“One day my friends and I were down in 70 feet of water. It was overcast when we went down and the sun started to come up while we were down there. As we were coming up the sun began reflecting in such a way that it seemed like a burst of diamonds was surrounding me. It was the most beautiful thing I ever saw while diving,” he recalled.
Aside from diving for historical objects or for pleasure, he volunteered his skills to the RCMP and the Canadian Coast Guard for body recovery after he became certified by the Bay of Islands Scuba Club in 1972.
Before the RCMP or the Coast Guard had a specialized diving unit in Newfoundland, it was done by local volunteers.
“It was hard work mentally, but we did it for the good of the communities,” said Mr. LeRiche.
His first diving job was a body recovery operation that occurred in South Twin Lake, just outside of Deer Lake.
There were 14 men who were involved in the recovery. They spent a full week scouring the lake’s bottom but to their dismay, the bodies they were seeking could not be found.
After becoming certified, Mr. LeRiche along with other divers from Port aux Basques founded the Southwest Diving Club where they taught scuba diving to those eager to learn.
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