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

Bernie Chowdhury

Jan 2012 · Harper Collins

About this ebook

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

Ratings and reviews

the book is a chilling account of reality at 240 ft below the surface.

Great read, , Couldn't put it down.

Very good read. Excellent technical references painted a vivid picture of life at 250 ft below the surface.

About the author

Bernie Chowdhury is the founder and co-publisher of The Inteinational Technical Diving Magazine. A world-class diver, Explorers Club Fellow, and a recognized expert on extreme sport diving, he also makes documentary films and is a frequent lecturer.