Editor’s Note: Zdenek Ulman was returning to Peekskill’s Riverfront in his boat around noon on September 8 when he encountered editor Regina Clarkin and a cameraman from News12.  The two were covering swimmer Lewis Pugh as he swam in the center of the Hudson on his way to New York. Ulman was gracious enough to take the two onto the water to capture better images of Pugh.

The Hudson River is a living, breathing force. Recent flooding along rivertowns has made this fully apparent. Yet, the river is also vulnerable to the human force. Zdenek “Z” Ulman is all too aware of this dichotomy.

On a clear fall day, Ulman takes his boat out onto the Hudson River, cutting through the water with ease. Ulman’s missions include searching for moss covered, abandoned boats hiding beneath the surface of the Hudson. Using electronic mapping tools, Ulman’s underwater salvage company, Marine Diving Service, identifies their watery graves. 

According to Ulman, people abandon boats in the Hudson for various reasons: boat depreciation, difficulty reselling due to poor engine condition, and inability to afford the cost of maintenance. But one person’s decision has a public cost. Ulman explains that, “Every boat has some kind of petroleum product. As the boat deteriorates on the bottom, it’s like a ticking bomb. That fuel starts seeping out.” When fuel and other toxic materials leach into the Hudson, entire ecosystems are damaged, and the water becomes less safe for humans. 

Ulman advocates for stronger regulations, such as required periodic inspections, to help prevent boat abandonment. Like a yearly car inspection, boat inspections would check if vessels are functional and meet environmental standards. If a boat does not pass an inspection, “It could be recovered,” Ulman says, which is a step away from abandonment and a step towards protecting the environment.

A challenge in dealing with sunken vessels: getting started. In the planning phase, Ulman says, “You go through every single detail in your mind until total exhaustion…take all that, relax, pace yourself, and start the job.” Ulman points to the biggest challenge: “Break the surface of the water, and start.”

Ulman finds diving, “the most rewarding activity in my life so far.” Ulman enjoys the challenge of reaching limits and capabilities, and says he keeps, “discovering, living young, and [having] a new adventure every day.”