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CINCINNATI — An action movie and swimming pools turned into a business for one man at 72-years-old. 

Ernie Waites said it all started with a "James Bond" movie.

“My daughter and I were watching a ‘James Bond’ movie, and she said, ‘dad, why can’t we do that?’ I said ‘wear tuxedos and kill people?’ She said, ‘no—swim underwater,’ said Waites.

For the next 25 years, swimming underwater became his mission. 

He said he was a part of a group of commercial divers. He would help as they swam in pools, lakes and ponds, helping to find things in the river. Then he said something happened. 

“Then accidentally I got old and nobody wanted to hire me, so I decided to do something I ask my children to do—‘find something you enjoy doing and the money will follow,'” said Waites.

That’s why now, at 72-years-old. He runs his own business called Ernie’s Underwater Pool Repair in Cincinnati. He looks for pool leaks and fixes them while diving. 

“I have mechanical things and then there’s the dye test. The dye is lighter than water, and if there’s a pull, it’s gonna pull this material toward it,” said Waites.

He said the work can be long and meticulous like finding a needle. 

“So I’m looking for a leaf at an odd angle, or the butt of a bug, because the head of the bug is in the hole,” said Waites. 

At the same time, he said it’s how he built his business, through mostly word of mouth and his dedication to diving. 

“On a good day, I can make someone’s water loss go away. I can make it so they can enjoy their pool and their summer. I can’t think of a better gift to give, can you?” said Waites. 

For more information about Ernie’s Underwater Pool Repair, click here.