Pioneer Deep Sea Explorer Don Walsh Dies at 92

Walsh was part of the first crew to reach the Mariana Trench's deepest point, confirming life at the ocean's greatest depth.

Don Walsh, a retired Navy Captain and deep-sea explorer who was part of the first two-man crew to reach the deepest point of the ocean, has passed away at the age of 92.
In 1960, Walsh and Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard descended nearly 7 miles below the surface in a self-propelled submersible named the Trieste, reaching the 'snuff-colored ooze' at the bottom of the Pacific’s Mariana Trench.
The historic dive lasted about five hours, with the two men spending 20 minutes on the seafloor, where they confirmed the presence of marine life.
Walsh, born in Berkeley, California, served in the Navy for 24 years, retiring with the rank of captain, and later became a professor at the University of Southern California and opened a marine consulting business.
Walsh's legacy continues through his son, Kelly Walsh, who in 2020 made his own journey to the bottom of the Challenger Deep in a vessel owned and piloted by Dallas explorer Victor Vescovo.