Rowan Garel prepares to dive the Blue Hole

Fifteen year old Rowan Garel may be visually impaired, but his vision and passion more than compensate. He has claimed the heights of the Victoria Peak and has walked across the country, all to raise awareness and funds for the programs offered by the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired. This year Rowan takes on perhaps his biggest challenge as he prepares to dive the depths of the Blue Hole. The determined youth has completed the e-learning portion of the diving certification he must hold to do the dive, and on Sunday began his preparation in confined waters. He was accompanied by his older sister Aesha and the BCVI’s Carla Ayres Musa, who has agreed to do the dive with him.  Assisted by SeaSports diving instructors John and Linda Searle, Rowan and his companions on Sunday started in on the basics like assembling gear, underwater signals and diving techniques. The preparation is intensive, as the dive is set for mid-July. If Rowan accomplishes his new mission, which we have no doubt he will, he will be the first visually impaired person to dive the Blue Hole. News Five will be following Rowan’s adventures and we’ll keep you updated.