Jean-Jacques Bolanz

Antzoulis · 3rd November 2007, 22:46

Jean Jacques Bolanz at Mati tou Lili at 16.00 on the 25 October 2007 (photo by Nektarios Katrivesis)

Nek · 5th November 2007, 08:11

gigi casati · 6th December 2007, 17:52

Jean-Jacques BOLANZ (22.1.1940 – 29.19.2007)

Jean-Jacques entered my life in 1986 after a serendipitous meeting. Essentially, I offered myself as a “Sherpa” after transporting his equipment and that of Patrick Deriaz into the siphons of the Fiumelatte cave.
Jean-Jacques immediately appeared to me to be a charismatic person and, as a diver, I was especially curious to discover his diving techniques.
At that moment, I did not speak a foreign language and Beatrice interpreted for me to communicate with him.
From those first meetings a lot of water spouted from the source, and many notions, not just about diving, but also about French entered my head, which allowed us to exchange our opinions on a great number of subjects, and his work was fruitful.
Jean-Jacques was strongly engaged in his work as a social educator in Africa, and during the last few years, even though retired, he continued to collaborate on his principal projects in Ethiopia.
Jean-Jacques spoke about Africa as only those who have lived there for many years could. He spoke to me about his colleague there, his alter ego, Bekele Mosisa. I knew Bekele through Jean-Jacques, his hopes and his wishes, and after exchanging some words with him on the phone, I felt that he also knew me in the same manner, and that he knew so much about me. In fact, Jean-Jacques loved to share his passions with his close friends and to share the differents aspects of his activities.
Over the years, while his grand children grew up, I was welcomed in his home first as a diving “apprentice,” then, as time passed, as a true friend. Then something else developed in our relationship, and I had the feeling that I was welcomed as his spiritual son within our common passion of underwater speleology.
In an interview for a documentary on the Covol dei Siori source, Jean-Jacques said, “I must confess that I am really grateful to have met a friend like him in my life. All that Luigi does is as if I did it myself... "
Jean-Jacques’ exploration activity lasted more than 30 years, and it developed in all possible directions of exploration—large, deep sources, those with important horizontal developments, “bottom” siphons, multi-siphon immersions, sink-holes, thermal caves—an enormous amount of activities, about 2,000 immersions carried out almost always as exploration or, alternatively, dedicated to topography.
The engagement he put into the great explorations was equal to that he put into those less stimulating ones, like topography, all showing professionalism in his passion, as only the Great Ones can and know how to do it.
Jean-Jacques, grand explorer, more than 25 years spent on all the levels of the international panorama, carried out explorations which still today are incredible. Recall the periods during which one was forced to dive the depths while using one sole respiratory mixture—air. He was a pioneer in the use of Trimix mixtures in sport, carrying out the first dive with the mixture in Italy cave, at the source of Gorgazzo, in 1987 and reaching the incredible depth of -108 m. He was able to continuously evolve, from a personal as well as a technological point of view, investing in "zep", decompression bells, portable hyperbaric boxes, etc...
It always astounded me to see that, at over 60 years of age, Jean-Jacques continued to buy new wetsuits, "zep", and equipment for deep dives, with as much passion and frenzy as that of a young man who has his whole life ahead of him.
When he asked me to get some equipment for him and I was late, even if I succeeded in justifying myself, he filled my inbox with gently upbraiding e-mails. Often when we met, we then resolved our small controversies at the table in front with good food and excellent bottles of wine, because Jean-Jacques was a jovial fellow with great taste. In each place that we visited on our expeditions, we were forced to stop in the capitals of fine cuisine.
In 2003, at the age of 63, Jean-Jacques started to use a SCR. After approximately 200 hours of use, attracted by the performances of the CCR, he decided to acquire one of them. In 2004: the big jump.
The use of these rebreathers, which are much lighter to manage when compared with traditional open circuits, made it possible for Jean-Jacques to have a second youth, and he, of course, very quickly found an important role among the few users of this type of apparatus on difficult dives.
During these last ten years, he and I had lived in perfect symbiosis, tackling life’s tests in the same way: politics, freedom, or more simply buying the same products, the same equipment, spending much of our time together, planning new explorations, making new contacts in other countries, etc. Finally, after changing his old truck, Jean-Jacques also bought himself a tent to put on the roof of his car, similar to mine, finding it so pleasant that when he came to see me, he would no longer sleep in his small room, but in his elevated alcove.
Dear Jean-Jacques, we found ourselves in Corinth on Sunday, October 28, and I brought you replacement accumulators for your lamps, all new ones because you had problems with those used until then. We exchanged a few words very quickly because my ferry to Crete could not wait. Together, we looked at decompression for your diving because the -140 meters done a few days earlier were not enough. You wanted to dive as deep as possible in Lili, the cave that had called to you these last 10 years, the cave that, because of bad atmospheric conditions, you had not been able to explore before, but also the cave where I did not want to return to explore after, a few years before, under particular hydrous conditions, we had been almost sucked in this darkness which, however, attracts us.
After we went out to the bar, while quickly returning to our cars, I said to you - "Pay attention! You will be very deep ". The same words you repeated to me before each dive. Your pipe-cleaner fell from your pocket onto the ground, and as usual, I collected it and it returned it to you with a smile. Once in the car, I saw that we forgot to change the time, and it wasn’t as late as I thought. We could have spent another hour together, but we almost started the car and this time was one of those rare times where we did not go to the edge of a source together. We greeted each other with a few words, with our understanding glances filled with promises, with a reciprocal smile, which I could not have known to be the last.
Monday the 29th, I received a call from Vassili at 18:00 hours, who told me that you were late to exit: Even before he went down to check, I knew that we would not see each other again. The ferry to come back to Peloponese has already left, so I had to wait 24 hours to return, to come to find you.
Fortunately, our Greek friends had had a humanity that was missing when Massimiliano left. I found you on October 31st where you slept, at -93 meters, ascending from a dive at -152 meters.
I cried in the water from seeing you like that, abandoned in the depths of a sleep without return. I understood that you probably went quickly from CO2 intoxication, something that at the present time we can try to prevent, but that we are not able to overcome when it occurs.
I am alone, you are not there, you will not advise me anymore, you will not say "Be careful" to me anymore, we will not exchange more intense glances, but I know that life was not a burden, neither did you live it in a superficial way, you lived it intensely, giving a direction to your life as well as to mine.
I will see you in the darkness of the caves, in the galleries, and with the passion that you transmitted to me, I will continue to traverse them.
You will always be with me, My Friend.
Luigi Casati

gigi casati · 6th December 2007, 18:00

Thanks for your traslate Sophie Cook

decoweenie · 6th December 2007, 18:07

Quote: (Originally Posted by gigi casati)

...
You will always be with me, My Friend.
Luigi Casati

Very nicely told... My condolences to Mr. Bolanz family.

gerstl_ossi · 6th December 2007, 18:56

Ciao Gigi, mi dispiace davvero che hai perso una persona che ti era cosi vicina per tutti questi anni. Una persona che ti ha seguito nelle tue avventure e imprese che pochi nel mondo hanno potuto vivere. Una amico che non di abbandonerà neanche adesso e che ti sarà sempre vicino nelle tue avventure nei meandri sommersi della terra. Sono sicuro che sarà sempre lì con te, nel freddo buio delle grotte e nel fondo caldo del tuo cuore.

Condoglianze sincere
Oswald e Reinhold

what2be · 5th January 2008, 05:46

Quote: (Originally Posted by gigi casati)

Jean-Jacques BOLANZ (22.1.1940 – 29.19.2007)
I will see you in the darkness of the caves, in the galleries, and with the passion that you transmitted to me, I will continue to traverse them.
You will always be with me, My Friend.
Luigi Casati

That post was a great tribute to your friend. My condolences for your loss.

May the future bring happier days for you as well.

**Gill Envy** · 5th January 2008, 18:52

gigi, you have written an amazing tribute to your friend, thanks for sharing it with us!

Mixaddict · 5th January 2008, 22:45

Gigi,

I was deeply touched by your tribute to your friend. Thank you for sharing something so personal and meaningful with us.

Regards,
Randy

3rd November 2007, 22:46	#11 (permalink)
Antzoulis New Member Current Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: 3757'08''N 2342'33''E Posts: 4	Re: Jean-Jacques Bolanz Jean Jacques Bolanz at Mati tou Lili at 16.00 on the 25 October 2007 (photo by Nektarios Katrivesis) __________________ Diver's World - Antzoulis-Υποβρύχιες Εργασίες _Underwater Professional Services Hellenic Rescue Team Athens http://www.antzoulis.gr/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/Antzoulis-jim.jpg Antzoulis Dimitris Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away Last edited by Antzoulis : 4th November 2007 at 07:36.
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5th November 2007, 08:11	#12 (permalink)
Nek New Member Current Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: PATRA - HELLAS Posts: 2	Re: Jean-Jacques Bolanz __________________ Nektarios Katrivesis Patra - Hellas Nek TecRec Diving Last edited by Nek : 5th November 2007 at 09:04.
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6th December 2007, 17:52	#13 (permalink)
gigi casati New Member Current Rebreather/s: Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Other CCR Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: italy Posts: 5	Re: Jean-Jacques Bolanz Jean-Jacques BOLANZ (22.1.1940 – 29.19.2007) Jean-Jacques entered my life in 1986 after a serendipitous meeting. Essentially, I offered myself as a “Sherpa” after transporting his equipment and that of Patrick Deriaz into the siphons of the Fiumelatte cave. Jean-Jacques immediately appeared to me to be a charismatic person and, as a diver, I was especially curious to discover his diving techniques. At that moment, I did not speak a foreign language and Beatrice interpreted for me to communicate with him. From those first meetings a lot of water spouted from the source, and many notions, not just about diving, but also about French entered my head, which allowed us to exchange our opinions on a great number of subjects, and his work was fruitful. Jean-Jacques was strongly engaged in his work as a social educator in Africa, and during the last few years, even though retired, he continued to collaborate on his principal projects in Ethiopia. Jean-Jacques spoke about Africa as only those who have lived there for many years could. He spoke to me about his colleague there, his alter ego, Bekele Mosisa. I knew Bekele through Jean-Jacques, his hopes and his wishes, and after exchanging some words with him on the phone, I felt that he also knew me in the same manner, and that he knew so much about me. In fact, Jean-Jacques loved to share his passions with his close friends and to share the differents aspects of his activities. Over the years, while his grand children grew up, I was welcomed in his home first as a diving “apprentice,” then, as time passed, as a true friend. Then something else developed in our relationship, and I had the feeling that I was welcomed as his spiritual son within our common passion of underwater speleology. In an interview for a documentary on the Covol dei Siori source, Jean-Jacques said, “I must confess that I am really grateful to have met a friend like him in my life. All that Luigi does is as if I did it myself... " Jean-Jacques’ exploration activity lasted more than 30 years, and it developed in all possible directions of exploration—large, deep sources, those with important horizontal developments, “bottom” siphons, multi-siphon immersions, sink-holes, thermal caves—an enormous amount of activities, about 2,000 immersions carried out almost always as exploration or, alternatively, dedicated to topography. The engagement he put into the great explorations was equal to that he put into those less stimulating ones, like topography, all showing professionalism in his passion, as only the Great Ones can and know how to do it. Jean-Jacques, grand explorer, more than 25 years spent on all the levels of the international panorama, carried out explorations which still today are incredible. Recall the periods during which one was forced to dive the depths while using one sole respiratory mixture—air. He was a pioneer in the use of Trimix mixtures in sport, carrying out the first dive with the mixture in Italy cave, at the source of Gorgazzo, in 1987 and reaching the incredible depth of -108 m. He was able to continuously evolve, from a personal as well as a technological point of view, investing in "zep", decompression bells, portable hyperbaric boxes, etc... It always astounded me to see that, at over 60 years of age, Jean-Jacques continued to buy new wetsuits, "zep", and equipment for deep dives, with as much passion and frenzy as that of a young man who has his whole life ahead of him. When he asked me to get some equipment for him and I was late, even if I succeeded in justifying myself, he filled my inbox with gently upbraiding e-mails. Often when we met, we then resolved our small controversies at the table in front with good food and excellent bottles of wine, because Jean-Jacques was a jovial fellow with great taste. In each place that we visited on our expeditions, we were forced to stop in the capitals of fine cuisine. In 2003, at the age of 63, Jean-Jacques started to use a SCR. After approximately 200 hours of use, attracted by the performances of the CCR, he decided to acquire one of them. In 2004: the big jump. The use of these rebreathers, which are much lighter to manage when compared with traditional open circuits, made it possible for Jean-Jacques to have a second youth, and he, of course, very quickly found an important role among the few users of this type of apparatus on difficult dives. During these last ten years, he and I had lived in perfect symbiosis, tackling life’s tests in the same way: politics, freedom, or more simply buying the same products, the same equipment, spending much of our time together, planning new explorations, making new contacts in other countries, etc. Finally, after changing his old truck, Jean-Jacques also bought himself a tent to put on the roof of his car, similar to mine, finding it so pleasant that when he came to see me, he would no longer sleep in his small room, but in his elevated alcove. Dear Jean-Jacques, we found ourselves in Corinth on Sunday, October 28, and I brought you replacement accumulators for your lamps, all new ones because you had problems with those used until then. We exchanged a few words very quickly because my ferry to Crete could not wait. Together, we looked at decompression for your diving because the -140 meters done a few days earlier were not enough. You wanted to dive as deep as possible in Lili, the cave that had called to you these last 10 years, the cave that, because of bad atmospheric conditions, you had not been able to explore before, but also the cave where I did not want to return to explore after, a few years before, under particular hydrous conditions, we had been almost sucked in this darkness which, however, attracts us. After we went out to the bar, while quickly returning to our cars, I said to you - "Pay attention! You will be very deep ". The same words you repeated to me before each dive. Your pipe-cleaner fell from your pocket onto the ground, and as usual, I collected it and it returned it to you with a smile. Once in the car, I saw that we forgot to change the time, and it wasn’t as late as I thought. We could have spent another hour together, but we almost started the car and this time was one of those rare times where we did not go to the edge of a source together. We greeted each other with a few words, with our understanding glances filled with promises, with a reciprocal smile, which I could not have known to be the last. Monday the 29th, I received a call from Vassili at 18:00 hours, who told me that you were late to exit: Even before he went down to check, I knew that we would not see each other again. The ferry to come back to Peloponese has already left, so I had to wait 24 hours to return, to come to find you. Fortunately, our Greek friends had had a humanity that was missing when Massimiliano left. I found you on October 31st where you slept, at -93 meters, ascending from a dive at -152 meters. I cried in the water from seeing you like that, abandoned in the depths of a sleep without return. I understood that you probably went quickly from CO2 intoxication, something that at the present time we can try to prevent, but that we are not able to overcome when it occurs. I am alone, you are not there, you will not advise me anymore, you will not say "Be careful" to me anymore, we will not exchange more intense glances, but I know that life was not a burden, neither did you live it in a superficial way, you lived it intensely, giving a direction to your life as well as to mine. I will see you in the darkness of the caves, in the galleries, and with the passion that you transmitted to me, I will continue to traverse them. You will always be with me, My Friend. Luigi Casati
(Offline)

6th December 2007, 18:00	#14 (permalink)
gigi casati New Member Current Rebreather/s: Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Other CCR Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: italy Posts: 5	Re: Jean-Jacques Bolanz Thanks for your traslate Sophie Cook
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6th December 2007, 18:07	#15 (permalink)
decoweenie Crash Test Dummy Current Rebreather/s: Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Other CCR Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Cairo Posts: 5,510	Re: Jean-Jacques Bolanz Quote: (Originally Posted by gigi casati) ... You will always be with me, My Friend. Luigi Casati Very nicely told... My condolences to Mr. Bolanz family.
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6th December 2007, 18:56	#16 (permalink)
gerstl_ossi Custom Title Allowed! Current Rebreather/s: RB80 / Clone Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet RB80 / Clone Home Build Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Italy Posts: 334	Re: Jean-Jacques Bolanz Ciao Gigi, mi dispiace davvero che hai perso una persona che ti era cosi vicina per tutti questi anni. Una persona che ti ha seguito nelle tue avventure e imprese che pochi nel mondo hanno potuto vivere. Una amico che non di abbandonerà neanche adesso e che ti sarà sempre vicino nelle tue avventure nei meandri sommersi della terra. Sono sicuro che sarà sempre lì con te, nel freddo buio delle grotte e nel fondo caldo del tuo cuore. Condoglianze sincere Oswald e Reinhold Last edited by gerstl_ossi : 7th December 2007 at 14:04.
(Online)

5th January 2008, 05:46	#17 (permalink)
what2be New Member Current Rebreather/s: Evolution Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Eureka, Ca Posts: 94	Re: Jean-Jacques Bolanz Quote: (Originally Posted by gigi casati) Jean-Jacques BOLANZ (22.1.1940 – 29.19.2007) I will see you in the darkness of the caves, in the galleries, and with the passion that you transmitted to me, I will continue to traverse them. You will always be with me, My Friend. Luigi Casati That post was a great tribute to your friend. My condolences for your loss. May the future bring happier days for you as well. __________________ "If I die with any money at all in my bank account I know I miscalculated"
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5th January 2008, 18:52	#18 (permalink)
Gill Envy Shearwater Copis Divers Current Rebreather/s: Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Evolution Other CCR Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: seattle Posts: 1,326	Re: Jean-Jacques Bolanz gigi, you have written an amazing tribute to your friend, thanks for sharing it with us! __________________ Gill Envy ...Because I wasn't born with gills! ><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>
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5th January 2008, 22:45	#19 (permalink)
Mixaddict Always Learning! Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Vision Evolution Other CCR Dolphin Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other CCR Dolphin Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Draper, Utah USA Posts: 474	Re: Jean-Jacques Bolanz Gigi, I was deeply touched by your tribute to your friend. Thank you for sharing something so personal and meaningful with us. Regards, Randy __________________ Randy Thornton (MixAddict) Inspiration, Evolution,Hammerhead & Sentinel CCR Instructor
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