17 years sounds like a long time ago – and then I realize that was only 1994; my diving gear is older than that.

The victim was a technical diver, certified and prepared to go to the depths described in this article:

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SOURCE: The Widsor Star

The body of a diver who disappeared 17 years ago in Lake Tahoe’s deep, frigid waters has been found, authorities in El Dorado County, Calif., confirmed Monday.

The well-preserved body of Donald Christopher Windecker was discovered July 23 on an underwater shelf 80 metres below the surface. A remotecontrolled mini-submarine equipped with a robotic claw raised the remains on July 27.

Windecker’s body was clad in a wetsuit and buckled into a weight belt and air tank. The scuba gear bore a certification from 1994, officials of the El Dorado County Sheriff ‘s Department said. Just beyond the ledge where Windecker’s body was discovered, the lake plunges to a depth of 500 metres.

News reports at the time of his disappearance described Windecker as a 44-year-old former city planner from Reno, Nev., who set out for a dive on July 10, 1994. Accompanied by a friend, Windecker planned to swim to a depth of about 30 metres.

Trouble occurred toward the end of the dive, however, when the pair began to ascend.

The complete article can be found here, at The Windsor Star.

Another, more in depth article, can be found here.