MARSHALL COUNTY , KY — The nonprofit Living Lands and Waters has collected 1.2 million pounds of tornado debris from shorelines since December. On Friday, they made one final pass through the Cambridge Shores area of Marshall County — except this time they were underwater.
They've already cleared debris on shorelines, and now they're focused on clearing the debris boaters can't see. Divers from across the country teamed up to flag debris in Kentucky Lake. Once it's flagged, Living Lands and Waters will pull it out of the water with their equipment.
President and Founder Chad Pregracke says this final dive is important for wildlife and people.
"For all the kids who swim and water skiers, the lake is obviously a popular spot. We want to make it an even safer place to be, so that's what today is all about," says Pregracke.
Low water visibility makes it more difficult for divers. Luckily, rescue squads from Marshall and McCracken counties in Kentucky, Ohio and Lake of the Ozarks helped with the efforts. They blocked boaters from entering the cove while divers were in the water. There were also emergency vehicles standing by in case of an emergency.
Pregracke's team has been working Kentucky Lake shorelines and the Cambridge Shores area since December. Their nearly 6 months of cleanup efforts have finally paid off, but they aren't taking all the credit.
"There's a sense of community here and teamwork and a lot of people who are willing to work hard. That's what gets the job done. Rebuilding is a long process, and we're just one small part of that," says Pregracke.
The used Moor's Resort & Marina as their docking point for the dive. Living Lands and Waters is working on one more possible dive later in the summer.
