Volunteers Mark ( Magoo) McGowan, John ( Johnny O) Olivero, Nick Dawe, Kyle Morgan and Rick Stanley were hard at work in Bell Island Mine #2 preparing it for the upcoming cave diving expedition in February. Ultimately, they intend to build the infrastructure that will permit safe cave diving operations for qualified visiting divers. Leaving in the early morning hours, the team took the ferry from Portugal Cove to Bell Island and drove to the access point at the Mine #2 Museum. All equipment had to be hand-carried 750 feet down the shaft to the future site of the diving platform. They installed temporary lighting and held safety briefings with master craftsman and Safety Advisor Ron Reid. Reid and the team also identified and removed some loose rock from the ceiling and walls before the heavy work began after lunch. With a solid day of manual labor using shovels and pick axes, everyone developed a new respect for the efforts of the men who worked the mine for a lifetime.
The exploration team wishes to thank all the hard working volunteers in addition to the dedicated staff from Bell Island Heritage…Teresita ( Teddy) McCarthy, Des McCarthy, and Tom Spracklin.