by Justin Bush, PADI Divemaster, Seven Seas Scuba, Vancouver, Washington
Nested in the northern foothills of the Olympic Mountains, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, near Port Angeles, Washington, lays Lake Crescent. Within the Olympic National Park, the lake, with its brilliant azure water, plummets to a depth of 624 feet. Carved by glaciers and isolated by a massive landslide some 7,000 years ago, the lake has very low nitrogen levels, leading to sparse aquatic vegetation and visibility to some 60 feet. The lake is home to Crescenti and Beardslee trout, both resulted from genetic isolation following the landslide event creating the lake. These two types of fish are found nowhere else in the world.
The lake has a much darker history however, and one that Washington Tec divers sought to explore. On July 3rd, 1929, Blanch and Russel Warren were returning home from Port Angeles in their 1927 Chevrolet and disappeared without a trace. Scenic Highway 101 along the southern shore of Lake Crescent was known to be treacherous and it was suspected that the Warrens’ car had careened into the lake. After numerous attempts to drag the bottom and some exploratory dives, the vehicle was not located.
At the time, evidence gathered indicated that the wreck may have occurred on Madrona Point, but not being formally named on a map the site remained a mystery until 2002 when a fortunate glance up a cliff face revealed an old Madrona tree among the fir species. The wreck was located in 170 feet of water, by a Park Service Dive Team. Later, in 2004 human remains were discovered by John Rawlings. DNA testing later proved those to be of Russel Warren, thus ending a mystery that lasted over 75 years.*
Hailing from Vancouver, Washington, Seven Seas Scuba Tec divers Brian Strack, Justin Bush and their certifying Tec Deep instructor Dan Robertson, learned of the wreck and became captivated by the story. This prompted the group to seek a special permit to dive the point from the U.S. National Parks Service. After providing a detailed dive plan, permission was granted and the group set off to visit history.
On November 6, the group met at Madrona Point. With little information about the precise location, the group decided to begin at the point and to search at 165 ffw for 20 minutes. Upon splashing, the team was shocked by the stellar visibility not often awarded to Pacific Northwest divers. The group found searching easy with 40-60 feet of visibility in the brisk 45°f water.
After searching for 19 of their 20 planned minutes of bottom time, and with many shadows turning into false alarms of fallen trees, the team found their goal just as they began their ascent to their first decompression stop. Heading upslope and toward the highway, the team was shocked by the beauty of a glacier-cut sheer wall from 120 feet to 30 feet. The team agreed this magnificant wall alone was worth the dive.
After a surface interval and meeting with a National Parks Service Ranger who stopped to check their permit, the team prepared for their second dive that would bring them face to face with the past. To maximize their time on the wreck, the team surface swam from Medrona Point to the approximate location the wall began. Following a descent check, the team dropped easily down the sheer wall leading to the wreck.
The car sits on its side, on a very steep slope with the roof facing downhill. The bottom of the car is upslope and partially covered with rocks. Suffering little damage as it sank past the sheer wall and rocky sloping bottom, the team found that the car is still in amazingly good shape. The shards of glass still hanging precariously from the windows made the last few minutes of the Warrens’ journey vivid in the divers’ imaginations.
Within a blink of an eye it would seem, the team met their planned bottom time and turned to begin their journey back to the surface. They bid a respectful farewell to the memory of the Warrens, as they began their many stops before hitting the surface. Ascending parallel to the wall, heading toward Madrona Point the team was awestruck by the remarkable beauty of the lake. A curious Crescenti trout even kept the divers company during their lengthy last few stops.
It was an excellent experience for all divers involved. TecRec Instructor Dan Robertson and his Tec 50 graduates were able to visit history and return safely using the skills they had honed during training. The team is already planning future training and a potential return to Madrona Point, where a 1950 Dodge sedan lies even deeper in this most majestic of locations.
* Carr, Jeff and Scott Boyd. Northwest Wreck Dives. Dec. 2008.
After searching for 19 of their 20 planned minutes of bottom time, and with many shadows turning into false alarms of fallen trees, the team found their goal just as they began their ascent to their first decompression stop. Heading upslope and toward the highway, the team was shocked by the beauty of a glacier-cut sheer wall from 120 feet to 30 feet. The team agreed this magnificant wall alone was worth the dive.
The car sits on its side, on a very steep slope with the roof facing downhill. The bottom of the car is upslope and partially covered with rocks. Suffering little damage as it sank past the sheer wall and rocky sloping bottom, the team found that the car is still in amazingly good shape. The shards of glass still hanging precariously from the windows made the last few minutes of the Warrens’ journey vivid in the divers’ imaginations.
It was an excellent experience for all divers involved. TecRec Instructor Dan Robertson and his Tec 50 graduates were able to visit history and return safely using the skills they had honed during training. The team is already planning future training and a potential return to Madrona Point, where a 1950 Dodge sedan lies even deeper in this most majestic of locations.