Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, In "The Godfather 2," a character is killed on Lake Tahoe and dumped overboard. Jim Byers said. Conventional scuba divers have to stop at about 100 feet. Some in the region insist that famed diver and naturalist Jacques Cousteau explored the lake in a mini-submarine in the mid-1970s and emerged pale and shaken. The divers remains, still contained in a wetsuit and buckled with scuba gear and an air tank, were in amazing physical condition and remarkably preserved, Sheriffs Sgt. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Among those said to populate Lake Tahoes dark depths are Chinese laborers who helped build the railroad across the Sierra Nevada in the 1860s. I went to high school there and I remember it was commonly accepted that there were still Native Americans and pioneers still preserved in the lake. We found 3 records for Christopher Windecker in DE, PA and NJ. Almost two decades later, an unidentified group of mixed-gas divers discovered Windeckers body while exploring cliff walls almost 300 feet below the surface. Until now. This is a carousel with slides. Sorry! Police reports say his partner reported Windecker appeared to have problems with his equipment and began to sink while the two were surfacing. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. They planned to dive to a depth of 100 feet, but something went wrong. Tidbit: The submersible that found Windecker's body is 24 x 10 x 10 inches. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Windecker's body was discovered in 265 feet of water by a recreational diver in late July off Rubicon Point along Lake Tahoe's west shore. The name of Donald Christopher Windecker was released Monday by the El Dorado County sheriff's office. 2023 www.dispatch.com. The recovery occurred on the lakes west side, near Rubicon Point. Record information. Cremated, Ashes scattered. ", He points out that the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869 and "Surviving photographic documentation and (Central Pacific Railroad) Chinese payrolls confirm that large numbers of Chinese were still on the CPRR payrolls as successful track workers well into the 1870s.". A system error has occurred. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Hopefully we'll determine what happened.". Tales persist that a longtime Tahoe fire chief responded to a drowning call and found the body of a well-preserved Native American girl, fully clothed in a 19th century ceremonial dress, floating in the lake. The well-preserved body of a man who disappeared while scuba diving in Lake Tahoe was recovered last month after spending 17 years on an underwater shelf in the lake's frigid waters. Im struggling to make the connection between the last sentence and the rest. It's deep, it's cold, it's hard to recover a body from.". At Lake Tahoe, a scuba diver's body is recovered after 17 yearsThe well-preserved remains of Donald Christopher Windecker are discovered on an underwater shelf. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. At the time of his disappearance, Windecker was a 44-year-old former city planner from Reno and a married father of two young children. On July 10, 1994, Donald Christopher Windecker set out for a dive in Lake Tahoe. "They were wondering, 'What's this person doing down here?'". Sorry, this post was deleted by the person who originally posted it. The World is a public radio program that crosses borders and time zones to bring home the stories that matter. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. From a pathological standpoint its pretty incredible, he said. The partner attempted to help him but was forced to the surface when he ran low on air. It was pretty scary for them. "That was the last thing he did for (the child)," Ramos said. Windecker was reported missing in July of 1994 when he was scuba diving in the lake with a friend. Weve updated the security on the site. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Decided to do a little further research for you and found that he was born in Tulare County, California on December 19, 1949. To use this feature, use a newer browser. PRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402. El Dorado County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Learn more about merges. Jennifer Hollander explains why they often don't float. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Windecker reportedly experienced difficulty with his equipment and began to sink. 772 comments They were wondering, Whats this person doing down here? So it's really a story about hooker, line and sinker. El Dorado County Sheriffs Lt. Bryan Golmitz added that there were no signs of trauma. Some Tahoe locals claim dozens of bodies can be found in the lakes deep waters. When such stories happen, myths about bodies at Lake Tahoe also resurface. ", Other versions name the filmmaker as Jacques Cousteau, who is reported to have said "the world is not ready" for what is down there or, alternately, "a stop was quickly put on the mission by some powerful people.". Donald Christopher Windecker's body was recovered and identified this month 17 years after the Reno city planner died in a Tahoe diving accident. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? he said. Its a little spooky., MORE: Giant Woman Sculpture Makes Waves in GermanLake. Really? His companion tried to help but began running out of air and was forced to surface. They become inactive. Record information. "Windecker's body was discovered by a group of "mixed gas" divers exploring cliff walls, Byers said.Mixed gas divers can safely descend to about 350 feet without suffering nitrogen narcosis, or "rapture of the depths," among other problems. ", Email yourquestions for "Ask the RGJ" by emailing ybeasley@rgj.com, Something else that can break down dead bodies in Lake Tahoe is marine life, which brings to mind the not-tasteful quote from the book "Animal Crossing -- Wild World": "Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. A person who says he was born in Carson City and lived there his whole life writes, regarding the mob dumping bodies, "My grandparents lived in Tahoe for 30+ years, and Grandma would always say that back in Tahoe's hey day when the Rat Pack was running around there, the mafia they were connected to would do the same things to people they wanted to 'get rid of.'". And authorities say they have used sonar and mini-subs to map the lakes bottom and never found such a graveyard. During his college life, Don dropped . Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Donald Windecker (74652674)? Find her on Twitter at @Kai_Ma or on Google+. you know what, if my mayor had a guy killed, dumped the body in the lake, and introduced non-native crustaceans into it for the express purpose of disposing of bodies while hiding it as a method to increase fishing tourism, by god, he can have this one. "All of our bodies have bacteria that live in them," she said. Four more divers remain missing in the same area, which is infamous for swallowing up victims.Windecker's body was clad in a wetsuit and buckled into a weight belt and air tank. Drowned: Mr Windecker had problems with his equipment and began to sink while surfacing at Lake Tahoe 17 years ago. People forget Northeast California exists, too. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. They insist the tunnels are the result of volcanic activity. Days after the July 23 sighting, a remote-controlled mini-submarine with a robotic claw pulled the scuba divers body from the underwater shelf on the lakes west side. Death, Burial, Cemetery & Obituaries. Dental records confirmed it was Windecker. This browser does not support getting your location. And authorities say they have used sonar and mini-subs to map the lake's bottom and never found such a graveyard. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Toward the end of the dive, the Times reports, Windecker apparently had trouble with his equipment, and began to sink. The surprising condition of the body is attributable to the 35-degree water and the increased pressure at the 265-foot depth, Byers said. Both are repeated in numerous places, but both also appear in one message at Snopes.com, the urban myth checking website. "It's been a long time. In 2011, the body of Donald Christopher Windecker was recovered from Lake Tahoe, found 350 feet underwater. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Resend Activation Email. Just beyond the ledge where Windecker's body was found, the lake plunges to a depth of 1,645 feet.News reports at the time of Windecker's disappearance described him as a 44-year-old former city planner from Reno who set out for a dive on July 10, 1994. It has been said that some independent filmmaker got ahold of some deep sea diving machine and found where all these people were at and went down to see for himself so he could film a documentary on it. Windecker was first reported missing in July 1994 when he was scuba diving in Lake Tahoe with a friend, said sheriff's Lt. Bryan Golmitz. Officials delayed releasing Windeckers name until dental records confirmed his identity. There was an error deleting this problem. I mean I assumed stuff went down over there just based on The Godfather Part II movie, Tahoe was a big area for the first transcontinental railroad. Lake Tahoe is on the California-Nevada border. By Kai Ma. A remote-controlled mini-submarine with a robotic claw. To see more of the Los Angeles Times, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.latimes.com. They insist the tunnels are the result of volcanic activity. GREAT NEWS! The scuba gear bore a certification from 1994, officials with the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department said. I'm more a North Lake guy, but have spent a lot of time in Tahoe while living in Reno for a decade or so. Other stories about oddities beneath Lake Tahoe have been debunked by experts. It was then recovered by sheriffs officials with the use of a remote-operated submersible vehicle July 27. A remote-controlled mini-submarine with a robotic claw brought the remains to the surface on July 27, and dental records were used to confirm Windecker's identity. ). Perhaps it was ducks that moved the kokanee salmon to the rivers there probably are a couple bodies at the bottom of the lake. I guess it's kind of surprising, especially after all these years," Vern Kloos, a Reno city planner, said. Donald Christopher Windecker disappeared on July 10, 1994 after diving into the famously deep mountain lake, which plunges to a depth of about 1,645 feet. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. The 700-year-old Coronation chair that has been used for the crowning of monarchs since the 14th century is getting a makeover ahead of Charles' big day, Atlanta's wealthiest suburb inches closer to secede from the crime-ridden city and could be up for a vote as soon as TODAY, Three Kansas City police officers are shot during standoff: 'We've been reminded too much lately how dangerous police work can be', Damage control? There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. The name of Donald Christopher Windecker was released . (via Los Angeles Times) At the time of his disappearance, Windecker was a 44-year-old. Although El Dorado County authorities say he had no close relatives, those who counted him as a friend are thankful this mystery has been resolved. We never get an interesting case in the suburbs of south Orange County, meanwhile you got a fricking Loch Tess Monster. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? "They found Donald Christopher Windecker, though. Submit interesting and specific facts about something that you just found out here. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Copyright 2023 IBTimes LLC.