boatingonthehudson.com HOLIDAY 2013 31
You’re not imagining things if you think you see a small yellow
submarine cruising in Lake George in the coming days. The 15-foot-
long, two-person submarine will be part of a renewed search for a
NewYork City man who was believed to have drowned in the lake
on June 22, 1993. The submarine will be part of a four-day effort
organized by American Response for the Missing, a downstate group
that aids in the search for missing persons. It will include divers and
advanced sonar, and will be assisted by theWarren County Sheriff’s
Office and Lake George Park Commission.Warren County Sheriff
BudYork said his agency’s dive team would take part. The disap-
pearance of Edison Arias has befuddled the Sheriff’s Office for two
decades. He is believed to be the only Lake George drowning victim
in modern times whose body has not surfaced. The small yellow sub-
marine will undoubtedly draw some looks as it makes its way around
the lake, searching for Arias, a 23-year-old Queens man who was
presumed drowned after having trouble while swimming in 78-foot-
deep water off Fish Point in Bolton. Divers have conducted numer-
ous searches since he disappeared, but no sign off Arias has been
found. MarkTrezza, who co-owns the submarine with his cousin
DavidTrezza through an entity they have dubbed “Marine Exploration
Group,” said an investigator with American Response for the Missing
with whom theTrezzas are acquainted asked them to help. TheTrez-
zas rehabilitated the 25-year-old Kittredge K350 submarine, named
Seahorse, and have recently begun testing it with limited dives.This
week’s effort will help them judge how well the machine’s revamped
systems are working. The Kittredge submarines were built years ago
for underwater bridge inspections, MarkTrezza said. The battery-
powered boat (two pods below the hull hold eight car batteries)
has three motors that generate 12 horsepower to three propellers.
The submarine has about 8 feet of space inside, tight quarters for
two people. With “carbon dioxide scrubbers” in place, a crew of two
could stay underwater for up to three days.The submarine can dive
to 1,400 feet below the surface if need be, but is designed to go to
350 feet. DavidTrezza, a mechanical engineer, and MarkTrezza, a
former commercial pilot who in his spare time restores vehicles,
spent 2-1/2 years retrofitting the sub, putting many of their own fix-
tures in and on it.A mechanical arm and basket are the next addition
they have planned. “It wasn’t much more than a hull when we got it,”
DavidTrezza said. The men have been using the sub for waterborne
trips for several months, and it always draws attention. “Anytime
we stop for gas with it on the trailer, we can’t get out of there in less
than an hour,” MarkTrezza said. The men will exhibit the sub next
spring at the U.S. Science and Engineering Festival inWashington,
D.C. The submarine was being housed early this week at Hall’s
Marina in Lake George, and was taken for a test diveTuesday just off
the marina. The weekend search will be based at Norowal Marina in
Bolton, and the submarine was scheduled to
be trucked thereWednesday orThursday. Searches are likely Friday
through Sunday. The submariners and many of the divers and sonar
operators are volunteering their time and efforts,Trezza said. “Ev-
eryone here is doing this on their own dime,” he said. MarkTrezza
said they are looking for volunteer help with meals for the crews. He
can be reached at (845) 389-0706. Don LehmanThe Post-Star Glens
Falls, N.Y., 12801 518.742.3224
The Post Star Newspaper
October 2, 2013
By Don Lehman
LAKE GEORGE –
From left to right , Mike Larivere ( Salem , Ma. police diver -sonar tech ) ,
RobersonTroncoso ( background ) Salem police diver and sonar tech ,Tim
Alavosus (right ) L-3 Klein Sonar Rep. and sonar tech.
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