Deep sea submarine pioneer dies

[n2doc]

Swiss-based marine explorer and inventor Jacques Piccard, who was part of the deepest submarine dive in history, has died at his home aged 86.

In 1960, Piccard and US co-pilot Don Walsh took a submersible developed by his father to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific.
They went 11km (seven miles) beneath the surface of the sea.

Their discovery of living organisms at that depth led to a ban on the dumping of nuclear waste in ocean trenches.

"By far the most interesting find was the fish that came floating by our porthole," Piccard said afterwards.

"We were astounded to find higher marine life forms down there at all."

more:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7704551.stm

We talk about climbing Everest or going to the moon, but Piccard went to a place even less visited...RIP

[TomInTib]

1. I have that book, somewhere (signed by both of them)

Those guys had cast-iron balls.

They took that bathysphere and just went for it.

I will have to go and find that book.


Tom

[eppur_se_muova]

2. Some interesting bio material on the Piccards in this book ...

http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9780387969534-1

The two brothers, twins, {on edit: father & uncle to jacques} were a bit competitive with each other ...