The Gettysburg Times

Tuesday, July 13, 1982

Student News
[Page 6]

            Christine M. Sheely of N. Queen Street in Littlestown with a bachelor of science degree in animal production.

The Gettysburg Times

Monday, October 12, 1992

Deaths
[Page 2A]

Christine M. Sheely

            Christine M. Sheely, 32, of 421 Prince St., Littlestown, died Sunday, Oct. 11, in a drowning accident near Bainbridge.
            She was the daughter of Susanne L. Sheely, with whom she resided, and the late Charles C. Sheely.
            Arrangements in charge of Littles Funeral Home in Littlestown are incomplete.

The Gettysburg Times

Tuesday, October 13, 1992

Scuba diver error cited Littlestown woman’s drowning
[Front Page and Page 4]

            Police say the drowning of a 43-year-old Adams county woman while scuba diving at the Bainbridge Sportman’s Club in Conoy Township, Lancaster County, appeared to be a diver error.
            Conoy Township Police Chief Richard Boas said the victim was Christine Sheely, 421 Prince St., Littlestown, a mail carrier.  The accident happened at an old quarry owned by the sportman’s club.
            Sheely’s body was recovered around 3 p.m. Sunday by a diving instructor who was conducting a class nearby.  She was pronounced dead at 3:34 p.m. from drowning.
            Sheely, who received her Open Water Class certification about three weeks ago from a diving school in Maryland, was diving in the quarry with two friends, Boas said.  It appeared diver error was the cause of the drowning, he said.
            “She had very little experience,” he said.
            Authorities said it was the third drowning in the past year and a half at the club’s deep water limestone quarry.
            The woman was diving with Nino G. Borromeo, 37, of Littlestown, and Daniel Ingram, 42, of Dover, when the accident happened.  Ingram himself suffered possible eardrum damage when he attempted to save Sheely, and was listed in serious condition at Lancaster General Hospital after the accident.
            Chief Boas said that Sheely had dived at the Bainbridge quarry the previous weekend and had returned Sunday with her friends to dive again.
            Sheely and her two colleagues had made one dive earlier in the day.  They had been out of the water about 45 minutes when they returned for the second drive.
            Sheely was instructed by Bainbridge officials not to go below 40 feet.  Her certification class was for a maximum of 60 feet during ideal conditions, Boas said.  During the first dive, she went down to 91 feet, he said.
            It was during the second dive that Sheely experienced a problem.  According to a witness, Boas said, Sheely was diving around 35 feet when she deflated her inflatable vest, instead of inflating the vest.
            She began sinking to the bottom.  Boas said Ingram saw that she was having a problem and dived to catch her.
            The police chief said Ingram caught her on the bottom.  He attempted to inflate her vest and she deflated it.
            Sheely panicked and began kicking.  The woman’s kicking knocked Ingram’s regulator out of his mouth, forcing him to surface.  He surfaced too fast and experienced an air embolism.
            Police said that Sheely was wearing a wet suit, but she was not wearing a hood or gloves.  Her equipment was found to be in working order.
            The quarry located off of Route 441, Chief Boas said, is a popular recreational dive area used by divers from the Bainbridge Club, as well as from other areas.  The water temperature ranged from 55 degrees to 42 degrees at the time of the accident.

The Gettysburg Times

Monday, October 12, 1992

Deaths
[Page 2A]

Christine M. Sheely

            Christine M. Sheely, 32, of 421 Prince St., Littlestown, died Sunday, Oct. 11, near Bainbridge, as a result of a drowning accident reated to scuba diving.
            Born in Hanover, she was the daughter of Susanne Cochran Sheely, 421 Prince St., Littlestown, and the late Clarence C. Sheely.
            She graduated from Littlestown High School, Class of 1978 and from Penn State University, Class of 1982.  She was employed by the Littlestown Post Office as a Letter Carrier.
            She was a member of St. Aloysisus Catholic Church in Littlestown, where she sang on the church choir.  She was a member of the Littlestown VFW Auxiliary and Littlestown Girl Scouts.
            She is survived by one brother, Philip A. Sheely of Abbottstown; two sisters, Sara M. Huff of Norristown and Ellen M. Smith of Hanover; her maternal grandmother, Catherine M. Cochrin of Littlestown; and numerous nieces and nephews.
            Funeral services will be held Friday, meeting at Littles Funeral Home at 9:30 a.m. to proceed to St. Aloysisus Church for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m.  Celebrant will be Monsignor Wilham R. Lyons.  Interment will be in the Parish Cemetery.
            Friends may call at the Littles Funeral Home on Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m., where prayers will be recited at 8:30 p.m.
            Memorial contributions may be sent to St. Aloysius Catholic Church, 29 S. Queen St., Littlestown, Pa. 17340.

The Gettysburg Times

Saturday, October 17, 1992

Funerals
[Page 2A]

Christine M. Sheely

            Funeral services for Christine M. Sheely, 32, 421 Prince St., Littlestown, who died Sunday afternoon near Bainbridge, Pa. were held with a mass of Christian Burial on Friday from St. Aloysisus Catholic Church in Littlestown.  Celebrant was Msgr. William R. Lynon.  Burial was in the parish cemetery.
            Pallbearers were Douglas Murren, Stephen Murren, Andrew Murren, Rick Yealy, Wallace Gullickson, and Earl Rebert.

St. Aloysius Cemetery, South Queen Street, Littlestown, PA

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