tu BY CHRISTOPHER SWANN PHOTO SELECTION AND C S BY LAD HANDELMAN. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAD HANDLEMAN AND BOB RATCLIFFE. 8 The Journal of Diving History Third Quarter 2014, Volume 22, Number 80 members gradually get caught and a hyperbaric oxygen service company, head off to the Big House. The Boys dedicated to healing necrotizing and Girls Club saved me from that fate wounds which otherwise would not be and I headed west to California to work healed. Other threatening conditions for my uncle Jimmy. He fired me after such as carbon monoxide poisoning, the first week because he said he had diabetic wounds, and rattlesnake bites never known anybody as worthless. " are also treated. This is perhaps not surprising given He continues his involvement in Lad 's street background and·limited the commercial oil field diving industry real work experience. His next career which he helped pioneer and has been achievement was more successful a constant supporter of the HOS and when he lasted a whole month in a its mission. His spectacular home over­ Mexican orange-picking camp before looking the Santa Barbara Channel being fired . Islands has been the site of the majority Lad 's ensuing adventures are of annual HOS Board meetings. First­ covered in the following article, Profile time guests from the HOS membership of a Pioneer, by Chris Swann. This have included Hans and Lotte Hass, brief introduction will touch on some of E.R . Cross, Professor lchiro Nashimoto, the contributions that Lad has made Andre Galerne, Krov Menuhin, Laurent since 1985, which was the year a skiing Ballesta, the staff of the Musee du accident left him a quadriplegic and Espalion, Surgeon Vice Admiral Sir changed the course of his life's journey. John Rawlins, Stan Waterman, Sylvia The accident slowed Lad 's body Earle, Valerie Taylor, Rodney Fox, Dr. but not his mind, and the tenacity he Alexander Sledkov, Giancarlo and had applied to developing deepwater Letizia Bartolli, and many others in the diving companies was channeled field of international diving. into founding other organizations. Like many of his fellow pioneer Following a ten-month stay in the commercial divers, Lad only had a hospital and learning the ropes of life high school education and came from in a wheelchair, he formed a wheel a challenging background. Through chair support group called Outlook, focused dedication to his mission, his which continues to this day. Next he lack of an extended education proved joined a wheelchair rugby team , a sport no handicap to success. In 1969, Cal commonly known as Murder-Ball. His Dive Inc. , the small diving company he team , the Breakers, was ranked #3 co-founded with three other abalone nationally. "I used to think that gang divers, teamed up with Phil Nuytten's members and divers were tough. Now Can Dive. Under the guidance of young I know what being tough really means. investment banker, Matt Simmons, People in wheelchairs are amazingly Oceaneering International was formed , upbeat. I am constantly inspired by and the group never looked back. By these heroes," he said recently. 1975 the company's revenues had gone He became, and remains, very from $600,000, to $55,000,000 and active in the support of the Boys they were operating in 24 international he name Lad Handelman is familiar to and Girls Club, the organization that locations. Today Oceaneering is a HOS members as one the Society's provided his means of escape from the deepwater technology leader with a first Advisory Board members. He was gangs of New York. turnover in the billions. T among the early HOS members who Teaming up with fellow former Throughout his work with HOS , I attended the Inaugural Meeting on October 18, abalone diver Peter Howorth, he co­ have never known Lad to complain 1992, and has remained an influential voice founded the Marine Mammal Consulting about his physical situation despite inside the Society ever since. On November 20 Group, dedicated to protecting sea knocking on heaven's door on what in Las Vegas, Nevada, he will be inducted into lions, whales and other marine wildlife seems to be a regular basis. He the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences from the effects of military and industrial retains the wry smile that has been his in the category for Distinguished Service, joining projects in the ocean. hallmark throughout his journey and an his industry rival and friend Henri Delauze of With Bruce Allen, he co-founded the undiminished sense of humor. Today Comex. This recognition has been a long time SOS (Stop Oil Seeps) environmental he is happily settled with his life partner coming and all of us at HOS look forward to group and uses his vast knowledge of Linda, and continues to give back to his supporting Lad in Las Vegas. It has been a long the maritime oil field industry to educate industry and community with a big and and unique journey for Lad and the following the public about the pollutive effects of open heart. article touches on some of his contributions. California's vast natural oil seepage. Lad's story is one of the American Born in the Bronx district of New York, This pollution does not come from Dream, whereby pure determination and raised a mile away in Mount Vernon, Lad offshore oil platforms. SOS's goal is and a never-quit attitude can bring gained his street smarts as a member of the to form a bridge between energy and rewards far beyond the scope of what Red Devils street gang. Lad recently recalled, environment. is learned in school. All at HOS will be "I was the only Polak (Polish) member of a Around the time the HOS was looking for that smile in Las Vegas. New York Italian street gang and I saw other formed, Lad co-founded Oxycare Inc. , -Leslie Leaney Third Quarter 2014, Volume 22, Number 80 The Journal of Diving History 9 (Le~) The mysterious diver on the sea floor. A social misfit, discharged from the Army or released from prison, who loved nothing more than to drink and fight. Worked harder than hell , spent all his money and did it all again. The rougher and riskier it was, the better he liked it. His home was the sea. These were the first breed of commercial divers. (Right) Lad's first dive was almost his last. Just 17, fresh out of New York, he seized the chance to "pirate" his Uncle Jimmy's hard hat and plunged in head first, not knowing that the open exhaust valve would flood the helmet. Nearly drowned, he finally found the air intake valve, cranked it wide open and shot to the surface feet first where he was hauled in and this photo was taken. He had done it "his way." n the summer of 1953 was on the wrong end of the The helmet was lowered the guys jumped in the water Jimmy Pirog invited his hose. over his head; he jumped off and helped right me, and they nephew Lad Handelman About a month and a half the second rung of the ladder, brought me to the ladder and Ito come to California to after he began tending, Lad ju t like his uncle, and down he straightened me out. I was very tend for him on hls abalone got his chance. A fierce Santa went. Unfortunately, nobody happy, becau e I thought it was boat. Aged sixteen and just Ana wi nd was blowing and had told him to close his going to be the shortest diving out of high-school, Lad, like the "Black Fleet," of which inlet valve when he dropped career in history. It didn' t last his uncle, came from a tough Uncle Jimmy was a part, had beneath the surface. In no time even five minutes." neighborhood of the Bronx in run for shelter at Potato Harbor at all he was upside down, ten Little by little Lad became ew York City, where as he at Santa Cruz Island. With feet above the bottom, with a productive diver. He did not later put it, "They don't teach time on their hands, a couple water coming into the helmet. pick abalone as fast as the top you much about diving." of tenders agreed to put him When the water reached divers, but what he lacked in He had no idea what was an down in the gear. He tried to hi nose it dawned on him speed he made up for with the abalone, or even where to find get his uncle to give a hand, that he had shut the intake punishing number of hours he California on the map, but but he was unable to pry him valve and that the exhaust put in on the bottom. his uncle's offer was a golden away from his poker game, valve was open. "Although Barney Clancy, the owner opportunity to get out of the and none of the other divers I couldn't move at all by this of the Black Fleet, had been Bronx-not that tending Uncle expre sed any interest. So the time-I was stuck-I figured watching Lad for some time. Jimmy turned out to be much tenders suited him up and I'd better do something with He knew he would work when of an improvement. He knew slung the weights on him, and the other valve. My only others stayed in harbor because nothing about engines and he climbed over the side onto thought was opening that of weather and he saw that nothing about seamanship, the ladder.