The Last Dive : A Father and Son's Fatal Descent Into the Ocean's Depths

Chris and Chrissy Rouse, an experienced father-and-son scuba diving team, hoped to achieve widespread recognition for their outstanding but controversial diving skills. Obsessed and ambitious, they sought to solve the secrets of a mysterious, undocumented World War II German U-boat that lay under 230 feet of water, only a half-day's mission from New York Harbor. In doing so, they paid the ultimate price in their quest for fame. Bernie Chowdhury, himself an expert diver and a close friend of the Rouses', explores the thrill-seeking world of deep-sea diving, including its legendary figures, most celebrated triumphs, and gruesome tragedies. By examining the diver's psychology through the complex father-and-son dynamic, Chowdhury illuminates the extreme sport diver's push toward—and sometimes beyond—the limits of human endurance. A tragic account of the father-son dive team who met with disaster while exploring the wreck of a German U-boat off the coast of New York.Chris and Chrissy Rouse, an experienced father-and-son scuba diving team, hoped to achieve widespread recognition for their outstanding but controversial diving skills. Obsessed and ambitious, they sought to solve the secrets of a mysterious, undocumented World War II German U-boat that lay under 230 feet of water, only a half-day's mission from New York Harbor. In doing so, they paid the ultimate price in their quest for fame.Bernie Chowdhury, himself an expert diver and a close friend of the Rouses', explores the thrill-seeking world of deep-sea diving, including its legendary figures, most celebrated triumphs, and gruesome tragedies. By examining the diver's psychology through the complex father-and-son dynamic, Chowdhury illuminates the extreme sport diver's push toward—and sometimes beyond—the limits of human endurance.Praise for The Last Dive“Superbly written and action-packed, The Last Dive ranks with such adventure classics as The Perfect Storm and Into Thin Air.” —Tampa Tribune“[A] captivating account of sport diving.” —Publishers Weekly“Excellently written and a real “grabber” to read, the book includes much information about the history, equipment, and people who make up the world of extreme or “technical” diving. This book should be read by any diver thinking of getting involved in wreck, cave, deep, or mixed-gas diving.” —Library Journal

What price are you willing to pay for adventure and knowledge? Spurred on by a fatal combination of obsession and ambition, Chris and Chrisy Rouse, an experienced father-son scuba diving team, hoped to achieve widespread recognition for their outstanding and controversial diving skills by solving the secrets of a mysterious, undocumented, World War II German U-boat that lay only a half day's mission from New York Harbor. Chris and Chrisy Rouse found the ultimate cost of chasing their personal challenge: death from what divers dread the most—decompression sickness, or "the bends." In this gripping recounting of the Rouses' tragedy, author Bernie Chowdhury, himself an expert diver, explores the thrill-seeking, high-risk world of deep sea diving, and its legendary figures, most celebrated triumphs, and notorious tragedies. By examining the diver's psychology through the complex dynamic between father and son, Chowdhury offers a modern morality tale that illuminates the explorer's willingness to risk it all for the pure, raw adrenaline rush of the unknown and the extreme, and the desire to expand our knowledge and the limits of human endurance.

Philadelphia Enquirer

A suspenseful tale [that] amounts to one long nail-biter...will leave even surface-dwellers gasping for air.

“Superbly written and action-packed, The Last Dive ranks with such adventure classics as The Perfect Storm and Into Thin Air.”—Tampa Tribune Spurred on by a fatal combination of obsession and ambition, Chris and Chrisy Rouse, an experienced father-son scuba diving team, hoped to achieve wide-spread recognition for their outstanding and controversial diving skills by solving the secrets of a mysterious, undocumented, World War II German U-boat that lay only a half day’s mission from New York Harbor. The Rouses found the ultimate cost of chasing their personal challenge: death from what divers dread the most—decompression sickness, or “the bends.” In this gripping recounting of their tragedy, author Bernie Chowdhury, himself an expert diver, explores the thrill-seeking, high-risk world of deep sea diving, its legendary figures, most celebrated triumphs, and notorious tragedies. Superbly written and action-packed, The Last Dive ranks with such adventure classics as The Perfect Storm and Into Thin Air .Tampa Tribune Spurred on by a fatal combination of obsession and ambition, Chris and Chrisy Rouse, an experienced father-son scuba diving team, hoped to achieve wide-spread recognition for their outstanding and controversial diving skills by solving the secrets of a mysterious, undocumented, World War II German U-boat that lay only a half days mission from New York Harbor. The Rouses found the ultimate cost of chasing their personal death from what divers dread the mostdecompression sickness, or the bends. In this gripping recounting of their tragedy, author Bernie Chowdhury, himself an expert diver, explores the thrill-seeking, high-risk world of deep sea diving, its legendary figures, most celebrated triumphs, and notorious tragedies. Chris and Chrissy Rouse, an experienced father-and-son scuba diving team, hoped to achieve widespread recognition for their outstanding but controversial diving skills. Obsessed and ambitious, they sought to solve the secrets of a mysterious, undocumented World War II German U-boat that lay under 230 feet of water, only a half-day's mission from New York Harbor. In doing so, they paid the ultimate price in their quest for fame. Bernie Chowdhury, himself an expert diver and a close friend of the Rouses', explores the thrill-seeking world of deep-sea diving, including its legendary figures, most celebrated triumphs, and gruesome tragedies. By examining the diver's psychology through the complex father-and-son dynamic, Chowdhury illuminates the extreme sport diver's push toward — and sometimes beyond — the limits of human endurance. In 1992 father-son diving duo -- Chris and Chrissy Rouse -- died tragically in an expedition to the recently discovered Second World War U-boat, the U-Who. In this book the author recreates this terrible event in an effort to understand it and shed light on man's obsession with the unknown and the extreme THE WIND MOUNTED STEADILY throughout the night as Chris Rouse, cocooned in his sleeping bag, braced himself against the side of his bunk.