Buddies

Avid Ohio wreck divers James Coleman and Luke Lollini had vowed they would die for each other if anything ever went wrong. Something went terribly wrong in mid-August.

The two dive buddies, both instructors and experienced wreck divers, were exploring the innards of the freighter Regina, which wrecked in 1913 in Lake Huron and now sits at 78 feet. Rescuers found Lollini wedged in the ship’s chain locker, which has a 4-by-2 1/2- foot opening. They had to remove Lollini’s equipment to free his body. Coleman could have swum to safety, but instead, he stayed with Luke.

“When they found Jim, he wasn’t stuck,” said Chris Lollini, Luke’s son. “He stayed down too long trying to help my dad. He didn’t have to stay down there, but he did. They always said they would die for each other.”

Lollini’s friend, Patty Secrest, said Lollini did not want to die in his sleep. “He said he wanted to go doing something daring."

- Cleveland Plain Dealer