Inspired by his stepfather, Bobby Gladu earned his diver certification and started scuba diving at the age of 13. Over the years, he has traveled extensively, diving in remote and exotic parts of the world, including Thailand, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Florida. He has also experienced shark diving in the Florida Keys.
Bobby says it was his stepfather who also influenced him in choosing a career in the granite and masonry business. At the age of 20, he started his own company. Today, Bobby is the president of Artisan Masonry and Granite, which has been instrumental in constructing many local commercial buildings.
Bobby believes everyone has a gift. “I love diving, and I love helping people,” he says. “I try to live by the motto ‘Love thy neighbor.’ My goal is to give back to the community.”
Because of this, two years ago, Bobby created SERT (Specialized Emergency Response Team), a nonprofit organization with a 10-member dive team dedicated to water rescue and recovery. Members of the team come from all walks of life. Each member must be a PADI-certified rescue diver, pass a fitness test, and undergo regular checkups. All volunteers, the divers are fully trained and equipped.
“We are called to rescue people in lakes, ponds, and creeks,” Bobby says. “Our divers are prepared to work night or day, in cold and inclement weather. During each rescue, there is an on-site standby diver, fully suited up and prepared to act if one of us gets in trouble.”
When recovering a body, Bobby’s first concern is for the family, who sometimes waits anxiously on the shore. “Our goal is to give them closure,” he says. “Unfortunately, we are not always able to locate the body.”
Bobby says the water in Lake Ray Hubbard is deceiving. “It’s pitch black,” he says. “I’ve dived when the sun was shining brightly overhead, but 20 feet down, I could not see an inch in front of my face.”
“Lake Ray Hubbard can be extremely dangerous for swimmers and boaters alike,” he adds. “Because the lake is man-made, there are a lot of tree stubs, many of them beneath the surface. Offshore, one of the unseen dangers is getting tangled in fishing lines. This is why each diver carries both upper and lower body knives.”
Bobby cannot stress enough the importance of life vests. One of his biggest concerns is seeing people taking risks when they are not wearing them.
“One example is the two people who were water-skiing in Dallas recently,” Bobby adds. “Neither one could swim, and they were not wearing life vests. They drowned. On the other hand, not too long ago, a man in a boat ran into a tree stub. He suffered a back injury, and although the two children with him were thrown 10 feet into the air, they all survived because they were wearing life vests.”
Bobby is currently working with the city to install 12 convenient, easily accessible stations around Lake Ray Hubbard. Each stand will list water safety regulations and contain life jackets for both adults and children, which can be accessed by a code sent to a cellphone. Cook Children’s Hospital has agreed to donate the jackets. The group Blue Tie Guys, along with both chambers—including Leadership Rockwall 2025—are working to help raise the necessary funds.
According to Bobby, the future looks promising with the prospect of obtaining underwater drones and sonar, which can detect shadows.
Meanwhile, Bobby continues to use his gift, which in turn is proving to be a valuable resource for people who love being on the water.
Bobby believes everyone has a gift. “I love diving, and I love helping people."