‘Routine’ dive turns deadly for archaeologist, WI officials say. ‘Explorer at heart’
A renowned archaeologist died after a “routine” dive in a Wisconsin lake, state officials said.
James Skibo, Wisconsin’s state archaeologist, was participating in a training dive in Lake Mendota in Madison on April 14 when things went awry, according to a news release from the state historical society.
Skibo, who was gearing up for the “maritime archaeology season,” died after being pulled from the freshwater lake, officials said.
He was “a certified diver and qualified for the depth of the dive as well as the equipment being used,” officials said.
A representative for the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office told McClatchy News that his cause or manner of death is currently pending.
A spokesperson for the Madison Police Department declined to comment on the incident.
Skibo was a highly accomplished archaeologist who was well regarded for his work in the region, officials said. Notably, he helped recover two Native American canoes dating to 800 A.D. and 1,000 B.C.
The latter canoe was found in September in the same lake Skibo was diving in before his death, according to previous reporting from McClatchy News.
At the time, it was the oldest canoe ever discovered in the Great Lakes region, according to McClatchy News.
“An explorer at heart, Jim traveled Wisconsin on a mission to democratize archaeology,” the historical society said. “He truly was the ‘People’s Archaeologist,’ as he often referred to himself.”
Skibo taught at Illinois State University for over two decades, according to a Facebook post from the university’s department of sociology and anthropology.
“He had a deep passion for social justice, the environment, and the value of a liberal arts education and he eagerly shared those passions with everyone he encountered,” the post reads in part. “We are all better people in so many ways for having Jim in our lives, he will be deeply missed by many near and far.”
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