For those watching the news on Jan. 28, 1986, the image of the exploding
space shuttle Challenger will never be forgotten.
Nor will it disappear from the mind of Don Libratore, who ended up working
underwater after the horrendous accident that killed six astronauts and teacher
Christa McAuliffe.
"We did the identification and the recovery of the components, which were
80 feet underwater," says Libratore. He is a submersible pilot.
The tragedy was perhaps his most important work in his years as a submersible
pilot. But Libratore has had other exciting work, including diving into a
piece of maritime history when he helped explore the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
A history buff wanted to make a film about the 1975 accident that killed
29 crewmembers when the Fitzgerald broke apart during a storm and sank in
Lake Superior.
"The cause of the accident is still unknown, and he thought by visually
inspecting parts of the ship, we'd be able to learn exactly what happened.
But he didn't have long enough to determine that," he says.
The variety of the work keeps Libratore hopping.
"I have a good time at it. The biggest thing for me is the adrenaline rush
you get when you dive the submersible. You know you're seeing something no
one has seen before. You've got this excitement that builds up."
Libratore has spent hours searching the ocean floor looking at absolutely
nothing, or watching a parade of spectacles go by -- sponges, oils and unknown
gases. It's like being a modern-day explorer. "When you get back up on the
surface, you have a real sense of accomplishment."
Libratore has made over 1,200 dives as a pilot. In a good business year,
Libratore may spend as many as 220 days at sea, with a third of that time
spent underwater. "Going to sea is the best part of the job. But you are separated
from home and family for long periods of time."
Recreational diving is known for being a dangerous sport, but Libratore
says the submersible business is well managed.
"The submersible industry has taken great strides to be three to four times
as safe as it needs to be," he says. "Sure, you've got to be aware of your
surroundings because you are working in dangerous situations. But it's fairly
safe."
When Libratore and the crew explored the Edmund Fitzgerald, they sent down
a remote vehicle first to survey the wreck and check visibility. "There was
a system in place for rescue and we always have backup systems. It's probably
safer than driving a car down the highway."
The challenging part of the work for Libratore is working with demanding
scientists. Because of the restrictions on grant money, scientists have only
a limited amount of time available to locate their subject. If it's not found,
they may not get another chance to search again for years. That puts a lot
of stress on everyone involved.
"The pressure and the teamwork is the hard part, but it works best that
way because one person can't think of everything."
For Stephanie Bignon, becoming a submersible pilot was like a dream come
true.
"Since I was six years old, I wanted to work on the sea or for the sea,"
she says. Bignon went into marine biology and started out working in biological
research for a company in France. That led her to become a commercial diver.
Not one to take an easy route into anything, Bignon went back to school
again -- this time to become a mechanical engineer. She ended up working in
Germany building submarines and then spent two years in Martinique. Eventually,
she settled down in the Bahamas, where she now works for a French company
producing a submarine with a fully transparent hull designed to carry 45 passengers.
"The sea is still a great place for adventure," she says, echoing Libratore's
thoughts.
But like working on the high seas, you've got to commit heart and soul.
"You have to put your whole body into it, and you probably have to leave home,"
says Bignon. She left her own home in Burgundy, France, to pursue her dream.
"You're really living the life of a sea guy. People should be really ready
to travel, and be flexible. My way to do it was not the easiest one, but everything
is different for everybody."
John Witney is also in the submersible tourist industry, but came to it
from a different angle. Now general manager of a submarine company, Witney
was drawn to the business by his passion for diving.
Witney and his staff worked on a new design for the first
tourist submersible -- a 28-passenger vessel that went into the water off
the Cayman Islands in 1985.
They also built the world's largest tourist submersible, now carrying 64
passengers in the waters off Hawaii. The company currently has a fleet of
12 dotted around the world.
"I've really enjoyed building a brand new industry," says Witney. "It had
never been done before. The things you see down there, you know nobody has
ever seen before."
Witney recalls taking one underwater biologist down 1,000 feet. "You couldn't
even talk to him," he laughs. "He was seeing things he didn't even know existed."
The tourism business is definitely the soft side of being a submersible
pilot. If you're looking for more high seas adventure, Witney cites working
in the turbulent North Sea for the oil and gas industry. "You're just trying
to get the job done before you run out of battery power," he says.
No matter where you go in this business, while the jobs might be few, they're
certainly rewarding. "If it's something you really want, you go for it," says
Witney.