SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Diving 40 feet into the ocean can seem daunting, especially if you’re physically disabled. Jesse Williamson is a double amputee, and he's not flinching at the challenge.
“Did you ever feel like it wouldn’t be possible with your prosthetics?” ABC 10News reporter Perla Shaheen asked.
“No, not really,” Williamson responded.
Williamson lost both his legs while serving in Afghanistan. He was near an IED when it exploded. Now he has prosthetic legs, but he always wanted to scuba dive.
“It’s a little sketchy going out there without any feet, but it's not too bad," he said.
Ocean Enterprises, a dive shop in Kearny Mesa, was able to help. The shop offers free scuba lessons and gear to disabled veterans and gold star families.
“They’re all adventurous. They’re go-getters. Suddenly, they get injured and they feel like ‘I want to do something,’ and scuba diving is the perfect thing for them.”
Those who come in can choose from any of the wetsuits on display, or get sized for a personalized suit of their own. After an orientation and some training in a swimming pool, the veterans go to the ocean to complete 35 hours of diving.
“Scuba diving they can do everyday. The ocean’s right here, and it’s free,” one of the employees at Ocean Enterprises said.
Williamson is already certified and is looking forward to diving with his family.
“It’s kind of hard to be happy about a lot of things. This kind of gets your adrenaline going,” he said.
Another veteran named Josh, who is also a double amputee, became a scuba instructor through Ocean Enterprises. Josh will show Jesse some more scuba diving techniques this weekend.
