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DSO Expert Witness Résumé

Women Divers of the Andrea Doria

Feb 17, 2020 , last update

I have added  comment notes. if you have dived the Doria email the info to be listed and must be confirmed by the dive boat captain.   captainswb@gmail.com

Evie & John Dudas

1:  first woman Doria diver, Evelyn Dudas 1967 First woman to dive from Viking Star Ship,  Captain Paul Forsberg later dove from boat R/V Wahoo &  Seeker. Member "Woman's Diver Hall Fame "

2-Janet Bieser 1981 July R/V Wahoo second woman, and the youngest woman, member "Woman's Diver Hall Fame " The only woman Captain to operate expeditions to the Doria as the Master of the vessel.

Gary Gentile's in his book   stating Elga Anderson was the second woman to dive Doria: he is WRONG read below,  it has not been corrected by Gary Gentile,
Wahoo's yellow downline was set in July 81 and used by Peter Gimbel expedition August 1981, Jack McKinney wrote in his Skindiver article  the yellow line was a "great tie-in spot", Captain  Janet Bieser had set the hook earlier in July 1981 before Sea Level II arrived, Janet dove that trip and is  the youngest woman to dive the Doria She  a couple of months younger than Evelyn Dudas at the time of her dive. Janet Bieser is the First woman to dive the SS Republic August 1981 when we aboard the Wahoo discovered the lost wreck.

3- Elga Anderson in August 1981 aboard Sea Level II, wife of Peter Gimbel  dove the wreck from above while viewing the wreck from the Sea Level II diving bell   Elga, was the Doria 81  co-expedition leader and The third woman to dive to the wreck she never touched or actually reached the wreck, Elga,  only went to the depth of the diving bell 150 fsw, her dive was  a handheld dive with Jack McKinney. Jack McKinney earlier secured a downline after descending Wahoo's yellow mooring line left by the dive boat R/V  Wahoo at the first class loading doors.

4-Sally Wahrmann 1982 July dive boat R/V Wahoo she stopped with 55 logged dives , member "Woman's Diver Hall Fame " worked as crew and cook for 7 years

Sally #4 & Shelly #23


5- Eva Longobardi dive boat R/V Wahoo 1983 more dives in 1989 from a  Rhode Island boat with Billy  Campbell  photographer.

6- Cathy Cush dive boat R/V Wahoo, dive newspapers and magazine writer

7-Ceil Connelly 1985 dive boat R/V  Wahoo "Woman's Diver Hall Fame member"  her first dive she at 60 years old. She was an Expert witness in Gentile v. NOAA for  American divers access to dive USS Monitor 1989 Ceil has PASSED.

8- Kathy Warehouse aboard the dive boat Sea Hunter, Capt Sal Arena

9- Molly Troutman 1985 aboard the dive boat R/V Wahoo Captain's Steve Bielenda & Janet Bieser.

10- Christine Nargi aboard the dive boat R/V Wahoo Captain's Steve Bielenda & Janet Bieser.

11- Lisa Herrera aboard the dive boat R/V Wahoo cook and crew set the anchor. Captain's Steve Bielenda & Janet Bieser.

12- Chickie Gugulie 1986 aboard the dive boat R/V Wahoo Captain's Steve Bielenda & Janet Bieser.

13- Sharon Kissling aboard the dive boat R/V Wahoo 1986 Captain's Steve Bielenda & Janet Bieser.

14- Isabel aboard the dive boat R/V Wahoo year 1985 Sea Hawk crew member operated by Captain's Frank Persico & John Lachenmeyer, Captain's Steve Bielenda & Janet Bieser.

15- Heather Knowles , aboard the dive boat R/V Wahoo Captain's Steve Bielenda & Janet Bieser. and dive boat John Jack

16-Barbara Lander 1988 aboard the dive boat R/V Wahoo Captain's Steve Bielenda & Janet Bieser.

17- Eileen Hecht Sea Gypsies aboard the dive boat R/V Wahoo Captain's Steve Bielenda & Janet Bieser.

18-Christina Young aboard the  Seeker & Miss Lindsey 2001

19- Pat Morton 1998  vessel unknown

20- Bonnie "Merkel" Yurga, 1993 aboard the dive boat R/V Wahoo, scared to death needed help after getting distressed on first dive entrée had to be helped out of the water, we stripped off all the EXTRA gear and we got her to make the dive. Captain's Steve Bielenda & Janet Bieser.

21-Maggie Owens aboard the dive boat R/V  Wahoo 1990's crew member. Captain's Steve Bielenda & Janet Bieser.

22-Nancy Place dive boat Seeker 1998

23- Shelly Johnson-Kleinschuster, 1999 aboard the  dive boat R/V Wahoo crew member. Captain's Steve Bielenda & Janet Bieser.


24- Kathy Weydig 1998 aboard the dive boat R/V Wahoo "Woman's Diver Hall Fame member crew member licensed USCG merchant marine operator. Captain's Steve Bielenda & Janet Bieser.

I know up to here the order of woman divers is correct, the following may be out of order.

25- "Suzi Dudas Naime dived the wreck in 1998 First woman Rebreather diver aboard Dive boat Seeker, Suzi is Evelyn Dudas daughter first woman Doria diver.

26 Jenn Samulski co-owner of the dive boat Seeker 1998 & Dan Crowell girlfriend (Seeker owner)

27-Stella Covre dive buddy Neil Tassel aboard the dive boat R/V Wahoo

Captain's Steve Bielenda & Janet Bieser.
 

28- Patty Moreata Re-Breather diver from the dive boat John Jack 2001 member "Woman's Diver Hall Fame"

29- Tamara Thomsen 2001 dive boat Sea Hunter III 2001

30- Becky Spalding age 23 Born Sept 8, dive boat Miss Lindsey 2001

31-FameFiona Barrow (dive boat John Jack 2003) Captain Zero

32-Deborah A. Cacace, dive boat Miss Lindsey 2001

33- Donna Chaston (local NE diver Mass boat) name unknown

34- Kathie Dawe dates, July 1997 aboard Desi Dorado MA, and July 1998 & 1999  Vessel Andy Lynn IV out of Plymouth, MA.

35-Maggie "O'Keefe"  Duffy July 1999 &  2000.  Vessel, Andy Lynn IV out of Plymouth, MA.

    email note: Thanks you so much for creating and maintaining this list. My Doria       experiences were equally as wonderfully triumphant as running the Boston Marathon last year for Dana Farber Cancer Institute in honor of my step son Robert Duffy Jr. who has terminal brain cancer. Seeing the Doria then touching her after so much training and research was a fabulous experience. Maggie Duffy) Our pray go out the the family for the loss of Robert Duffy Jr. he passed  Oct 9, 2009 age 15.

36- Carrie Bissete aboard the dive boat Eagles Nest (Richie Kohler's girlfriend)  2003

37- Theresa Sheil aboard the dive boat John Jack II 2003 age 52 Capt Zero

38- Eileen Clougherty Aug 12-13-14 2005 aboard the dive boat John Jack, Bob Yeagle confirmed

39- Pat Robinson dive boat Seeker, July 27 1996

40- Anita Smith - dive boat Seeker, July 27 1996

41-Marcie Bilinski has dived the Doria in 2007 & 2008. vessel, the dive boat  Sea Ductress

42-Anne Dashevsky July 28-30  2007 dive boat  Independence II

43-Laila Richard 2013 Doria bell recovery expedition. aboard R/V Explorer Capt Dave Sutton

44- Kathy Mallon 2011 on Doria bell recovery expedition. aboard R/V Explorer Capt Dave Sutton

45- Heide Mason, Dove the Doria in 1997 aboard the dive boat Seeker Capt Dan Crowell 

46-Captain Jitka Hanakova first dives to the Andrea Doria on June 30, 2012 aboard the R/V Explorer, Capt Dave Sutton Jitka is a  licensed USCG merchant marine operator running her own dive operations out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.


 47-Julie "Brown" Anderson first dives to the Andrea Doria on July 23rd and 24th 2012 , there was a tragic end to an otherwise amazing trip when my friend  'Michael LaPrade' died on the trip.' dive boat John jack Captain Rich

 
Mike& Julie 23011

48- Emanuela Schmidt, from Eugene, Oregon made her  First Andrea Doria dives July 6, 2013, Using a Megladon Rebreather born and raised in Sweden. Moved to the US in 2002 to attend graduate school at University of Oregon. Aboard R/V Garloo Captain Hank Garvin

49- Kathy Chatterton, 1988 aboard the vessel Seeker, dive partner Capt John Chatterton, this entry is confirmed by  Captain John Chatterton at the time of this listing request received December 28, 2018

  50- Sandra Clopp. 2016-2019
  aboard OL' SALTY II Capt. Nick Caruso

  51- Carlee, 2019
  aboard OL' SALTY II Capt. Nick Caruso

  52- Sandra, 2019
  aboard OL' SALTY II Capt. Nick Caruso

  53- Monica, 2019
  aboard OL' SALTY II Capt. Nick Caruso

  54- Renatta, 2019
  aboard OL' SALTY II Capt. Nick Caruso

 Captain Steve Bielenda