Under the ice: Divers jump in for training and a cause

Dozens of divers from more than 14 states gathered at Square Lake in Stillwater Township to jump in for a good cause.

Saturday’s North American Ice Diving Festival was a training opportunity for rescue crews — four fire departments from Chisago County came to practice their skills.

But for recreational divers, the dip was about fun and embracing a sport they love, year-round.

“Just because there’s ice on the water doesn’t mean you stop diving,” Mark Dugger of Midwest School of Diving and festival coordinator said.

Participants had the opportunity to be certified as Ice Divers or just to enjoy the chilly opportunity.

“We only have maybe four months of really good solid summer diving, so this opens up an additional three or four months in the wintertime where we can come out and get in the water,” Jacob Wolter, an ice diving student, said.

The proceeds from the event will go toward two groups:

The first is Veterans Scuba, a program that offers alternative therapy for disabled veterans using recreational scuba diving; the program works with the Minneapolis Veterans Hospital and Paralyzed Veterans of America. The second is the search and rescue crews of Midwest Underwater Recovery present at Saturday’s event.