From the surface, Montanas lakes and rivers may appear pristine but just below, hidden trash paints a different picture. Fortunately, one group is diving in to help, and theyre finding healing along the way.

JAMES ROLIN REPORTS - WATCH:

Service, Submerged: Veterans Take on Waterway Pollution

Underwater Soldiers, a non-profit based in Great Falls, is made up of certified SCUBA-diving military veterans who volunteer their time to clean Montana waterways. Their most recent cleanup at Gates of the Mountains marked a record-breaking haul.

This is the most trash we've picked up to date, said Mike Lukas, co-founder of Underwater Soldiers Great Falls Chapter. So congratulations, everyone. Give yourselves a hand.

Trash enters Montanas waterways through runoff, rain, or littering and it accumulates in hard-to-reach areas. Volunteers recovered hundreds of pounds of debris, including unusual finds like metal rails, pipes, a toilet, and even a large carpet.

Its always a puzzle, said diver Daniel Hurd. What does this even go to? Who knows?

More Than Cleanup: Diving as Therapy

For these veterans, the mission is about more than trash. Many members of Underwater Soldiers have faced physical injuries and emotional trauma. SCUBA diving offers them an unexpected but powerful form of therapy.

I was not the type that wanted to get out, said Hurd, a former Army Ranger who was medically retired after a Stryker vehicle accident. Alcoholism took over my life... and Ive been sober now for six years.

SCUBA diving helps veterans regain purpose and accountability.

If you want to do well underwater, youve got to make sure your stuff is working. It creates that self-accountability again, Hurd explained. All of a sudden youre checking in with a teammate... its familiar turf.

Support That Extends to Families

The organization also brings together veterans families, creating a community where healing extends beyond the dive site. After a hard day of work, volunteers share food, laughter, and connection.

He talks to people. Hes talking to you with the camera and that wouldnt have happened without Underwater Soldiers, said Starlette Hurd, Daniels wife. Thats a fact.

Breathing Life Back In

Underwater Soldiers is helping restore both Montanas waters and Montanas veterans, one dive at a time.

Feeling like a soldier that couldnt breathe in the world I lived in all of a sudden Mike and them taught me how I could breathe underwater, Hurd said. And that was, oh man yeah. I can breathe in life again.

Are you or someone you know a military veteran or current servicemember suffering from PTSD? You can contact UWS on Facebook here or at the organizations main website here.

And if you've ever wondered where the term SCUBA comes from - it's an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.

News Source : https://www.ktvh.com/news/positively-montana/healing-beneath-the-surface-underwater-soldiers-clean-montanas-waterways-and-their-souls