ianSF
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Gold Dredging 30' UNDER a Rice Paddy
These guys are diving 30' down in a muddy hole, then sideways under a rice paddy to get a bag of gold bearing gravel.
Pan it out, go down and get another.
I can't imagine how dangerous this is. Props to those brave Philipino gold miners.
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From the article:
"Because the paddy was flooded for an ongoing growing season, it meant that the miners were excavating a tunnel straight down through 30+ feet of mucky water, and then drifting (tunneling) along the bedrock at the bottom to fill canvas bags with pay-dirt. The canvas bags were then raised to the surface by others using a rope, where the material was broken up (a lot of clay in the material) and directed through a sluice box to recover the gold.
Each rice paddy diver received his air for breathing underwater through an airline that was connected to a makeshift air compressor which was taken from an automotive air conditioner, powered by a small Honda motor. No hookah regulator was being used by the diver. Hookah regulators do not work very well when you try to use them in muck! I know, because I have attempted it! These rice paddy divers were getting their air down 30+feet in the muck by just placing the end of the airline in their mouth and holding onto it with their teeth! "
http://www.goldgold.com/stories/ricepaddiesPI.htm
These guys are diving 30' down in a muddy hole, then sideways under a rice paddy to get a bag of gold bearing gravel.
Pan it out, go down and get another.
I can't imagine how dangerous this is. Props to those brave Philipino gold miners.
----------
From the article:
"Because the paddy was flooded for an ongoing growing season, it meant that the miners were excavating a tunnel straight down through 30+ feet of mucky water, and then drifting (tunneling) along the bedrock at the bottom to fill canvas bags with pay-dirt. The canvas bags were then raised to the surface by others using a rope, where the material was broken up (a lot of clay in the material) and directed through a sluice box to recover the gold.
Each rice paddy diver received his air for breathing underwater through an airline that was connected to a makeshift air compressor which was taken from an automotive air conditioner, powered by a small Honda motor. No hookah regulator was being used by the diver. Hookah regulators do not work very well when you try to use them in muck! I know, because I have attempted it! These rice paddy divers were getting their air down 30+feet in the muck by just placing the end of the airline in their mouth and holding onto it with their teeth! "
http://www.goldgold.com/stories/ricepaddiesPI.htm
