Until now. Death: 10 Jul 1994 United States of America. But trouble occurred toward the end of the dive as the pair began to ascend. 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. On July 10, 1994, Donald Christopher Windecker set out for a dive in Lake Tahoe. Hello! Its a little spooky., MORE: Giant Woman Sculpture Makes Waves in GermanLake. They become inactive. Hopefully we'll determine what happened," Byers said. He never returned. Latest: OckhamsRazor22; 2 minutes ago; (via Los Angeles Times) At the time of his disappearance, Windecker was a 44-year-old. Among those said to populate Lake Tahoes dark depths are Chinese laborers who helped build the railroad across the Sierra Nevada in the 1860s. Hopefully we'll determine what happened.". Depending on who is telling the story, Cousteau either encountered a Loch Ness-type monster that locals have dubbed Tahoe Tessie or came upon a bunch of dead people. "Depending on who is telling the story, Cousteau either encountered a Loch Ness-type monster that locals have dubbed "Tahoe Tessie" or came upon a bunch of dead people.Among those said to populate Lake Tahoe's dark depths are Chinese laborers who helped build the railroad across the Sierra Nevada in the 1860s. Pete Van Arnum recalled hearing tales of Mafia members dumping bodies in Lake Tahoe back in the 1950s."That may or may not be true, but we can't be sure because we can't go down that far," said Van Arnum, a member of the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department and former coroner.What, or whom, Lake Tahoe holds in its average depth of 1,000 feet is a mystery, except for those who . It has been said that some independent filmmaker got ahold of some deep sea diving machine and found where all these people were at and went down to see for himself so he could film a documentary on it. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? View Source Share Save to Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Created by: Athena When such stories happen, myths about bodies. His companion tried to help but began running out of air and was forced to surface. Nobody knows the name or affiliation of the supposed "longtime Tahoe fire chief. Learn more about managing a memorial . Is YOUR lifestyle good for your heart? We never get an interesting case in the suburbs of south Orange County, meanwhile you got a fricking Loch Tess Monster. Oops, we were unable to send the email. "They are anaerobic, meaning they thrive without oxygen. Find her on Twitter at @Kai_Ma or on Google+. Try again. In other words, if the railroad companies were killing off Chinese workers by the hundreds to avoid paying them, it's unlikely so many would still be working for them after construction was finished. Dental records were used to make positive identification. Horror film legend Ricou Browning who starred as Gill-man in Creature from the Black Lagoon dies aged 93 from natural causes, What's your biggest turn off? A recent article talked about how fish eggs survived being eaten by ducks and hatched. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Although El Dorado County authorities say he had no close relatives, those who counted him as a friend are thankful this mystery has been resolved. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Please enter your email and password to sign in. There was a problem getting your location. or debate this issue live on our message boards. People forget that our mayor back in the 80s was busted for cocaine trafficking. Toward the end of the dive, the Times reports, Windecker apparently had trouble with his equipment, and began to sink. The World is a public radio program that crosses borders and time zones to bring home the stories that matter. CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) The body of a scuba diver recovered from Lake Tahoe has been identified as a man who disappeared 17 years ago. There are tons of stories surrounding bodies in the lake, and I hate to say it, but there probably are a couple bodies at the bottom of the lake. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. When such stories happen, myths about bodies at Lake Tahoe also resurface. Israel beefs up troops after unprecedented settler rampage, Ukrainian refugees in Poland will now be charged to stay in state-funded housing, This Colombian town is dimming its lights to attract more tourists to view the night sky, Kneel and apologize!: 76 years after island-wide massacre, Taiwan continues to commemorate and debate the tragedy. A remote-controlled mini-submarine with a robotic claw raised the remains July 27. "Lava tube connections between Lake Tahoe and other lakes are an urban myth," Byers said.Other stories about oddities beneath Lake Tahoe have been debunked by experts. A remote-controlled mini-submarine with a robotic claw brought the remains to the surface on July 27, and dental records were used to confirm Windecker's identity. It was pretty scary for them. In attendance was his widow, Mary Windecker, son, Marcus Windecker, daughter, Claire Windecker, brother & wife, John & Lane Windecker, sisters, Geri and Corey Windecker and several close family friends. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. He never returned. The scuba gear bore a certification from 1994, officials with the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department said. he asked. "So the rumor states that not only are there hundreds of people down there all tied together but they are perfectly preserved because of the cold temperatures. He points out that the railroads were happy to pay the Chinese laborers because "they were a reliable workforce, so why alienate them? Both are repeated in numerous places, but both also appear in one message at Snopes.com, the urban myth checking website. A thorough autopsy will be conducted, said Byers, who presumes the diver suffered a heart attack or stroke, or simply ran out of air. It doesn't kill them, but they can't grow. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. A remote-controlled mini-submarine with a robotic claw. Cold-water crawfish cocaine. Others contend the watery grave contains card cheats and mobsters killed by the Mafia and anchored to the lake bottom by concrete-filled casino ice buckets, wearing pinstriped suits, with sneers on their faces and bullet holes in their foreheads, as the San Francisco Chronicle put it in 2004. Jacques Cousteau went on a dive there and allegedly said the world isnt ready for whats down there., The main theory is that Pacific Union (the company that built the railroad) dumped the bodies of all the Chinese workers in the lake and Cousteau found the mass grave preserved by the cold, the pressure, and the low oxygen. Windecker's whole body was still in his wetsuit and boots when he was found, thus providing more evidence for how long bodies can be preserved down there. He grew up in Jamaica and moved to the United States at the age of sixteen and settled in San Diego, California. News reports at the time of Windeckers disappearance described him as a 44-year-old former city planner from Reno who set out for a dive on July 10, 1994. In 2011, the body of Donald Christopher Windecker was recovered from Lake Tahoe, found 350 feet underwater. When such stories happen, myths about bodies. Donald Christopher Windecker disappeared on July 10, 1994 after diving into the famously deep mountain lake, which plunges to a depth of about 1,645 feet. Golmitz says its light shines about two to three feet wide. We have set your language to Your Scrapbook is currently empty. It's deep, it's cold, it's hard to recover a body from.". Mr Windecker's body was discovered in 265 feet of water by a recreational diver in late July off Rubicon Point along Tahoe's west shore. All Rights Reserved. So it's really a story about hooker, line and sinker. Think of a box of copier paper. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Join Facebook to connect with Christopher Windecker and others you may know. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Dental records were used to identify Donald Christopher Windecker, from Reno, who was reported missing in July 1994 when he was diving with a friend at the lake. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. ", Other versions name the filmmaker as Jacques Cousteau, who is reported to have said "the world is not ready" for what is down there or, alternately, "a stop was quickly put on the mission by some powerful people.". Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. Windeckers body was discovered by a group of mixed gas divers exploring cliff walls, Byers said. When talking about the diver who drowned, he forgot to mention that the mayor who was busted for cocaine trafficking was also rumored to be involved in prostitution. Jim Byers told the Times, attributing the preservation to 35-degree water and water pressure. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Sgt. ", Stephen Drew, retired chief curator for the California State Railroad Museum, says, "I don't believe there is any credence in the rumor you are trying to track down -- in fact, far from it. DonaldWindecker But McLaughlin has another reason for dismissing the rumor. View Chris Windecker results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Donald Christopher Windecker's well-preserved body was found July 23 on an underwater shelf, 265 feet below the surface, The Los Angeles Times reports. Rescue divers attempted to locate him at the time but were unable to do so. Besides, McLaughlin says, the mob was more focused in Southern Nevada and "it's easier to bury a body out in the desert, which precludes the risk of the body washing up on the shore.". Can you control your erections? LOS ANGELES The body of a diver who disappeared 17 years ago in Lake Tahoes deep, frigid waters has been found, authorities in El Dorado County, Calif., confirmed yesterday. 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