Spearfisherman loses legs, starts campaign

Scripps Howard News Service

Rob Murphy still loves talking about his spear fishing adventures, after 400 dives.

It was Murphy's passion -- until a nightmare dive changed everything. He surfaced from a dive in eastern Florida on Jan. 9, and a passing boat severed Murphy's legs.

Murphy lost nearly half his blood. He was lucky to escape with his life, but doctors couldn't save his legs.

Now Murphy's accident has become a call to actions for divers.

Spearboard.com, the thread about Murphy's accident, has eclipsed 51,000 views and 500 posts. Murphy and his family are communicating with well-wishers and admit the outpouring of thoughts and prayers is overwhelming, but uplifting

On Saturday, boat ramps around Florida will have volunteers to educate boaters and anglers about dive flag safety laws. Volunteers also will have a petition that organizers hope to present to Gov. Charlie Crist to create an official state "Dive Flag Awareness Day."

Murphy has become an icon for a movement that he hopes will save divers' lives.

"Divers, boaters and fishermen share a tight space over reefs and wrecks," said Murphy, 26. "There are close calls between divers and boaters every day out there. I never thought it would happen to me. Now, I'm trying to make a sad situation into a positive." more

City Council places Lakeside Park boat project on hold

Fon Du Lac Reporter

Fond du Lac City Council voted unanimously to postpone a request for use of Lakeside Park facilities as part of a project to teach boating skills and provide recreational opportunities.

Ellen Balthazor, a former teacher at the UW-Fond du Lac, is proposing “Paddle, Power and Sail Lake Winnebago” as a memorial to her twin brother.

“When we were growing up, my brothers and I had the good fortune to spend wonderful summers at my family’s cottage on the east shore of Lake Winnebago,” she said in a letter to the city’s Advisory Park Board. “That experience instilled in us a great appreciation for the lake and its unique qualities as a lake which was well suited to many outdoor activities and many types of boating.”

Balthazor asked for permission to store and launch boats at Conservation Point and permission to operate from city boat slips. She asked for a policy change that would allow her to store more than one boat in a slip and she asked for six slips at no cost until funds and/or grants can be raised to sustain the program.

Councilman Sam Meyer said he “applauded” Balthazor for her plan and said her heart is in the right place.

“I’m not read to deny this and I’m not ready to approve it,” he said, asking that a business plan be developed, possibly with the help of Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation.

Council member Lindee Kimball said she “loves” Balthazor’s idea, but questioned the planned location and whether boat slips would be available. more

Lake Erie is at risk of aquatic invasion

Akron Beacon Journal

All of Lake Erie and parts of the other Great Lakes are increasingly vulnerable to future invasion by aquatic species, according to a new report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Three Ohio ports — Toledo, Sandusky and Ashtabula — are most at risk for discharges from seagoing ships that could carry invasive species of fish, plants and microinvertebrates in the vessels' ballast water. Other ports are Chicago; Gary, Ind.; Duluth, Minn.; Milwaukee; and Superior, Wis.

Tighter federal legislation is needed to control ballast water discharges to the Great Lakes from the seagoing ships, the Ohio Environmental Council said Thursday in a teleconference looking at the EPA report, Predicting Future Introductions of Nonindigenous Species to the Great Lakes.

''This is an urgent wake-up call that we need strong federal legislation to plug the drain on any new introductions of exotic, invasive pests in Lake Erie,'' said spokeswoman Kristy Meyer of the statewide eco-group.

The report looked at 58 potential invasive species. Computer modeling indicates that 14 of those species could easily establish a strong foothold in Lake Erie and shallow water areas of the other Great Lakes.

The EPA report said that 107 foreign ships in 2006-2007 discharged 382 metric tons of ballast water to the Great Lakes.

Ballast water is used to stabilize the weight of cargo ships. When cargo is unloaded, the substantial weight loss is balanced by bringing an equal weight of water aboard the ship in storage tanks. When the ship reaches a new port, the water from the previous port — along with any organisms in the water — is pumped out while new cargo is loaded. more