Coast guards rescued three divers off the northern coast of Poland over the weekend whose dubious explanation of their night-time dive near critical energy infrastructure, along with their mysterious identities, has reportedly sparked a cross-agency investigation. The three men, who told authorities they were Spanish nationals, were rescued near the Polish coastal city of Gdansk on Saturday night after their small motorboat broke down and they couldn’t return to shore.
Since then, doubts over their intentions have mounted. They were rescued not far from the Naftoport facility at the Port of Gdansk, which receives tanker shipments of oil and other and petroleum products. They were also found near an area where there are plans to build a new floating natural gas terminal.
An image provided by the Pomeranian Police department of Poland shows a boat used by men found diving off the Gulf of Gdansk in the middle of the night on January 15, 2023.
Pomeranian Police
The Maritime Search and Rescue Service SAR told CBS News the rescue operation involved police officers, firefighters, and medical workers. SAR spokesman Rafal Goeck described the rescue operation — at just before 2 a.m. local time — as “rather unnatural.”
“We received a signal from the fire brigade about a vessel in trouble,” Goeck told CBS News, adding that conditions at the time were rough, with strong winds and high seas. The air temperature was only about 43 degrees Fahrenheit, and the water was closer to 37.
“In my 12-year career at the Maritime Search and Rescue Service, I have not experienced anything like that,” he said. “It is a rather unnatural thing to be diving under these conditions.”
A tanker carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil for the Polish Lotos refinery is seen at the Naftoport oil terminal in Gdansk, Poland, in a 2016 file photo.
Michal Fludra/NurPhoto/Getty
The red, 13-foot pleasure boat broke down about three nautical miles north of Gdansk. The vessel’s crew said they’d been struggling for six hours to get it running again. There was no explanation as to why they might have waited so long, in the dark and cold on a rough sea, to call for help.
Police officials determined that the men were not authorized to operate the boat and had not obtained permission to dive. According to Polish media reports, only one of the men had a Spanish passport, while the others offered only verbal identification.
Another wrinkle was their explanation: The men claimed to have been searching for amber. While the Baltic Sea is famous for its vast deposits of amber, searching for it in the dark is unlikely to be a successful strategy.
An image provided by the Gulf of Gdansk maritime search and rescue service (SAR) shows diving equipment used by three men who were rescued after their boat failed while diving off the northern Polish coast in the middle of the night on January 15, 2023.
Gdansk Maritime Assistance Service (SAR)
Seasoned amber hunters interviewed by Polish media said one more thing didn’t add up: The men had an underwater scooter, used to drag divers swiftly through the water — something that wouldn’t help in a hunt for small objects on the seafloor, especially as such a device’s propeller lifts debris from the bottom, decreasing visibility.
Officers apparently saw nothing suspicious at first in the fact that the men were diving near critical infrastructure at night with no permit and atypical amber-hunting equipment, and the local police did not pursue the matter, releasing the men without further questioning.
They have all reportedly left Poland.
Cezary Przepiorka, deputy captain of the Port of Gdansk, told Polish media that only one of the men had formal identification, and the phone numbers offered by the divers were either incorrect or non-functional.
Police and the Polish Internal Security Agency have begun investigating the matter. Various reports say Poland’s Central Investigation Bureau of Police, a unit that deals with organized crime, is the lead agency. The bureau declined CBS News’ request to comment on the case.
U.S., European Union accuse Russia of sabotaging Nord Stream pipelines
03:36
The incident has raised serious concerns about the protection of vital national energy infrastructure as Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine continues to keep energy prices sky-high. A thorough investigation can be expected, especially so soon after the sabotage attack on the undersea Nordstream 1 gas pipeline just weeks ago.
European and U.S. officials have strongly suggested that Russia was behind the attack on the pipeline.
Poland’s port of Gdansk, which is vital to the country’s energy supplies, sits only about 20 miles from Russia’s far-flung, equally strategic western territory of Kaliningrad.
Divers searching for missing California teen Kiely Rodni said they have discovered a body and car in the reservoir near where she was last seen more than two weeks ago.
A dive crew found what they believe is the 2013 Honda CRV that Rodni drove to a graduation party near the lake out of Prosser Creek Reservoir Sunday afternoon.
Police could not immediately identify the body.
Rodni went missing after attending a party in Truckee, California earlier this month.Placer County Sheriff’s Office via AP
Rodni was last seen at the park in Truckee, California on Aug. 5. Fellow party-goers had reported that she had been drinking at the party.
Dive crew Adventures With Purpose was recruited by law enforcement for the probe and began searching the reservoir Sunday.
The Oregon-based crew of six divers gave it another go in hopes of finding any sign of Rodni, after at least three police dive teams have already searched the murky reservoir.
Within a few minutes of diving, one of the team members, Nick Rinn, 48 found a body in a car close to shore.
The car and body were found near a section of Prosser Family Campground where the party was held, an area known to locals as “The Sanctuary” that overlooks the Prosser Creek Reservoir.
Long-lasting and eco-friendly, the solar watch is finally having its day in the sun (pun intended). That said, this particular sector is still arguably in its early stages, even if its history goes back longer than you might think. As more brands embrace the power of solar watches, however, one can expect them to proliferate accordingly. You still have plenty to choose from in the meantime, including an impressive number of Seiko solar watches. There’s also TAG Heuer‘s new solar-powered Aquaracer to consider, which is scheduled to arrive this October. Here’s the best of the best.
You might also like: 100 Best Watches Under $1,000 40 Best Minimalist Watches for Men 21 Best Watch Blogs
Best Solar Watches for 2022
If you’re thinking of upping your catch game with an innovative and unique throwback piece, or you’d like to dip into the world of modern solar watches, we’ve got you covered. From the old to the new and everything in between, we’ve unearthed the best solar watches for this year, coming to you from brands like Casio, Citizen, and Seiko.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph | Image: TAG Heuer
1. TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph – Best Luxury
Despite debuting during LVMH Watch Week earlier this year, we got our first real look at TAG Heuer’s inaugural solar-powered Aquaracer at the famed Watches & Wonders event in April, and it didn’t disappoint. It features a built-in solar module—aka Solargraph— and needs only two minutes under full sunlight to generate a full day’s performance from the TH50-00 movement. This one is made for the outdoors with the rugged design, DLC-coated steel case, and luminous markers to show for it. It will hit the market in October of this year (should everything go according to plan).
Case size: 40mm Movement: Caliber TH50-00 Price: USD$2,950
Check it out
Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Diver | Image: Amazon AU
2. Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Diver – Best Solar Dive Watch
Japan’s Citizen was an early pioneer of the men’s solar watch, debuting its light-powered Eco-Drive range all the way back in 1996. The line continues to this day and features a number of robust models, including the mighty Promaster Diver. With its large case of stainless steel, polyurethane strap, and legible analog-style dial, this lightweight piece is ready for all the action you can throw its way.
Case size: 48mm Movement: Japanese quartz Price: USD$210
Buy it here
G-SHOCK GMW-B5000MB-1 | Image: Casio
3. G-SHOCK GMW-B5000MB-1 – Best All-Rounder
The retro design of this solar-powered watch harkens back to the first-ever G-SHOCK. Water-resistant to 20 bar, the piece employs a variety of fine finishes across the black bezel, band, sides, and surfaces. Everything is coated in black-ion plating and the bezel surface is polished yet again in a hairline finish, so as to properly expose the piece’s stainless steel foundations. Superluminous, ultra-sturdy, shock-resistant, and smartphone-compatible, this Casio solar watch is a full-metal classic.
Case size: 43.2mm Movement: Japanese quartz Price: USD$607
Check it out
Casio AQS810W Classic Watch | Image: Amazon
4. Casio AQS810W Classic Watch – Best Under $50
This Casio solar watch is priced to move and every bit as tough as its resin case would suggest. The piece costs a little more than $50 here in Australia, but often goes as low as USD$30 in America. Features include date functionality, five alarms, simultaneous time zone readings, a stopwatch, a brilliant LED light, and water resistance to 100 meters.
Case size: 47mm Movement: Japanese quartz Price: USD$30
Buy it here
Garmin fēnix 6 – Pro Solar Edition | Image: Garmin
5. Garmin fēnix 6 – Pro Solar Edition – Best Smart Solar Watch
No stranger to outdoor adventure, Garmin draws from their background in GPS technology when crafting some of the world’s best smartwatches and fitness trackers. The feature-packed fēnix 6 is living proof of the brand’s signature talents, and it comes available in a solar-powered variant. It puts an endless supply of functions at your disposal, including fitness tracking, all kinds of maps, and access to satellite tracking networks, amongst other things. Choose between three different case sizes and don’t head into the wilderness without one.
Case size: 42mm, 47mm, 51mm Price: AUD$1,499
Buy it here
Junghans max bill MEGA Solar | Image: Junghans
6. Junghans max bill MEGA Solar – Best Dress
The minimalist masters over German-based Junghans offer its popular max bill watch in a variety of iterations, including hand-wound, automatic, quartz-powered, and now, solar-powered. Thanks to its titanium construction, the elegant timepiece is equal parts lightweight and durable, which isn’t to mention its conspicuous comfort. Slim and dressy by design, this solar watch is also quite advanced, with a perpetual calendar, seamless time zone adjustment, and app compatibility.
Case size: 38mm Movement: J101.85 quartz Price: US$1,050
Buy it here
Seiko 5X Astron Series | Image: Seiko Watches
7. Seiko 5X Astron Series
The world’s first GPS solar watch, Seiko’s Astron launched in 2012 and continues with the new 5X Series. GPS connectivity remains fundamental to the watch’s overall allure and it’s more advanced here than ever before. Equipped with three independent motors, the piece changes from one time zone to another in as little as three seconds. Seaking of milestones, when the 2018 model was unveiled, it was the world’s slimmest GPS solar watch. Choose between a variety of models.
Case size: 42.9mm Movement: Caliber 5X Price: AUD$2,950 and up
Buy it here
T-Touch Connect Solar | Image: Tissot Watches
8. T-Touch Connect Solar
This Swiss-made solar watch integrates digital functionality through an analog-like dial and bears the hallmarks of an adventure-ready classic. Available in a variety of styles and finishes, Tissot delivers traditional features along with advanced ones such as smartphone notifications and fitness tracking. Under its titanium skin are the latest generation of photovoltaic solar cells, which keep maintenance low and performance high.
Case size: 47mm Movement: Sw-ALPS low-energy operating system Price: USD$1,050
Buy it here
Citizen Chandler | Image: Amazon AU
9. Citizen Chandler
Long-running legends of the men’s solar watch, Citizen presents this compact and impressively affordable classic. Forged from stainless steel and inspired by military field watches, it features a day-date complication, lume markers, a screw-down crown, and water resistance to 100 metres.
Case size: 37mm Movement: Japanese quartz Price: USD$104
Buy it here
Seiko SNE529 | Image: Seiko Watches
10. Seiko SNE529
This Seiko solar watch eschews outdoor aesthetics in favour of outright sophistication, whilst still incorporating water resistance to 100m and scratch-resistant crystal sapphire. With its effortless harmony between various colours and materials, the piece punches well above its affordable price tag.
Case size: 40mm Movement: Japanese quartz Price: AUD$323
Buy it here
Seiko Prospex SNJ025 | Image: Seiko Watches
11. Seiko Prospex SNJ025
Arnold Schwarzenegger wore the 1980s version of this Seiko classic in the movie “Predator” and it’s been nicknamed “Arnie” ever since. Like the action star himself, the watch is highly functional, larger than life, and blatantly built to last. This modern reissue runs on solar power and delivers water resistance to 200m along with a signature hybrid dial, amongst other things.
Case size: 47.8mm Movement: Caliber H851 Price: USD$525
Buy it here
Seiko Prospex Padi Solar Watch | Image: Seiko Watches
12. Seiko Prospex Padi Solar Watch
Those looking for a trusty and affordable solar dive watch need look no further than this one, which hails from Seiko’s Prospex line. Putting silver-toned and red hands against a blue dial, it features scratch-resistant Hardlex crystal, a unidirectional rotating bezel, luminous hands and markers, and a screw-down case of stainless steel. Japanese quartz movement stays the course down to 200m below water and offers a 10-month power reserve.
Case size: 43mm Movement: Japanese quartz Price: US$365
Buy it here
Seiko SNE516P1 | Image: Seiko Watches
13. Seiko SNE516P1
A visual stunner, this Seiko men’s solar watch employs classic features within an avant-garde framework. Wearers can expect 10 months of performance at full charge, along with water resistance to 100m. A date display, sapphire crystal protection, LumiBrite treatment, and a quick-start function are also part of the package.
Case size: 42.5mm Movement: Calibre V157 Price: AUD$599
Buy it here
Solar-Power Watch Buying Guide
Looking at the concept from an outside perspective, solar-powered watches are an interesting addition to the horological segment. Generally, they use light energy to work, with a solar cell placed under the dial to convert light into electrical energy. According to watch experts, Watches2U, when these timepieces take in light, the solar cell changes into energy that is then stored in a rechargeable battery which works to power the watch.
How Solar-Powered Watches Work
Barring modern smartwatches (we can save those for another day), most traditional timepieces are either powered by mechanical movements or quartz movements. Mechanical watches generally take two forms—manual and automatic—both of which require a certain level of upkeep. Quartz watches employ a battery and basically run until that battery dies, at which point you can replace it or get a new watch. Both methods have their benefits, but one is fairly inconvenient whilst the other comes with an expiration date of sorts and is also somewhat wasteful.
With solar power watches, a new type of underlying technology enters the fold and brings some key benefits along with it. Inside each model is a small solar panel, which absorbs either sunlight or artificial light and then converts that light into energy. Compared to a traditional battery, a solar-powered battery can last about 10 years on average. And unlike mechanical pieces, there’s no need for winding the crown or getting the watch serviced once every few years.
What to Consider Before Buying a Solar-Powered Watch
As with all things in the world of modern products, your mileage may vary. Solar watches are certainly no exception and they run the full gamut of style, specs, and price points alike. Before taking the proverbial plunge, consider the following factors:
Movement – Solar watches are compatible with digital movements but the aesthetics touch down across the board. Whereas a mechanical-looking solar watch will dispense with a classical design language, a digital solar watch will tout robust construction and a host of functional features. Hybrid watches, meanwhile, tend to draw from both worlds by injecting subtle digital elements on an otherwise analog display.
Light Type – Importantly, with solar watches, the type of light used to power will differ greatly between sources. For instance, sunlight will charge your watch faster than artificial light, so always keep an eye on how much sunlight it is getting.
Light Intensity – Like the type of light, intensity will also impact your watch. A sunny day will improve charging compared to dull and cloudy weather.
Case Size – Solar-powered watches are no different from their traditional counterparts in that they come in various case sizes. If you want something slim and compact, stick with 40mm or less. Those who think bigger is better should go 42mm and up. Bear in mind that extra functions tend to yield larger case sizes, in general.
Price – Solar watches cover a wide spectrum of price points without veering into the upper stratospheres. You can score a Casio solar watch for as little as USD$30 whilst the new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph is expected to retail for just under 3k.
How Long Do Solar Watches Last?
One of the major concerns around solar watches is durability, however, it is important to recognise just how far the technology has come in recent years. Like the innovations seen in luminous watches, solar watches have developed extensively, most notably in the way they charge. According to UK business First Class Watches, solar-powered watches are almost always charging, meaning that the power reserve is only used when there is no light source.
“Some Eco-Drive watches have a power reserve of more than eight years, unless you’re planning on joining some civilisation who live in darkness underground – your watch isn’t likely to run out of charge,” they wrote. “This may not sound too great when you’re considering the reliability of a solar-powered watch, but it’s important to remember that the watches can last beyond 10 years depending on how you use them.”
You might also like: 100 Best Watches Under $1,000 40 Best Minimalist Watches for Men 21 Best Watch Blogs
General FAQ
How do solar powered watches work?
By incorporating solar cell technology, solar watches work by absorbing sunlight or artificial light and then converting that light into energy.
How long do solar watches last for?
A Seiko solar watch can reportedly last about 10 years, on average.
STAFF WRITER
Jacob Osborn
Jacob Osborn is an accomplished author and journalist with over 10 years of experience in the media industry. Jacob holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and has previously written for Stacker alongside co-authoring a Young Adult novel through Simon & Schuster. Now based in Portland, Oregon, Jacob specialises in entertainment, technology and alcohol reporting. You might find him crate-digging at the nearest record store or sampling whisky at the nearest bar. He daydreams of travelling around the world, but for now, the world will have to come to him by way of lifestyle products, gear, gadgetry, and entertainment. Let’s call it a happy compromise while he saves up for the next big trip.
STATELINE, Nev. (AP) — They found no trace of a mythical sea monster, no sign of mobsters in cement shoes or long-lost treasure chests.
But scuba divers who spent a year cleaning up Lake Tahoe’s entire 72-mile (115-kilometer) shoreline have come away with what they hope will prove much more valuable: tons and tons of trash.
In addition to removing 25,000 pounds (11,339 kilograms) of underwater litter since last May, divers and volunteers have been meticulously sorting and logging the types and GPS locations of the waste.
The dozens of dives that concluded this week were part of a first-of-its-kind effort to learn more about the source and potential harm caused by plastics and other pollutants in the storied alpine lake on the California-Nevada line.
It’s also taken organizers on a journey through the history, folklore and development of the lake atop the Sierra Nevada that holds enough water to cover all of California 14 inches (36 centimeters) deep.
The Washoe Tribe fished the turquoise-blue Tahoe for centuries before westward expansion in the mid-1800s brought railroads, timber barons and eventually Gatsby-like decadence to what became a playground for the rich and famous.
Tahoe’s first casino was built in 1902 by Elias J. “Lucky” Baldwin, who owned a big chunk of east Los Angeles and built the prominent Santa Anita horse track in 1907. Massive lakefront estates followed for decades, including one used for the filming of “Godfather II.”
Cleanup organizers say one of the things locals ask most is whether they’ve found any gangsters’ remains near the north shore. That’s where Frank Sinatra lost his gaming license for allegedly fraternizing with organized crime bosses at his Cal-Neva hotel-casino in the 1960s.
The recovered debris mostly has consisted of things like bottles, tires, fishing gear and sunglasses.
But Colin West, founder of the nonprofit environmental group that launched the project, Clean Up the Lake, said there have been some surprises.
Divers think they spotted shipwreck planks near Dead Man’s Point, where tribal tales tell of a Loch-Ness-Monster-like creature — later dubbed “Tahoe Tessie″— living beneath Cave Rock.
They’ve also turned up a few “No Littering” signs, engine blocks, lamp posts, a diamond ring and “those funny, fake plastic owls that sit on boats to scare off birds,” West said.
“It’s shocking to see how much trash has accumulated under what appears to be such a pristine lake,” said Matt Levitt, founder and CEO of Tahoe Blue Vodka, which has contributed $100,000 to the cleanup.
His businesses is among many — including hotels, casinos and ski resorts — dependent on the 15 million-plus people who visit annually to soak up the view Mark Twain described in “Roughing It” in 1872 as the “fairest picture the whole earth affords.”
“It is our economic engine,” Levitt said.
And while most contributors and volunteers were motivated primarily to help beautify the lake, it’s what happens once the litter is piled ashore that excites scientists.
Shoreline cleanups have occurred across the nation for years, from Arizona to the Great Lakes, Pennsylvania and Florida. But that litter goes into recycle bins and garbage bags for disposal.
Each piece from 189 separate Tahoe dives to depths of 25 feet (8 meters) was charted by GPS and meticulously divided into categories including plastic, metal and cloth.
Plastics are key because international research increasingly shows some types can break down into smaller pieces known as microplastics.
Scientists are still studying the extent and human harm from the tiny bits. But the National Academy of Sciences said in December the U.S. — the world’s top plastics-waste producer — should reduce plastics production because so much winds up in oceans and waterways.
Zoe Harrold, a biochemist, led scientists at the Desert Research Institute in Reno that first documented microplastics in Tahoe in 2019. She was the lead author of Clean Up the Lake’s 2021 report on a 6-mile (10-kilometer) pilot project.
“If left in place, the ongoing degradation of submerged litter, particularly plastic and rubber, will continue to slowly release microplastics and leachates into Lake Tahoe’s azure waters,” Harrold wrote.
The cleanup comes a half-century after scientists started measuring Tahoe’s waning clarity as the basin began to experience explosive growth.
Most credit, or blame, completion of the interstate system for the 1960 Winter Olympics near Tahoe City. The first ever televised, it introduced the world to the lake surrounded by snow-covered peaks.
From 1960-80, Tahoe’s population grew from 10,000 to 50,000 — 90,000 in the summer, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Peak days now approach 300,000.
“The majority of what we’re pulling out is a result of basically just the human impact of recreating, living and building a community here in the Lake Tahoe region,” West said.
His group plans dives this year at other Sierra lakes, including June Lake east of Yosemite National Park, and will expand future Tahoe searches to deeper depths.
The non-profit Tahoe Fund, which also helped raise $100,000 for the cleanup effort, is commissioning artists to create a sculpture made from Tahoe’s trash at an events center being built in Stateline, on the lake’s south shore.
“Our hope is that it will inspire greater environmental stewardship and remind those who love Lake Tahoe that it’s up to all of us to take care of it,” Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry said.
STATELINE, Nev. (AP) — They found no trace of a mythical sea monster, no sign of mobsters in cement shoes or long-lost treasure chests.
But scuba divers who spent a year cleaning up Lake Tahoe’s entire 72-mile (115-kilometer) shoreline have come away with what they hope will prove much more valuable: tons and tons of trash.
In addition to removing 25,000 pounds (11,339 kilograms) of underwater litter since last May, divers and volunteers have been meticulously sorting and logging the types and GPS locations of the waste.
The dozens of dives that concluded this week were part of a first-of-its-kind effort to learn more about the source and potential harm caused by plastics and other pollutants in the storied alpine lake on the California-Nevada line.
It’s also taken organizers on a journey through the history, folklore and development of the lake atop the Sierra Nevada that holds enough water to cover all of California 14 inches (36 centimeters) deep.
The Washoe Tribe fished the turquoise-blue Tahoe for centuries before westward expansion in the mid-1800s brought railroads, timber barons and eventually Gatsby-like decadence to what became a playground for the rich and famous.
Tahoe’s first casino was built in 1902 by Elias J. “Lucky” Baldwin, who owned a big chunk of east Los Angeles and built the prominent Santa Anita horse track in 1907. Massive lakefront estates followed for decades, including one used for the filming of “Godfather II.”
Cleanup organizers say one of the things locals ask most is whether they’ve found any gangsters’ remains near the north shore. That’s where Frank Sinatra lost his gaming license for allegedly fraternizing with organized crime bosses at his Cal-Neva hotel-casino in the 1960s.
The recovered debris mostly has consisted of things like bottles, tires, fishing gear and sunglasses.
But Colin West, founder of the nonprofit environmental group that launched the project, Clean Up the Lake, said there have been some surprises.
Divers think they spotted shipwreck planks near Dead Man’s Point, where tribal tales tell of a Loch-Ness-Monster-like creature — later dubbed “Tahoe Tessie″— living beneath Cave Rock.
They’ve also turned up a few “No Littering” signs, engine blocks, lamp posts, a diamond ring and “those funny, fake plastic owls that sit on boats to scare off birds,” West said.
“It’s shocking to see how much trash has accumulated under what appears to be such a pristine lake,” said Matt Levitt, founder and CEO of Tahoe Blue Vodka, which has contributed $100,000 to the cleanup.
His businesses is among many — including hotels, casinos and ski resorts — dependent on the 15 million-plus people who visit annually to soak up the view Mark Twain described in “Roughing It” in 1872 as the “fairest picture the whole earth affords.”
“It is our economic engine,” Levitt said.
And while most contributors and volunteers were motivated primarily to help beautify the lake, it’s what happens once the litter is piled ashore that excites scientists.
Shoreline cleanups have occurred across the nation for years, from Arizona to the Great Lakes, Pennsylvania and Florida. But that litter goes into recycle bins and garbage bags for disposal.
Each piece from 189 separate Tahoe dives to depths of 25 feet (8 meters) was charted by GPS and meticulously divided into categories including plastic, metal and cloth.
Plastics are key because international research increasingly shows some types can break down into smaller pieces known as microplastics.
Scientists are still studying the extent and human harm from the tiny bits. But the National Academy of Sciences said in December the U.S. — the world’s top plastics-waste producer — should reduce plastics production because so much winds up in oceans and waterways.
Zoe Harrold, a biochemist, led scientists at the Desert Research Institute in Reno that first documented microplastics in Tahoe in 2019. She was the lead author of Clean Up the Lake’s 2021 report on a 6-mile (10-kilometer) pilot project.
“If left in place, the ongoing degradation of submerged litter, particularly plastic and rubber, will continue to slowly release microplastics and leachates into Lake Tahoe’s azure waters,” Harrold wrote.
The cleanup comes a half-century after scientists started measuring Tahoe’s waning clarity as the basin began to experience explosive growth.
Most credit, or blame, completion of the interstate system for the 1960 Winter Olympics near Tahoe City. The first ever televised, it introduced the world to the lake surrounded by snow-covered peaks.
From 1960-80, Tahoe’s population grew from 10,000 to 50,000 — 90,000 in the summer, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Peak days now approach 300,000.
“The majority of what we’re pulling out is a result of basically just the human impact of recreating, living and building a community here in the Lake Tahoe region,” West said.
His group plans dives this year at other Sierra lakes, including June Lake east of Yosemite National Park, and will expand future Tahoe searches to deeper depths.
The non-profit Tahoe Fund, which also helped raise $100,000 for the cleanup effort, is commissioning artists to create a sculpture made from Tahoe’s trash at an events center being built in Stateline, on the lake’s south shore.
“Our hope is that it will inspire greater environmental stewardship and remind those who love Lake Tahoe that it’s up to all of us to take care of it,” Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry said.
MERSING, Malaysia, April 9 (Reuters) – A French woman and British man who disappeared at sea while diving off the coast of Malaysia were found safe on Saturday after drifting for some 100 km (80 miles) for two and a half days after they went missing, police said.
The search for another diver who went missing at the same time, the 14-year-old son of the British man, was expanded to Indonesian waters, they said.
Alexia Alexandra Molina, 18, from France, and Briton Adrian Peter Chesters, 46, were in a group of four who went missing on Wednesday afternoon on a training dive near Tokong Sanggol, a small island off the southeastern town of Mersing.
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The group’s instructor, Kristine Grodem, 35, from Norway, was rescued on Thursday. read more
Fishermen spotted Molina and Chesters at around 1 a.m. (1700 GMT on Friday) off Indonesia’s Bintan island, southeast of Singapore, and some 100 km south of where they went missing, officials said.
“They are in stable condition and under observation, but they are not ready to be interviewed. We will do that as soon as they are ready,” Mersing district police chief Cyril Edward Nuing told reporters.
He said Indonesian authorities would take over the search for Chesters’ 14-year-old son, Dutch citizen Nathan Renze Chesters, as he had likely drifted into their waters.
“We believe there is a high likelihood that he is no longer in Malaysian waters based on the movement of sea currents, as well as the time and location where the other victims were found,” he said.
Malaysian assets would be on standby to help, he said.
Grodem earlier told officials the group surfaced about an hour into their dive on Wednesday but could not find their boat.
She was later separated from the others after being caught in strong currents.
The boat operator who took them to the dive site was detained after testing positive for drugs, police said.
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Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and Ebrahim Harris;
Editing by Robert Birsel
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Less than an hour into a search, a team of cold case divers located three cars in the Brazos River in Texas, officials said Wednesday, including one driven by a woman who went missing more than four years ago.
Police in Waco said Wednesday night that investigators positively confirmed the vehicle identification number of the recovered vehicle as the Kia Rio belonging to missing 43-year-old Stephanie Torres, who who disappeared on December 21, 2017. Authorities also said a body was recovered from the car.
“Due to the current state of the body, investigators are not able to positively identify if the body found is Torres’,” Waco Police spokesperson Cierra Shipley said in a statement.
A team of cold case divers located a car in the Brazos River in Texas on Wednesday that matches the description of a vehicle driven by a woman who went missing more than four years ago.
KWTX
Earlier Wednesday, Shipley told reporters at the scene that the vehicle was missing a license plate and that investigators would be looking for the VIN to positively identify the car.
Police said it was initially reported that Torres may have been intoxicated and suicidal on the night she went missing. She had left her wallet and cellphone behind, officials said. Police said “every lead came up empty” and the case was suspended in February 2019 after no additional evidence came to light.
Stephanie Torrez.
Waco Police Dept.
Authorities said Wednesday they were able to retrieve the car from the Brazos River with the help of the fire department and divers from Adventures With Purpose, a group that travels the country trying to solve cold cases. The divers said they found the Kia Rio upside down, 55 feet from shore and 13 feet underwater.
Members of Torres’ family shed tears after investigators pulled the car out of the river, CBS affiliate KWTX reported.
In a Facebook video, divers with Adventures With Purpose said they had met with Torres’ family, including her daughter Bianca, near the river on Wednesday morning.
They said that “working from clues as to the events prior Stephanie last being seen,” they were able to locate three vehicles in the river within an hour after the search began and one of them “resembled the vehicle of Stephanie Torres.”
Police said the other two vehicles will be recovered at a later date due to fading daylight and a cold front approaching the area..
Adventures With Purpose is among an increasing number of sleuthing YouTubers who try to independently solve cold cases around the country. The group posts its searches on its YouTube channel, which has more than 1.7 million subscribers.
“It is our honor to have brought Stephanie Torres home,” the group wrote.
If you or someone you know might be at risk of suicide, there is help. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text a crisis counselor at 741741 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
(CNN) — Two amateur free divers have found one of the largest collections of Roman coins in Europe off the east coast of Spain.
Luis Lens and César Gimeno were diving off the island of Portitxol in Xàbiaon August 24 when they found eight coins, before further dives by archaeologists returned another 45 coins, according to a press release from the University of Alicante on Tuesday.
Scientists from the university’s Institute in Archaeology and Historical Heritage then analyzed the perfectly preserved coins, dating them to between the end of the 4th century and the beginning of the 5th century.
The coins were in such good condition that the inscriptions were legible, allowing the team to identify coins from the reign of a number of Roman emperors.
Three date from Valentinian I, seven from Valentinian II, 15 from Theodosius I, 17 from Arcadius, 10 from Honorius and there is one unidentified coin.
Archaeologists will carry out further excavations at the site in the next few weeks.
University of Alicante
Alongside the coins divers found three nails, likely made from copper, as well as lead remains which could be from a severely deteriorated sea chest.
Jaime Molina Vidal, professor of ancient history at the University of Alicante and leader of the team of underwater archaeologists, said this was one of the largest sets of Roman gold coins found in Europe.
“It’s very significant,” Molina Vidal told CNN on Thursday. “It’s enormously valuable.”
The coins were likely hidden by a wealthy local landowner who wanted to protect some of their money from barbarians, who were invading and looting the western Roman Empire at the time, he added.
“We are in the presence of a fantastic archaeological documentfrom the time when, in this case, the Alans arrived,” said Molina Vidal.
The Alans, Suevi and Vandals invaded the area in the final phase of the fall of the Western Empire, and the political power of the Romans in the Iberian peninsula ended in 409 AD, the press release adds.
Whoever hid the coins likely died before they were able to collect them, said Molina Vidal, leaving them undiscovered for about 1,500 years.
Despite their age they are remarkably well preserved.
“It’s like they were made yesterday,” said Molina Vidal, who explained that only one coin is unidentifiable as its inscription has been scratched.
The coins will be restored and then exhibited at the Soler Blasco Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum in Xàbia. Further archaeological exploration in the area will be funded by the Valencia local government, which has allocated 17,800 euros ($21,000) to the team.
The bay of Portitxol is a well-known archaeological site where anchors, amphorae, ceramic remains and other artifacts have been discovered.
Molina Vidal and his team plan to carry out further excavations at the site in the next few weeks to determine whether there are sunken ships nearby.
Houston-based Talos Energy said in a statement that it was informed of a potential oil release Tuesday by Clean Gulf Associates, a non-profit oil spill cooperative, because it previously leased the oil block in Bay Marchand off the coast of Port Fourchon, Louisiana.
Talos began sending vessels to the impacted area Wednesday and divers later discovered the damaged pipeline and determined it does not belong to Talos Energy, the company said.
The pipeline “appears to be bent and open ended,” Talos Energy said.
Talos ended production in the area in 2017 and had its infrastructure removed from the site in 2019, the statement said.
“The source of the release is not proximate to any of the plugged wells, nor to the former locations of Talos subsea infrastructure,” Talos said.
Two 95-foot response vessels remained on-site Sunday to assist with oil recovery, according to Talos’ statement to CNN.
“The rate of the release appears to have decreased substantially over the last 48 hours and no black oil has been observed over the last 24 hours,” Talos said Sunday. “To date, no impacts to shoreline or wildlife have been observed,” according to the energy company.
Talos is working with the US Coast Guard and other state and federal agencies to determine ownership of the damaged pipeline and to organize a coordinated response to the spill, the company said.
BEIJING (AP) — Divers have been dispatched in the search for 14 workers missing since water flooded a tunnel under construction in southern China three days ago, authorities said Sunday.
Zhang Yisheng, the vice mayor of Zhuhai city, told a news conference that the water level in the tunnel had dropped by 11.3 meters (37 feet), according to an online report by state broadcaster CCTV. Underwater robots, unmanned ships and sonar detectors would also be deployed, Zhang said.
Search teams have been slowly advancing into the tunnel as water is pumped out. As of Sunday morning, they had gotten about 600 meters (650 yards) into the tunnel, a little more than half the 1.1-kilometer (1,200-yard) distance to where the workers were trapped. That is the length of the 1.8-kilometer expressway tunnel that has been dug so far.
Their advance has been slowed by carbon monoxide fumes from machinery being used in the tunnel as part of the operation, though the level of the potential deadly gas has been lowered by improving ventilation.
The flood happened about 3:30 a.m. Thursday. An abnormal noise was heard and bits of material started falling off on one side of the two-tube tunnel. An evacuation was ordered. Water rushed in and flowed through a connection into the other tube of the tunnel, trapping 14 workers on that side.
The tunnel lies under a reservoir, but the cause of the accident is still under investigation.
In March, two workers died in another part of the tunnel when a protective wall collapsed and they were hit by falling stones, according to a notice from the Zhuhai emergency management department.
Zhuhai is a coastal city in Guangdong province and near Macao at the mouth of the Pearl River delta. It was one of China’s early special economic zones when the ruling Communist Party started opening up the nation’s economy about 40 years ago.
