Former Army National Guard Sgt. Erik Burmeister lost the use of his legs in a low-speed motorcycle crash more than two years ago. Now a paraplegic, Burmeister received his scuba diving certification in Bonaire over the weekend.
During his last training dive at the East Lycoming YMCA before his trip to the Caribbean island, Burmeister compared scuba diving to sit skiing, which is a type of skiing that people who have lost the use of their legs can do alongside others without the disability.
"One of the things that's great about scuba is it's like sit skiing. The scuba diving is like an equalizer, you can do the same thing with or without your legs. But, because you wear the equipment that makes you float, it is not very hard. It's kind of like floating in the air and you are propelling yourself with your hands," Burmeister said.
According to Burmeister, these types of sports enable him to overcome the mobility issues he has to deal with everyday.
Wounded Warriors, a program that helps wounded veterans, worked diligently to make Burmeister's goal a reality.
According to Dave Reidenbach, retail membership manager of Diving Equipment and Marketing Association that works with the program, he was able to touch base with Rich Best, owner of Sunken Treasure Scuba Center in Jersey Shore, to coordinate the diving instruction.
"My industry works through the Wounded Warrior program. The point is, somebody called me from the diving industry and said 'we have this wounded warrior. Would you work with him?' Here are people that are giving back to community projects. These are for people that could use some help," Best said.
The scuba center and the East Lycoming YMCA worked together to bring the scuba training to Burmeister, free of charge.
As if learning how to dive under these circumstances wasn't unique enough, Burmeister will finish out his certification in Bonaire.
"I like the adrenaline sports. It is still something most people consider on the edge. I have never gone scuba diving in the ocean before. I don't know what it will be like. But, I am sure it will be awesome. I will be able to see stuff in person that I have only been able to see on TV or the Internet," he said.
Burmeister's training began with simple concepts and they were added to as the training progressed, according to Best.
During the training, Burmeister accesses the water via a ramp that leads into the pool.
Burmeister had to learn things that all divers do, but he had to do so without the use of his feet. He had to learn how to get equipment on in the water and share air with others.
One issue Burmeister has that other divers may not is balance in the water. He needs more weights on one side than the other. These are slight changes that needed to be perfected on his last dive before he left for certification.
"The challenge for Erik is getting his balance absolutely perfect. We put weight on the divers to make them neutral in the water so they don't float, nor do they sink. One side of his body has more muscle mass and therefore that sinks better. Once the weights are good, he can balance under water pretty good," Best said.
Burmeister also has webbed gloves to navigate more easily through the water because he is unable to use fins that normally would go on his feet.
About a dozen other people accompanied Burmeister on his journey. His travel companions included six other physically injured veterans.
The trip will run until this Saturday. The diving certifications were scheduled over the weekend.
