Thanks for the update Rex. Regarding vintage aircraft: are there any Canso PBY-5 water bombers in use like the one Goodman flew in "Always"? I have a sentimental affection for these cause I had a plastic model of one hanging from my ceiling when I was a kid--I think that whatever their virtues as an aircraft may or may not be, they're (weird-looking) art in flight. Since the Canso is a flying boat, it was a natural to convert to water bomber use.

The Urban Legends Page definitely states that the scuba diver in a tree is a hoax. They have this and more to say about it:

Origins: The tragic tale of the unfortunately scooped diver has been with us at least since 1987. Told at various times as having happened in California or France, to date there's not been so much as one charred scuba diver recovered from the aftermath of a forest fire in either location. (You'll also sometimes hear of a fisherman found in a tree, still determinedly clutching his fishing pole even in his extra-crispy state of final repose. None of them has been found, either.)

It's been suggested the legend's origin lies in a collection of "how did this person die?" puzzles, this particular one presented as "The charred body of a scuba diver was found high in a tree after a forest fire -- how did he get there?" Hypothetical stories have a way of being later remembered as real occurrences, and that likely could have happened here. (Visit the Ronald Opus page for an example of this sort of transmutation.

Willie-O