Traci Monteith is afraid of heights but she loves depths. She’s been diving in Vineyard waters for more than 10 years, but only recently has she been working toward certification as an advanced diver on the Oak Bluffs fire department dive team. On a recent Thursday evening, she wet-suited up alongside two other members of the team for their first night dive.

The discovery of airplane parts and other evidence at South Beach
this week confirms that two men traveling in a private plane that
disappeared 10 days ago were killed in a catastrophic crash in Vineyard
waters.

They call him the swim-whisperer. A man able to take a fully-frightened toddler or adult, so fearful of learning to swim the sight of a half-full bathtub gives them shakes, and get them smiling wide and splashing big in just one lesson.

His name is Michael Wooley.

Another tidbit: To help build awareness and raise funds when the YMCA was still just a dream, Mr. Wooley swam from Woods Hole to Martha’s Vineyard. A few times.