Retired Airman Scott Palomino, hit by mortar fire in Iraq, lost one of his legs. However, Scott remains very active and pursues his college degree. He took immediately to diving and finished his certification in the Caymans in the Spring of 2005.
Katalyna (Kippa) Weil Injured as a teenager in a car accident, Katalyna (Kippa) Weil still lives a great life with her mother in Albuquerque, NM. They trained together, very excited to be part of the 2010 trip. Written in a book and a TV movie in the 1980’s, Kat’s story will live on. Kat loves…
Chris Hocker From the Salt Lake City, UT area Chris Hocker continues to be an enthusiastic addition to our crew. Ultimately, he overcame left side paralysis as a child to learn many activities which now includes scuba diving. Now, as part of our 2010 class, Chris promises to be on every trip from now on.
David Lofgren David Lofgren, a MP in the US Army, sustained an injury during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Originally from Utah, he spent time rehabilitating in San Antonio where he trained at Dive Masters of San Antonio. Now, he resides with his fiancee in Buffalo, NY. David has an infectious smile and is part of the…
A native of the Pittsburgh area, Corpsman Petty Officer 3rd Class Justin Hendrikson now lives there, attending nursing school. He has wanted to pursue after being a Navy Corpsman during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Justin always wanted to dive, therefore, Dive Pirates happily trained him after his injury in Iraq. He attended the class of 2010.
Keith Deutsch Sergeant Keith Deutsch sustained an injury in the US Army during Operation Iraqi Freedom. However, that never slowed him down. In addition to scuba, he also snowboards near his home of Denver. The Go Be Divers in Denver trained him. He joined the class of 2010.
Paul Rauner Paul Rauner lost the use of his legs from a progressive neurological disease. However, that did not stop him from learning to dive at Husker Divers in his hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska. Paul showed fearlessness during our trip in 2010 while diving the walls of Cayman Brac or inside the halls of the…
Matthew Arcadi An amazing athlete, Matthew Arcadi now adds scuba to the list of sports he plays. After an injury in a car accident, he wanted a sport he could share with his wife. Together, they learned at Woods & Water Scuba in the Tampa, FL area. He joined us in class of 2010.
Keith (Kase) Clark Keith (Kase) Clark overheard someone talking about us in a restaurant one day, decided to join, and has never looked back. An avid scuba diver in the 70’s and 80’s, Keith prior sustained a surfing accident in 1983 that injured his spine. The 2010 trip was his first chance to get back…
Richard Massimino Richard Massimino, a US Marine during Operation Iraqi Freedom, had many severe injuries that left him unable to walk. Since rehabilitated and recovered, he trained as an Adaptive Buddy with WW Diving in Humble, Texas. Today, he lives with his wife and children. RIchard joined the class of 2010 as the buddy for David…