 9 a.m. this morning a shipboard watch...

An American scuba diver has been charged with murdering his wife by drowning her during their honeymoon at the Great Barrier Reef. The move allows authorities to begin the process of extraditing David Gabriel Watson, of Birmingham, Alabama, to face the charges in Australia. Watson's wife, Christina Watson, drowned on October 22, 2003, while the couple was diving at a shipwreck off Queensland's coast, eleven days after their wedding. The body of Tina Watson (circled) lies on the sea bed after her husband had swum to the surface The alleged murder only came to light after a photograph showing Mrs...

A local dive shop owner says FBI agents are wasting their time scouring Keys dive shops for information about suspicious people who took scuba classes. On May 23, the FBI released a warning that some terrorists had been seeking "an offensive scuba diver capability." Concerned that future terrorist attacks might come by sea, the bureau apparently is compiling a database of all the country's certified scuba divers. "Why spin your wheels interviewing the dive shops when they should be going right to PADI?" asked Capt. Bill Grosscup, owner of Captain's Corner on Greene Street. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors,...