Incidents List
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Year Month Day Surname Forenames Location Contractor Client Depth Type of Diving Details -
1985 11 17 Rao Mathew J USA Caldwell Diving Company 6 S/S Air Removing silt from a dockside water when his air supply was accidentally cut off, 'His air hose got sucked into the intake of the ejection pump, cutting off his air supply,'' NY Times -
1985 10 28 Rig 'Penrod 61' USA Jack Up, sank during hurricane Juan. Reported to have killed one person. -
1985 10 6 Rig 'West Vanguard' Norway Statoil/Smedvig Semi Submersible, drilling Haltenbanken for Staoil, blow out, 1 fatality. Rebuild and sold to Diamond Offshore -
1985 9 25 Hadzic Hussein Croatia Navy 82 Saturation Salvage of the chemical tanker, the Brigitta Montanari that sank on the 16th November 1984 (See separate entry) carrying vinyl chloride monomer (‘VCM’, toxic, explosive and carcinogenic) in 82m water depth. Known to be leaking toxic chemicals, the only salvage resource available was the ‘Sapasilac’, Yugoslavian Navy submarine deep rescue unit. Built as the PS-12, 55 metres in length, 1,490 GRT, at the Tito shipyard in 1976. She was initially fitted out with a 600m depth rated rescue submarine (‘Mermaid IV’, 8 metres long, capable of carrying 10 personnel including crew), a three man, 300 metre diving bell that was also rated as an atmospheric observation chamber and a 30 man surface recompression chamber. Two further rescue vessels were built in 1977, one was sold to Libya, the ‘Al Munjed’, the other to Iraq, the ‘A-81’ - Sunk during the second gulf war. The later vessels had modified funnels (to reduce overheating of the hyperbaric chambers). The vessel has had the submarine and diving systems removed and was still in service with the Croatian Navy as the patrol vessel OB-73 ‘Faust Vrancic’ in 2010). During a bell run to assess the wreck of the Brigitta Montanari, the salvage vessel was moved to clear the bell from above the hull but the bell weights (suspended on chains below the bell) caught on the wreck and were ripped off causing an uncontrolled ascent the buoyant bell. The two divers who were locked out (Dragutin Siljevinac and Hussein Hadzic) were dragged to the surface by their umbilicals and although rescued from about 30 metres, both subsequently died in the chamber. The bellman (Dragisa Koprivica) spent 4 weeks in the chamber but survived and carried on a career as a diver. Centre of Marine Research, Zagreb -
1985 9 25 Koprivica Dragisa Croatia Navy 82 Saturation Salvage of the chemical tanker, the Brigitta Montanari that sank on the 16th November 1984 (See separate entry) carrying vinyl chloride monomer (‘VCM’, toxic, explosive and carcinogenic) in 82m water depth. Known to be leaking toxic chemicals, the only salvage resource available was the ‘Sapasilac’, Yugoslavian Navy submarine deep rescue unit. Built as the PS-12, 55 metres in length, 1,490 GRT, at the Tito shipyard in 1976. She was initially fitted out with a 600m depth rated rescue submarine (‘Mermaid IV’, 8 metres long, capable of carrying 10 personnel including crew), a three man, 300 metre diving bell that was also rated as an atmospheric observation chamber and a 30 man surface recompression chamber. Two further rescue vessels were built in 1977, one was sold to Libya, the ‘Al Munjed’, the other to Iraq, the ‘A-81’ - Sunk during the second gulf war. The later vessels had modified funnels (to reduce overheating of the hyperbaric chambers). The vessel has had the submarine and diving systems removed and was still in service with the Croatian Navy as the patrol vessel OB-73 ‘Faust Vrancic’ in 2010). During a bell run to assess the wreck of the Brigitta Montanari, the salvage vessel was moved to clear the bell from above the hull but the bell weights (suspended on chains below the bell) caught on the wreck and were ripped off causing an uncontrolled ascent the buoyant bell. The two divers who were locked out (Dragutin Siljevinac and Hussein Hadzic) were dragged to the surface by their umbilicals and although rescued from about 30 metres, both subsequently died in the chamber. The bellman (Dragisa Koprivica) spent 4 weeks in the chamber but survived and carried on a career as a diver. Centre of Marine Research, Zagreb -
1985 9 25 Siljevinac Dragutin Croatia Navy 82 Saturation Salvage of the chemical tanker, the Brigitta Montanari that sank on the 16th November 1984 (See separate entry) carrying vinyl chloride monomer (‘VCM’, toxic, explosive and carcinogenic) in 82m water depth. Known to be leaking toxic chemicals, the only salvage resource available was the ‘Sapasilac’, Yugoslavian Navy submarine deep rescue unit. Built as the PS-12, 55 metres in length, 1,490 GRT, at the Tito shipyard in 1976. She was initially fitted out with a 600m depth rated rescue submarine (‘Mermaid IV’, 8 metres long, capable of carrying 10 personnel including crew), a three man, 300 metre diving bell that was also rated as an atmospheric observation chamber and a 30 man surface recompression chamber. Two further rescue vessels were built in 1977, one was sold to Libya, the ‘Al Munjed’, the other to Iraq, the ‘A-81’ - Sunk during the second gulf war. The later vessels had modified funnels (to reduce overheating of the hyperbaric chambers). The vessel has had the submarine and diving systems removed and was still in service with the Croatian Navy as the patrol vessel OB-73 ‘Faust Vrancic’ in 2010). During a bell run to assess the wreck of the Brigitta Montanari, the salvage vessel was moved to clear the bell from above the hull but the bell weights (suspended on chains below the bell) caught on the wreck and were ripped off causing an uncontrolled ascent the buoyant bell. The two divers who were locked out (Dragutin Siljevinac and Hussein Hadzic) were dragged to the surface by their umbilicals and although rescued from about 30 metres, both subsequently died in the chamber. The bellman (Dragisa Koprivica) spent 4 weeks in the chamber but survived and carried on a career as a diver. Centre of Marine Research, Zagreb -
1985 9 18 Gurley Mike USA A subcontractor to the Georgia Power Company American, aged 34, fire-fighter, 10 years experience as a fire department diver, was also a diving instructor. Incident happened at the Morgan Falls dam where he was training another fire-fighter whilst undertaking sub-contract commercial diving work at the dam. The team had been hired by the power company to repair an underwater valve and recover constuction equipment lost previously. Whilst working on a valve, his left leg got sucked into a 14 inch drain pipe trapping him. He was conscious and calling for help for 45 minutes. "Rescuers delayed using a crane to pull him free for fear of tearing or breaking his leg".The last thing he was reported as saying was "Get my wife here, right now", then he went silent. Fifteen minutes later they pulled him free using the crane - which broke his legs. Flown by helicopter to Northside Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Cause of death was not recorded as drowning but 'hyperventilation'. The fire department battalon chief was quoted as saying "Gurley was a master diver, I don't know anybody who was more qualified". Survived by his Wife and three young daughters. Atlanta Herald. -
1985 9 17 Devergie Francis Congo Comex 47 S/S Mixed Gas French, diving off the barge BOS 215, KM 17 came off (No safety pin incorporated into the design at that time). no details. PC -
1985 9 11 Not Recorded USA Vermilion, Block 331, OCS-G 2572, Platform A, Marathon. "A diver was securing a buoy to a subsea template. His hand was entangled in a rope that went around the cable. As the boat surged, his hand was pulled through a snatch block cutting off the last joint of his finger". OCS Incidents 1956-1990, page 272 -
1985 9 0 Not Recorded Yugoslavia 79 The Brigitta Montanari sank in a storm on Nov. 16, 1984, near the Yugoslav town of Sibenik. The vessel was carrying vinyl chloride, a highly toxic and carcinogenic chemical. Two salvage divers were killed during salvage attempts in 1985. The vessel started leaking toxic chemicals in 1987. No details. -
1985 6 15 Stethem Robert Dean Lebanon USN Topsides Aged 24, US Navy construction diver with the Seabees. TWA Flight 847 was on its way from Athens to Rome when it was hijacked by Shiite Muslims sympathetic to the Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran’s leader at the time. The US Navy Seabee team was returning to the U.S. after a training mission in Egypt. When the plane landed in Beirut, Navy diver Robert Stethem was shot and killed, his body dumped on the tarmac.The Commander and five Navy divers were held captive for 17 days in Beirut, Lebanon. -
1985 6 14 Not Recorded USA South Marsh, Block 41, OCS0G 1192, Platform A, Chevron. "A diver was installing a caisson centraliser when his thumb was caught and severed between the conductor and centraliser". OCS Incidents 1956-1990, page 270 -
1985 6 0 Rig 'Dixilyn Field 82' Indian Ocean Jack Up, sank during towing (caught in a storm). -
1985 5 22 Tonkawa USA Temple Drilling 6 Drill rig with crew of 22, under tow overturned in 19' of water, divers cut two men out of the upturned hull 5 hours later, 6 fatalities. Los Angeles Times -
1985 5 4 Hines Bruce USA Mel Fisher American, aged 32, salvage operation for professional treasure hunter Mel Fisher off Johns Island, Florida, moving an anchor off the wreck of the 'Endeavour' pulled from the water 27th April but died several days in Humana Hospital due to complications arising from bronchial pneumonia. No real details, Miami Herald. -
1985 3 26 Workman Jim USA 9 S/S Air American, aged 29, umbilical cut by passing boat propeller, drowned -
1985 1 23 Cavalcanti Ruben Brazil Comex Saturation Incorrect oil (selected only for oxygen compatibility, management of change process not followed) used in regeneration system coupled with a series of circumstances that allowed the oil to come into direct contact with a heater element. The oil broke down producing by-products that included phosgene and fluoridic acid gases that were released into the chamber atmoshere. Cause of death recorded as lung oedema. Double fatality (Luis Washington). PC -
1985 1 23 Washington Luis Brazil Comex Saturation Incorrect oil (selected only for oxygen compatibility, management of change process not followed) used in regeneration system coupled with a series of circumstances that allowed the oil to come into direct contact with a heater element. The oil broke down producing by-products that included phosgene and fluoridic acid gases that were released into the chamber atmoshere. Cause of death recorded as lung oedema. Double fatality (Ruben Cavalcanti). PC -
1985 1 15 Belleque Arthur A “Jerry� USA SCUBA Commercial fishing operation in the Columbia river, diving to remove snags from the river bed using a drag net and two boats. Pulled from the river alive but died in hospital. Sheriff stated it was possible he had died of natural causes, but an autopsy was planned. No further details -
1985 1 8 Berlendis Claudio UK Saturation 31 year old Italian electrician from Bergamo working on the hyperbaric lifeboat of the DSV Wilchief (Sat system was built by Drass, Italy) in Aberdeen harbour killed in an explosion. Cause reported as build up of hydrogen and oxygen from the batteries in a non-ventilated compartment ignited by a electrical switch. The Glasgow Herald -
1985 1 0 Rig 'Glomar Arctic II' UK Semi Sub, explosion in pump room, 2 fatalities -
1985 0 0 Arnold Al USA Taylor Diving American, mid-umbilical fitting pulled apart, lost gas, attempted to reach open bottom bell but found unconscious just outside. Did not activate his bailout. -
1985 0 0 Kirkpatrick Jock Middle East McDermott 15 Saturation Paraphrased from a personal communication (Names removed and some of the more acrimonious details moderated or removed - apologies to all, but one has to be circumspect with some of this stuff, TC ):- “Sub Sea had seconded 6 welder divers to McDermotts for a job in the Red Sea off the DB 27. At the time of the incident, the AODC was debating the issue of a minimum of 2% O2 in the base gas, McDermott disagreed with it, one reason was "It will be difficult for the LST to calculate blow down", the job was an air sat weld at around 15 - 21 msw, the industry had just started using air sat's then, air being cheaper than Heliox, base gas was pure N2. The dive panel was an “in-house� built very small dive/sat panel. One of the chambers wasn't being used, so the take off was being used to flow gas to the welding habitat to keep the water out. During the dive (Air sat, so as usual at the time, the attitude of "Oh its only an air dive, don't need to analyze the divers gas", and the analyzer was either turned off or not even installed. One of the chambers had lost a few FSW, so the dive sup reached over, turned off the air supply to the sat panel which was supplying air to the habitat, turned on the N2, which was chamber make up, made up, and put air back on. Unbeknown to all at the time, the sat panel and dive panel had no check valves installed, N2 around 200 psi, air around 150 psi, (either way, the N2 to the sat panel was higher than the air to the dive panel), N2 tracked over to the dive panel, down to the diver, and zap, diver passed out from being given pure nitrogen. Initially not knowing what had happened, they were going to jump the bell man, (who was on same gas supply). Fortunately, before he donned his mask the bellman saw the diver underneath the bell and pulled him in, but he failed to respond to treatment. After the fatality, a SSOL safety rep was mobilized to the job in to carry out an investigation, (because of the 6 SSOL divers in sat). The panel designer/builder also arrived on site with a dive tech, SSOL told the dive tech to disconnect the line connecting both panels, and the crew to mix up the N2 base gas to around 9% to give a PPO2 of around 210 mbs at the working depth, (Think it was around 50 fsw). This was done, but as the investigation team was departing they noticed that the dive tech had connected the pipe up again, when he was asked why, he said "Well it hasn't happened before, and will probably not happen again.............." There were rumours that the dive supervisors were reluctant to sign off the dive logs and reports that showed the fatality was due to pure N2. -
1985 0 0 Not Recorded Brazil Superpesa 120 Saturation Campos basin, DSV Flexservice 1, oxy/arc torch not working, taken back to the bell for checking, flash fire, two divers died of burns -
1985 0 0 Rig 'Zapata Enterprise' Indonesia Jack Up, drilling off Java, blow out and fire -
1985 0 0 Scott Steve "Joe 90" India Stena Topsides DSV Nand Shamik, Bombay High, launching zodiac, crane came up on load, no sensor, head-ache ball pulled into sheave, wire parted, head-ache ball dropped onto zodiac/divers legs, boat folded pushing divers head into head-ache ball, died instantly -
1985 0 0 Yacob Samsi bin Malaysia BUE Malaysia SCUBA Diving off the DB Thor (8 point anchored crane barge, built 1972 from a 20-year-old vessel (The ‘Veedol’ built 1955) which was cut in half (The stern section was converted to a bulk oil carrier). Its old bow was towed to Rotterdam and used as the basis for a new vessel, ‘WS Thor’, IMO No 8626898, launched in 1974, a diving support derrick pontoon for operation in the North Sea. It was fitted out with, among other things, a diving bell, compression chambers, and pile-driving hammers. In 1982 she was renamed the DB Thor, in 1989 she became the McDermott DB 52, final fate of the vessel is not known ). The diver had swum a line under the barge and was being recovered to deck in a diving basket when it was hit by the swell and he fell out. He had used the line as a lifeline during his swim but had tied it off to the basket. Body never recovered. PC -
1984 12 12 Fusco Quartermaster Seaman Arthur A. Honduras US Special Forces SCUBA Aged 24, Seal team 4 based at Naval Amphibious Base at Little Creek, Va. "Two Navy divers killed blasting Honduran Logjam". Among around 40 special forces dispatched to Honduras to join the Destroyer USS Caron for exercise 'Kings Guard', a coastal surveillance exercise involving the Caron and other vessels from Honduras and El Salvador. As the exercise was winfing down, the Navy dipatched Fusco and Uyedo to the east coast of Honduras for a 'civic action' to help residents of six small villages who had been totally isolated for several years because of log jams on the Amatingri river. The two apparently placed 14 pounds of C4 on a large log jam in a lagoon but they apparently failed to move their small boat far enough away. One man died at the scene, the second died en route to hospital in Comayagua. Shenectady Gazette -
1984 12 12 Not Recorded USA 20 S/S Air NO 03-07, Block 631, OCS-Y 0511, Sedco 708, Well No 1, Atlantic Richfield. "The diver left surface at 11:55 hours to work on an anchor at 65 feet. At approximately 12:35 hours, a garbled message came over the diving phone. The crew could not get an understandable response from the diver. He was observed at the surface trying to climb the ladder to the landing. He fell back into the water. One man climbed down the ladder and another jumped into the water to help. The diver lost consciousness and the two men got him to the landing. He was not breathing and had no pulse. CPR was started and he was moved to the DDC. CPR was continued until the doctor arrived at 18:28 hours and pronounced the victim dead. Cause of death was subsequently determined to be air embolism. OCS incidents database 1956 to 1990, page 306 -
1984 12 12 Uyeda Engine Man 2nd Class Michael R Honduras US Special Forces SCUBA Aged 22, Special Boat Unit 24 based at Naval Amphibious Base at Little Creek, Va. "Two Navy divers killed blasting Honduran Logjam". Among around 40 special forces dispatched to Honduras to join the Destroyer USS Caron for exercise 'Kings Guard', a coastal surveillance exercise involving the Caron and other vessels from Honduras and El Salvador. As the exercise was winfing down, the Navy dipatched Fusco and Uyedo to the east coast of Honduras for a 'civic action' to help residents of six small villages who had been totally isolated for several years because of log jams on the Amatingri river. The two apparently placed 14 pounds of C4 on a large log jam in a lagoon but they apparently failed to move their small boat far enough away. One man died at the scene, the second died en route to hospital in Comayagua. Shenectady Gazette -
1984 11 24 Edie Winfield S USA Police 4 SCUBA American police diver aged 29, Wenatchee, Washington State. First open water training dive, surfaced, yelled for help, sank, resurfaced, yelled again and sank, found on the bottom in 12' of water, could not be resuscitated -
1984 11 16 Vessel 'Brigitta Montanari' Yugoslavia 82 The Maltese flagged, Italian owned, chemical tanker, the Brigitta Montanari (Built 1975, 68 metres in length, 1297 GRT) carrying 1,390 tonnes of vinyl chloride monomer (‘VCM’, toxic, explosive and carcinogenic) sank in a storm in the Adriatic Sea on 16 November 1984 in 82m water depth 15 miles off the coastal town of Sibenik (Yugoslavia) with the loss of 3 of its 12 man crew. The sinking was attributed to a loss of stability (improperly loaded cargo, raised metacentre) following a sudden change of course. The VCM was carried in four tanks, two below deck (each 523 tonnes) and two above deck (202 and 247 tonnes). The wreck was known to be leaking toxic chemicals adjacent to the Kornati national park, an area popular with tourists. An initial salvage operation in 1985 was suspended after the death of two Navy divers (Dragutin Siljevinac and Hussein Hadzic) and injury of a third (Dragisa Koprivica) in an uncontrolled bell ascent incident (Lost bell weights) on the 25th September 1985. During successive salvage campaigns the wreck was righted (It had sunk on it’s starboard side), lifted to between 25 and 30 metres water depth (Above that depth the VCM goes from liquid to gaseous phase), and moved to a sheltered area. The VCM was then displaced by seawater and pumped into surface vessels. Following the aborted salvage using saturation divers in 1985, subsequent dives were completed using either gas bounce or air (Over 150 heliox bounce dives were undertaken below 55 metres, the dive between 30 and 55 metres were done using the same bell system on air). There does not appear to have been any follow up study on diver’s health after their exposure to VCM throughout the salvage operation. Centre of Marine Research, Zagreb -
1984 9 14 Rig 'Zapata Lexington' USA Jack Up, blow out and fire, 4 fatalites -
1984 8 19 Siver Ronald J USA Police 23 SCUBA American police diver, Rochester, New York. Attempting to find the body of a man who died in a boating accident, suffered unknown problems, drowned -
1984 8 16 Dawson Mark UK Oceaneering 43 S/S Air British, aged 22. DSV "Deurloo", Southern North Sea, Leman Field, using a drill, rope entangled in rotating drill, pulled off his KM 18 band mask, drowned -
1984 7 19 Nielsen Lt. Jorgen Seligmann Denmark Navy Died on a training exercise dive at the Navy Seal combat training failities in Kongsore harbour due to an explosive charge being detonated close to him in error. Reported by navalhistory.dk -
1984 5 4 Lawson George UK Comex 140 Saturation Diving off the DSV "Kingsnorth Explorer", oxy/Arc cutting, rendered unconscious by an explosion. Face plate blown in, ruptured eardrums, right side pneumothorax, rescued by bellman Neil Wiggins (died December 2003) who was awarded the Frank Dearman award for bravery and a Queen’s Commendation. (The same diver was again called upon in 1987 when he saved two hypothermic divers, Fred McNally and Kanute Monstra, from a stranded welding habitat). MCDOA website -
1984 2 22 Camejo Joao Lazaro Brazil Superpesa Brazilian. Semi-sub drill rig "Zephyr II", ODECO. No details -
1984 2 22 Rig 'Vinland" Canada Shell Semi Submersible, Blow out during drilling of Uniacke G-72 -
1984 2 21 Bowmar Dave UK Subsea Offshore 9 Chamber Experienced air diver. Aberdeen, Chamber dive, low O2, Anoxia, Double fatality (Tom Mackey). Welding trials, Initially reported as nitrox dive and that techs put CO2 on line instead of O2 during decompression, then reported to have been at the start of an air saturation at 30', but was most likely 'just' an air dive. LP air compressor was putting out too high a pressure (divers on AGA masks) and in order to adjust the pressure, the technician turned off the supply to dive control, supervisor switched to HP gas quad and then back to LP once the compressor was back on line, but divers were unconscious. Chamber surfaced, Tom Mackey dead on site, Dave Bowmar died in hospital. HP gas quad (pink but labelled “21% oxygen�) was actually virtually pure Nitrogen (gas in quad not analysed, panel O2 analysers not on line). Glasgow Herald -
1984 2 21 Mackey Tom UK Subsea Offshore 9 Chamber Aged 28, Ex Glasgow shipyard welder, welding instructor for Subsea Offshore. Had just completed air diver training and was hoping to go offshore as a welder/diver. Aberdeen, Chamber dive, low O2, Anoxia, Double fatality (Dave Bowmar). Welding trials, initially reported as nitrox dive and that techs put CO2 on line instead of O2 during decompression, then reported to have been at the start of an air saturation at 30', but was most likely 'just' an air dive., LP air compressor was putting out too high a pressure (divers on AGA masks) and in order to adjust the pressure, the technician turned off the supply to dive control, supervisor switched to HP gas quad and then back to LP once the compressor was back on line, but divers were unconscious. Chamber surfaced, Tom Mackey dead on site, Dave Bowmar died in hospital. HP gas quad (pink but labelled “21% oxygen�) was actually virtually pure Nitrogen (gas in quad not analysed, panel O2 analysers not on line). Glasgow Herald -
1984 2 0 McKerlich Sarge UK ? 12 SCUBA (Elder brother of Jock McKerlich who died in the late 70s). Scallop diving? Ex sat diver, MFV "Boy John", Plock of Kyle. First dive after misunderstanding with diving doctor, he should never have returned to diving after a major deck accident offshore. -
1984 0 0 Gray Kevin Saudi Arabia Wharton Williams The Isle of Man's hyperbaric Chamber has been operated by the Kevin Gray Memorial Trust since 1984 when Manx local commercial diver Kevin Gray died while working in Saudi Arabia. Following his death, his employer Wharton Williams donated one of its chambers to the Island for divers in the Irish Sea. -
1984 0 0 Not Recorded Tunisia 67 S/S Mixed Gas During in-water decompression, supervisor on board the vessel shifted to oxygen supply at 6 m. 2 minutes later diver surfaced, become unconscious on being pulled into an inflatable (standing by) where he was recovered in seconds. Could not be resuscitated The oxygen supply line had a filter partly covered with teflon fibers from the fittings. Check showed oxygen supply pressure but reduced flow. Diver, very experienced, did not operate his bailout for unknown reasons -
1984 0 0 Rig 'Ali Baba' Semi Sub, broke moorings, went adrift and then went aground. -
1984 0 0 Rig 'Treasure Seeker' Norway Semi Submersible, blow out, shallow gas -
1983 11 5 Cowards Edwin Arthur Norway Comex Houlder 0 Saturation British, aged 35. Drill rig "Byford Dolphin", Frigg field, explosive decompression of sat system when TUP clamp failed, 5 fatalities -
1983 11 5 Crammond William Brown Norway Comex Houlder 0 Saturation British, aged 32. Drill rig "Byford Dolphin", Frigg field, explosive decompression of sat system when TUP clamp failed, 5 fatalities -
1983 11 5 Hellevik Truls Norway Comex Houlder 0 Saturation Norwegian, aged 34. Drill rig "Byford Dolphin", Frigg field, explosive decompression of sat system when TUP clamp failed, 5 fatalities -
1983 11 5 Lucas Roy P Norway Comex Houlder 0 Saturation British, aged 38. Drill rig "Byford Dolphin", Frigg field, explosive decompression of sat system when TUP clamp failed, 5 fatalities -
1983 11 5 Saunders Martin Andrew Norway Comex Houlder 0 Saturation Drill rig "Byford Dolphin", Frigg field, explosive decompression of sat system when TUP clamp failed, 5 fatalities, one serious injury -
1983 10 30 Bergersen Bjorn Giaever Norway Comex Houlder 0 Saturation Norwegian, aged 29. Drill rig "Byford Dolphin", Frigg field, explosive decompression of sat system when TUP clamp failed. No interlock, 5 fatalities -
1983 10 30 Not Recorded Malaysia Pearl diver Topsides Japanese pear diver working a vessel 30 km off Semporna, Sabah. The vessel was attacked by pirates, he was shot dead, two other divers were injured. Straits Times -
1983 10 25 Drillship 'Glomar Java Sea' South China Sea Arco Capsised in tropical storm 'Lex'off Hainan Island (China), 81 fatalities. Rumours of survivors held in vietnam camps never substantiated. Was there a dive team onboard? -
1983 9 9 Rig '60 Years of Azerbaijan' Azerbaijan Jack up, drilling in the Caspian Sea, Recorded as seabed failure due to volcanic action (shallow gas/punch through?). 5 fatalities -
1983 9 1 Rig 'Key Biscayne' Australia Esso, Key International Had completed a well in the Arafura Sea, 180 miles northeast of Darwin, Australia, moving to stack the rig in Cockburn Sound near Fremantle towed by the Atlas Van Diemen and the Lady Sonia with the Argus Guard as stand-by vessel. On Wednesday 24 August 1983, both tow lines parted and were reconnected by the early hours of Thursday 25 Aug. The rig then rounded the NW Cape and passed Shark Bay, experiencing slight seas but no problems. On Sunday 28 Aug, the weather began to worsen with force 6-7 winds, rough seas and 6-7m swells. On the evening of the Sunday 28 Aug, both tow lines were again lost. The rig was pitching and rolling heavily with the sea constantly washing over the main deck, causing damage to the rig from smaller cargo items which were washed around the main deck. There was some suspicion that sections of the deck plating had been fractured causing leaks, and water taken onboard during the bad weather was pumped out. By Monday 29 Aug, both tow lines were reconnected and the tow resumed in more moderate weather. By midnight of 31 Aug, gale force conditions sprang up with high winds, rough seas and 6m swells buffeting the rig. At 0644 hours on Thurs 01 September, the Lady Sonia tow line parted and the Atlas Van Diemen attempted to hold rig into the wind, although both vessels were being driven easterly towards the shore. The rig appeared to be pitching more to the stern than the bow with the sea continually washing over the main deck, indicating that some flooding of the aft tanks may have occurred. On the morning of 01 Sep, it became obvious that the rig was settling to the stern and the rig reported water overflowing from the aft pump room into the port-side sack room. The worsening situation led to the decision to evacuate non-essential personnel and a MAYDAY was sent at 0930 hours on 01 Sep. By this time, a charter helicopter had arrived on scene but the pilot could not land due to the excessive pitching of the rig. Two defence force choppers were despatched and were able to winch off eight crew, after which there was a lull in the weather and the charter chopper managed to lift off another ten. By 1230 hours, only ten essential crew were left aboard. Through the day, the rig began settling to the stern and listing to starboard, with heavy seas washing over deck. The bow was observed lifting clear of the sea, with the rig pitching 10 degrees forward, 25 degrees back and rolling 15 degrees to each side. The rig's Manual of Operations specified that the rig's pitch or roll should not exceed 5 degrees. After a number of unsuccessful attempts to re-attach the towline, all line-throwing rockets had been used and conditions on the deck became too hazardous for work. Ten nautical miles off Ledge Point, the rig's port anchor was let go to help hold the rig. The remaining crew were then evacuated at 1620 hours, with the intention of returning the following day. At 1730 hours, the rig anchor parted. At 1845 hours, the Atlas Van Diemen towline parted. The Argus Guard then turned to starboard to clear the rig. After the turn, the rig was no longer visible and radar contact had been lost. The rig had capsized in 41m of water, landing inverted on the seabed with two of its legs bent or broken under the rig. The third leg lay broken off away from the rig. The attitude of the rig on the seabed indicated that it had tipped over backwards. Loss of directional control and gale force conditions were cited as the main factors in the accident. Loss of watertight integrity and flooding through possible hull fractures caused by excessive leg oscillation experienced as the rig pitched and rolled were also named as contributory factors. Reported by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. The wreck is now a well known SCUBA diving site. -
1983 8 18 LaFollette Ricky A USA Police 30 SCUBA American police diver aged 30, Louisville, Kentucky, experienced, night training exercise using new communication equipment, did not respond to calls, believed to have become disorientated in the dark and descended rather than ascended, drowned. -
1983 7 20 Rig 'Penrod 52' USA Jack Up, blow out, collapsed. -
1983 6 26 Oselton Robert P Canada Wijsmuler Salvage Saturation British, aged 37 or 38 from Portsmouth, third diver to die in a week during salvage operations on the Ocean Ranger (Sank in a storm Feb 15th 1982 with a loss of 84 persons), diving from the salvage barge 'Ocean Servant 2' thought to be a dropped object, but no details, salvage operations were suspended for an investigation. Spokane Chronicle/Ottawa Citizen -
1983 6 21 Yeo Sgt. Soon Seng Singapore Commando Surface Swimmer Aged 22, First Commando Battalion, diver training circuit swimming exercise with 7 other trainees on 13th June. Surfaced in distress before sinking from sight, found unconcious in the sea and taken to Toa Payoh Hospital where he died 8 days later of bronchial pneumonia. Coroner recorded a verdict of death by misadventure. Straits Times -
1983 6 20 Bouhuis Meinbert J Canada Wijsmuler Salvage Saturation Aged 22 from Vlaardinger, one of two (The other was Jan Podt) Dutch divers who died in underwater explosions either cutting into a compartment (oxy/arc??) or using ramset guns during salvage operations on the Ocean Ranger (Sank in a storm February 15th 1982) off the barge 'Ocean Servant 2', no details. After a third diver was killed less than a week later, salvage operations were suspended for an investigation. Spokane Chronicle/Ottawa Citizen -
1983 6 20 Podt Jan H Canada Wijsmuler Salvage Saturation Aged 31 from Holten, one of two (The other was Meinbert J Bouwhuis) Dutch divers who died in underwater explosions either cutting into a compartment (oxy/arc??) or using ramset guns during salvage operations on the Ocean Ranger (Sank in a storm February 15th 1982) off the barge 'Ocean Servant 2', no details. After a third diver was killed less than a week later, salvage operations were suspended for an investigation. Spokane Chronicle/Ottawa Citizen -
1983 6 2 Wallace R M UK Mobell Marine 16 SCUBA British, aged 30. Diving from inflatable, body recovered with SCUBA mouthpiece out of mouth, drowned -
1983 5 6 Schumacher Edward USA 24 S/S Air Aged 26, one of a 7 man diving team working off a barge over a newly laid section of the tunnel of the third Elizabeth River tunnel between Norfolk and Portsmouth, became entangled underwater at arounf 16:25. Recovered by stand-by divers, transferred to a decompression chamber at the Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Norfolk but died of 'heart failure' just afyer 19:00 hours. The Free Lance-Star -
1983 4 29 Underhill Ernest USA Police SCUBA Aged 32, Sheriff's Deputy, off duty, Little Muskegon dam, helping village employees replace metal plates/grills over openings in the dam wall but got sucked head first into a 4' wide. 8� high opening. Rescuers tried for 5 hours to pull him out, while his wife watched, eventually breaking his surface line, His legs and feet were visible, but the water pressure kept him trapped. 'He was just helping out'. -
1983 3 31 Burgess William Australia Diver awarded $302,304. The Canberra Times Thursday 31 March 1983. Diver awarded $302,304 SYDNEY: A professional diver, critically injured when the direct-drive engine of a harbour ferry started as he was inspecting its propeller, was awarded $302,304 damages in the Supreme Court yesterday. The diver, Mr. John William Burgess, had his right arm cut off above…� Date of award, not incident. -
1983 3 16 Pedersen Jarle Norway 7 Norwegian, aged 29, Seaway Falcon, umbilical drawn into stern thruster. -
1983 2 7 Drillship 'Glomar Grand Isle' Indonesia Blow out and fire -
1983 1 10 Bowes Bob GOM 6 S/S Air Houma, tender making first dive, recovering drill string that had fallen off a barge, hose pinched, no bailout, found under barge, drowned. -
1983 0 0 Not Recorded Iraq 90 S/S Mixed Gas Inland dam diving operation, at altitude, using semi closed, surface supplied mixed gas (trimix) with comms line (No video). Client rep wanted to inspect work carried our by divers, he was only qualified to 60 metres (max air range under French regs), he was not familiar with equipment or depth. Lost control of breathing equipment during descent, was rescued and put in on-site DDC but failed to respond to treatment. PC -
1983 0 0 Rig 'Cerveza' Blowout -
1983 0 0 Rig 'Neptune Gascoigne' Brazil Jack Up, lost legs, later renamed 'Rigmar 151', eventually sank in January 1998 -
1982 44 27 Rivera Anibal Argentina S/S Air Vomited underwater. Died. No details. PC -
1982 10 29 Phillips Derek UK Wharton Williams Taylor 15 S/S Air British, aged 24. ex RN ship's diver working off the DSV "Shearwater Aquamarine". Shallow DP diving, diver was undertaking a seabed survey, DP failure (active drive off), diver was dragged off the job and then apparently ditched his helmet (KB17), body lost, recovered 9 months later� As reported by a fellow diver “He was my room mate on the Polar Queen. The story goes he was diving from a basket when the Aquamarine ran off DP. Derek thought, or so we think he thought, that his umbilical was in the prop. He removed all his equipment and drowned. In the months before the fatality we had a near miss on the Polar Queen when another diver’s umbilical was caught in the prop. This diver removed his gear and was saved. However he was in a basket with spare air and had help. The feeling is that Derek was trying the same technique however he was on the bottom, on his own, with a hot water suit and not wearing fins. The result was inevitable� -
1982 10 27 Clark R. Kelly USA Crom Corporation SCUBA Aged 34, working in a 3 million gallon municipal water tank, looking for a leak, sucked into a pipe at the bottom of the tank, body recovered an hour later. The pipe acted as both inlet and outlest into the tank (balance pipe). "The president of the company said the divers had been in the tank 'for some time' and he had felt water coming into the tank. He said no one knows why water suddenly started flowing out". Gainsville Sun. -
1982 10 10 Statistics Reported in an article in the Connecticut paper “The Day� that “Records kept by the National Underwater Accident Data Center at the University of Rhode Island show that 167 commercial divers working for US firms were killed on the job between 1970 and 1981� I guess we still have a lot of data to collect - TC -
1982 9 8 Guan Gan Chong Singapore Underwater Maintenance Pte Operations manager of the diving company, working off the barge 'Ocean Moon' on the tanker Piotou at the Sultan Shoal, found floating near the stern. Contradictory medical testimony (one doctor said drowning, another said acute decompression sickness) and the coroner recorded an open verdict. Straits Times -
1982 6 25 McCarty Michael USA 14 SCUBA "Navy SCUBA diver died Friday afternoon 45 feet under the waters of Long Beach Harbour under the World War II Battleship 'New …. ?" Reported as a 'valve malfunction'. Los Angeles Times -
1982 6 17 Not Recorded USA S/S Air A commercial deep sea diver died after his air hose became wrapped around his neck while diving near San Clemente Island. Los Angeles Times -
1982 5 28 Bin Henry Lim Kim Indonesia Oceaneering Topsides Singaporean, aged 26, one of 7 passengers who died when a Perlita Air Services 'Puma' crashed into the sea en route to Natuna Island from a Gulf Oil installation. At least three of the passengers (Henry lim Kim Bin, Leong way Hok and Allan Ming) were divers working for Oceaneering Singapore. He was coming ashore to be married two days later, his fiancee was 22. Straits Times -
1982 5 28 Hok Leong Way Indonesia Oceaneering Topsides Singaporean, one of 7 passengers who died when a Perlita Air Services 'Puma' crashed into the sea en route to Natuna Island from a Gulf Oil installation. At least three of the passengers (Henry lim Kim Bin, Leong way Hok and Allan Ming) were divers working for Oceaneering Singapore. Straits Times -
1982 5 28 Ming Allan Indonesia Oceaneering Topsides Singaporean, one of 7 passengers who died when a Perlita Air Services 'Puma' crashed into the sea en route to Natuna Island from a Gulf Oil installation. At least three of the passengers (Henry lim Kim Bin, Leong way Hok and Allan Ming) were divers working for Oceaneering Singapore. Straits Times -
1982 4 27 Rivera Anibal Argentina Comex S/S Air Got into difficulty while underwater, vomited and subsequently drowned. No other details. PC -
1982 3 13 Anderson Doug USA 70 SCUBA American, aged 34. Had chartered the salvage barge “St Peter� out of Port Townsend and were inspecting a sunken oil barge off the West Whidbey Island for recoverable metal when Heavenor's air lines became entangled, Doug Anderson, acting as standby, entered the water to assist on SCUBA. Neither diver surfaced. Heavnor's body was recovered later by commercial divers from the tug “Constellation� which responded to distress calls.. Double fatality. Unclear if Anderson's body was ever recovered -
1982 3 0 Heavnor Tom USA 70 S/S Air American , aged 39. Had chartered the salvage barge “St Peter� out of Port Townsend and were inspecting a sunken oil barge off the West Whidbey Island for recoverable metal when Heavenor's air lines became entangled, his standby diver, Doug Anderson entered the water to assist on SCUBA. Neither diver surfaced. Heavnor's body was recovered later by commercial divers from the tug “Constellation� which responded to distress calls. Double fatality. Unclear if Anderson's body was ever recovered. -
1982 2 15 Crawford Gary Canada Hydrospace Saturation Diver in sat onboard the Ocean Ranger which sank in a storm with the loss of all 84 personnel onboard. How many other divers were onboard? -
1982 2 15 Halliday Norman Canada Hydrospace Saturation Diver in sat onboard the Ocean Ranger which sank in a storm with the loss of all 84 personnel onboard. How many other divers were onboard? -
1982 2 15 Miller Wayne Canada Hydrospace Saturation Diver in sat onboard the Ocean Ranger which sank in a storm with the loss of all 84 personnel onboard. How many other divers were onboard? -
1982 2 15 Mitchell Gord Canada Hydrospace Saturation Diver in sat onboard the Ocean Ranger which sank in a storm with the loss of all 84 personnel onboard. How many other divers were onboard? -
1982 2 15 Morrison Perry Canada Hydrospace Saturation Canadian, aged 24, diver in sat onboard the Ocean Ranger which sank in a storm with the loss of all 84 personnel onboard. How many other divers were onboard, which contractor,? -
1982 2 15 Rig 'Ocean Ranger' Canada Odeco Semi Submersible,drillig well J-34, Hibernia field for Mobil, sank in a storm off Newfoundland, wave broke porthole/window, seawater in ballast control electrics, listed, rolled over and sank, 84 fatalities, no survivors -
1982 2 15 Rig 'Ocean Ranger' Canada Hydrospace (subsidiary of Taylor Diving Services) Conflicting information that the contractor was Fraser Diving, not Hydrospace Marine Services, a subsidiary of Taylor Diving and Salvage, set up to bid for upcoming Canadian (Hibernia) work. Also that the Sedco 706 was drilling in the same vicinity as the Ocean Ranger (about 10 miles away) and got hit on the same night around the same time by a monster/rogue wave reported as 80' to 90' that stove in the starboard firewall and ripped off the Avgas containers and other fixed equipment. At that time rigs did not carry survival suits and the divers did not routinely carry dry suits offshore. Reported that a lifeboat was successfully launched but collided with the standby vessel as they came alonside to transfer and sank (all aboard perished) -
1982 1 16 Bloomer, USN PO2 Charles W USN US N Submarine “Grayback�, converted for SEAL deployment with diver lockout and SDVs (Swimmer Delivery Systems). Onboard decompression chamber accident during launch/recovery cycle, five fatalities, one survivor. The Bulletin -
1982 1 16 Bond, USN PO3 Richard D USN US N Submarine “Grayback�, converted for SEAL deployment with diver lockout and SDVs (Swimmer Delivery Systems). Onboard decompression chamber accident during launch/recovery cycle, five fatalities, one survivor. The Bulletin -
1982 1 16 Fitz, USN FN Rodney L USN US N Submarine “Grayback�, converted for SEAL deployment with diver lockout and SDVs (Swimmer Delivery Systems). Onboard decompression chamber accident during launch/recovery cycle, five fatalities, one survivor. The Bulletin -
1982 1 16 Robinson, USN ENS William C USN US N Submarine “Grayback�, converted for SEAL deployment with diver lockout and SDVs (Swimmer Delivery Systems). Onboard decompression chamber accident during launch/recovery cycle, five fatalities, one survivor. The Bulletin -
1982 1 16 Shelton, USN SA Leslie C USN US N Submarine “Grayback�, converted for SEAL deployment with diver lockout and SDVs (Swimmer Delivery Systems). Onboard decompression chamber accident during launch/recovery cycle, five fatalities, one survivor. The Bulletin -
1982 0 0 Andersom, USN SI Martin USA USN Died in a diving accident related to recovering a torpedo -
1982 0 0 Gunderson USA SCUBA Paraphrased from press reports from 19/9/2009- “Jerry Gunderson, aged 75, started diving for golf balls in 1953, when he was 19. His passion for diving for golf balls led to the founding of a chain of seven golf-supply stores, was found dead in the centre of the lake at the Deer Creek Country Club in Deerfield Beach on Saturday. Drowned. One of his sons died while diving for golf balls in a lake 27 years ago. "I lost my brother to the water, too," said Jerry Gunderson's other son, Marc, 53 who used to dive for golf balls himself. Jerry Gunderson started retrieving, collecting and reselling golf balls soon after his first dive as a teenager. At first, it was the simple act of fishing out the golf balls in a Lake Worth course in the 1950s, washing them, and reselling them. But he went on to build a Deerfield Beach-based chain of golf-supply stores called International Golf. He sold the business a few years ago and worked as a freelance diver for smaller companies. -
1982 0 0 Not Recorded USSR Military 50 Training dive in Lake Baikal. Reported that during the dive they saw “a group of humanoids dressed in silvery suits�. They tried to catch them, in the process 3 trainees died and 4 were injured. Reported lifted from declassified Soviet “UFO encounter� records in 2009 (Whether you believe narcosis/bad gas/a training error or “Aliens� is up to you, TC) -
1982 0 0 Not Recorded Australia SubSea International 152 S/S Mixed Gas Possibly a bounce dive, bell port started leaking on the bottom, (investigation revealed that the wrong size 'O' ring had been used), they started flushing out with gas, may have run out of gas, so brought the bell up from 500 fsw with the door open On surface, the divers fell out and were re-compressed in sat system. One diver who was conscious and asked for valium for the other diver, but it was denied. The second diver died of heart attack, the other survived. The surviving diver was possibly named Dolan or Doolan, but we have no real details. Date? Vessel? Persons involved? Personal communication. OK guys, who has any additional detail on this 'lost' incident? (Or any others) TC -
1982 0 0 Rig 'Banzala' Angola Jack Up, blowout (Shallow gas?) sank -
1981 12 26 Marmion Mathew USA Aged 20, Long Beach harbour, drowned after getting trapped in an underwater intake of the tanker 'Arco Alaska'. Reported in the Los Angeles times, Telegraph Herald -
1981 10 20 Lee Patrick Singapore SCUBA Aged 21, one of a team of 8 divers, he was reported missing during diving operations to clean the hull of the supply vessel 'Chinta' off Clifford Pier. Around noon they began to run low on air and indicated they were surfacing, he signalled them to carry on. When he failed to surface the other 7 dived in to look for him but not locate him. Not clear if his body was ever recovered. Straits Times -
1981 8 27 Rig 'Petromar V' Thailand Drillship, sank after a blowout (Is this a duplicate rport for the "Petromadrill Norhsea" (sank mid 1980s in similar circumstances) -
1981 7 24 Tay Ah Sai Singapore Aged 41, Fisherman. Vessel owner testified at the inquest that the diver surfaced after half an hour underwater complaining that he felt like he was 'dying'. Two crew members went back into the sea with him to get rid of his bends but he died later of acute decompression sickness. Verdict:- Death by misadventure. Straits Times -
1981 7 11 Craig Gordon UAE Comex S/S Air Installing a welding habitat onto a pipeline in the Zakum Field. Habitat 'hung up' and the diver , wearing a band-mask, was looking for the cause when it dropped, head crushed, died instantly. -
1981 7 1 Chanfays Dominique Brazil Comex S/S Mixed Gas Gas bell bounce dive. Divers carried out their own decompression from inside the bell. Divers opened the decompression without regulating their decompression and literally decompressed themselvs to death. Possible lack of training, possible language problem (French Supervisor/Brazilian divers). A surface to bell umbilical would have allowed the supervisor to control the rate of decompression. Double fatality (Julio Espindola). PC -
1981 7 1 Espindola Julio Brazil Comex S/S Mixed Gas Gas bell bounce dive. Divers carried out their own decompression from inside the bell. Divers opened the decompression without regulating their decompression and literally decompresed themselvs to death. Possible lack of training, possible language problem (French Supervisor/Brazilian divers). A surface to bell umbilical would have allowed the supervisor to control the rate of decompression. Double fatality (Dominique Chanfays). PC -
1981 5 16 Not Recorded USA S/S Air West Delta, Block 31, OCS 0016, Platform H, Exxon. "A contract diver was oxy arc cutting well conductors in approximately 45 feet of water when an explosion of unknown origin occurred. A back up diver was sent down. The diver was found unconscious and tangled in his hose with his diver hat and harness off. He was brought to the surface unconscious. 1 fatality. OCS Incidents data 1956-1990, page 250. -
1981 5 11 Jackson Fred Canada SCUBA Aged 30, salvage operation at lower Cove Terminal, St John Harbour, New Brunswick, grounded freighter, MV 'Opal', surface suppled equipment available, but diver decided to run a hog line under the hull using SCUBA, returned to the support vessel, then rolled onto his side and sank from view. Immediate search could not find the diver (harbour up to 80' deep, low visibility, high currents). Body recovered six weeks later. Coroner determined the cause as drowning (body was found underwater). However, he had been having pains in his neck, shoulder and chest over the previous two days but no tests/autopsy were not done to determine if he had had a heart attack. PC -
1981 2 8 Collins Robert Lee USA Topsides Aged 38, professional diver, died 6 hours after a bomb blew his pick up truck apart in New Orleans - nasty limb loss injuries - . Reports alleged of drug dealing connections, but no details -
1981 2 1 Withheld pending agreement of the diver Gabon Comex 60 S/S Mixed Gas Diver was deployed using SS HeO2 to carry out a short intervention on the subsea experimental template station at Grondin NE field. About 5 min into the dive, diver shouted; "NO AIR" then silence. The standby diver entered the water and located him at about 30 metres tangled in the ROV umbilical with his helmet off. He was unconscious. Brought up to surface and transferred to the DDC attached to the SAT system and given resuscitation and first aid. Breathing was restarted but he remained unconscious. He was blown down to -50m on air. Local Comex diving doctor was flown to the site. She entered the DDC and gave therapeutic medical treatment. The casualty recovered and came out of DDC at end of hyperbaric treatment. He went back to diving and was a member of one of the deepest experimental dive conducted by Comex. The reason for the lack of breathing media could not be ascertained even after multiple tests on the umbilical and panel. The bail out cylinder was found full of water. Reported about a year after that the diving supervisor at the panel admitted not setting up the panel regulator to cater for the water depth. -
1981 0 0 Duke Medical Centre USA 686 Chamber dive to 2,250' at the Duke Medical Centre -
1981 0 0 HMS Edinburgh Salvage Russia 245 Deepest successful diving salvage operation to date, 431 gold ingots recovered from the wreck of HMS 'Edinburgh' -
1981 0 0 Not Recorded Antarctic SCUBA McMurdo research base, American scientist, embolism after using his dry suit as a lift bag to move a piece of steel underwater. He dropped the steel and went straight to the surface. No details. Bonnier Corporation 'SCUBA' News article -
1981 0 0 Rig 'Bohai 6' China Jack Up, no details -
1981 0 0 SI 1981/399 DOW, Diving Operations at Work Regulations came into force -
1980 12 2 Franklin John Henry USA Power Plant Maintenance Inc SCUBA Aged 35, diving at the South Carolina Electric and Gas Company power dam on the Savannah River, just upstream of Augusta, clearing obsrructions from the dam's intake grate, found dead inside the power plant the following day. He had been sucked into the turbine - Two had been shut off, he was sucked into the third (live) intake. 6 violations (4 serious, 1 wilful). No lifeline, no in-water diver to maintain visual contact, no safety manual, no person in charge, no stand-by diver, no emergency procedures/equipment. The Albany Herald -
1980 10 29 O'Sullivan Dermott Norway Oceaneering Diving from the "Sedco Phillips SS", Ekofisk, back injury -
1980 10 22 Rig 'Dan Prince' USA Jack Up, sank during rig move/towing (caught in a storm). -
1980 10 18 Rig 'Maersk Endurer' Egypt Maersk Jack Up, drilling in the Gulf of Suez, blowout, derrick collapsed, 3 fatalities. Rig renamed as the 'EDC Setty' -
1980 10 2 Rig 'Ron Tappmeyer' Saudi Arabia Jack Up, Hasbah Platform well 6, Blow out, 19 fatalities -
1980 10 0 Rig 'Okha' Arctic Jack Up, ran aground in bad weather -
1980 9 25 Ong Ah Lam Singapore SCUBA Aged 53, diver on a fishing vessel (His first trip) which left Singapore on the 16th September, dropped anchor in rough weather but could not lift it when conditions improved on the 24th September. Diver cleared the anchor (depth was not specified at the inquiry) after a 4 hour dive but then complained of stomach pains, weakness in his legs and being unable to urinate. Died the following day 'of acute decompression sickness' whilst en route to Singapore. Coroner recorded a verdict of death by misadventure. Straits Times -
1980 9 18 Not Recorded USA A diver testing effects of cooling water discharge from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) on marine life died Wednesday while collecting samples. No details. Los Angeles Times -
1980 9 3 Galliano Remy Canada French, from Marseilles, aged 30, just starting as a professional diver onboard the 'Calypso' which was on a trip to film the wrecks of the American warships 'Hamilton' and 'Scourge' sank in 1812 in 90 metres of water. Drowned, coroner recorded 'accidental death'. No details. Montreal Gazzette -
1980 8 9 Rig 'Dixilyn Field 81' USA Jack Up, Sunk on location by hurricane 'Allen' -
1980 6 15 Rig 'Bohai 3" China Jack up, blow out, caught fire and burned. 70 fatalities -
1980 6 14 Not Recorded USA 27 S/S Air NP 311, Block 197, Cost Well MODU 'Dan Prince', Well No 1, Arco. "The MV 'Ranger' was engaged in sand bagging operations at the drilling rig 'Dan Prince'. The diver went into the water at 18:00 hours to set sandbags around the legs of the drilling rig on the bottom at 88 feet. He came up at 18:43 and passed out after breaking the surface. The diver was brought up on deck where members of the dive crew removed his gear and immediately began CPR treatment. The medic from the 'Dan Prince' came onboard at 18:56. The medic and casualty were put in the DDC at 19:03 hours. A doctor and his assistants entered the chamber at 20:11 hours and remained until the victim was pronounced dead at 20:32 hours. Cause of death was subsequently determined to be decompression sickness. OCS Incidents database 1956 to 1990, page 305 -
1980 4 16 Novello Sam A Turkey USN Topsides Enlisted in the United States Navy at the outbreak of the Second World War. After seeing heavy action aboard a destroyer in the Pacific Theater, he continued his naval service as a salvage diver, achieving the rank of Master Chief Boatswain's Mate. In the mid-1960s he began a 15 year partnership with the Turkish Navy, helping establish a professional school for Turkish naval divers after which he was assigned to the American Embassy in Istanbul as a senior naval representative. He and his driver were shot by terrorists as he drove to work (One was killed in the subsequent police chase, the other two caught, tried and executed later). Washington Star and naval records. Included here as a he was a career professional diver 'at work' -
1980 3 27 Rig 'Alexander Kielland' Norway Phillips Pentagon semi submersible, Ekofisk Field, flotel at Eddas. Sructural failure, capsised (alternative story that the rig was deliberately sabotaged with explosives), 123 fatalities. No divers onboard -
1980 3 8 Uehara Tadeo Japan Aged 36, Japanese prawn diver from Naha (Okinawa) died after a one metre long needlfish stabbed him in the neck "It was attracted by his light". The same press report notes that a fisherman on nearby Ishigaki Island was killed when a needlefish stabbed him in the chest in September 1979. Reuters -
1980 2 15 Walter Brian Qatar Comex 37 SCUBA Diving untended off Halul Island. Vomited underwater, failed to surface. PC -
1980 2 5 Rig 'Workhorse IX' USA Nabors Jack Up, sank during towing. Salvaged and returned to service -
1980 2 0 Rig 'Topper I' USA Crestwave Jack Up, valve failure, flooded and sank -
1980 1 17 Rig 'Sea Quest' Nigeria Texaco Three leg semi Submersible, built 1967 Harland and Wolff, Belfast as the Sedco 135C, made the first commercial oil find on the UKCS (Arbroath Field in 1969), drilled both Montrose and Forties Fields. Renamed Sea Quest, drilling off Warri, blow out, crew evacuated, caught fire, towed out to sea and scuttled in deep water. -
1980 0 0 Burrows??? Needs to be confirmed Australia McDermott 60 Saturation Australian in his early 40s. Four man sat system on the DB 21 (ex Ingram 7) in the Bass Straight. Bell at around 170', during a dive to the seabed at 198', the diver stopped responding to the supervisor. Bellman attempted to pull him back but by his umbilical but he was caught up on seabed. Bellman put on gear and went to the dive site, found the diver unresponsive, not breathing. Recovered diver to trunking but could not pull him into the bell. The bell was recovered to 150' and the surface (air) diver deployed to help. The bellman and surface standby diver managed to pull the diver into the bell and close the bottom door. Bell recovered and locked on (including the surface air diver). Diver did not respond to treatment. Cause of death, heart attack whilst in the water. Personal Communication. Confirmation of name and details needed (TC). -
1980 0 0 Herr David Indonesia Oceaneering American working the Lapco field, found on the bottom with KM10 off (loose retaining ring, hood pulled off) No details -
1980 0 0 Not Recorded Bahrain Taylor Diving 0 S/S Air American, Taylor Diving (Bahrain) jumping from the deck of a barge into the water, wearing a Swindel, umbilical connection between helmet and harness caught on a projection, ripped off from both helmet and harness, body later recovered from seabed, possibly broken neck -
1980 0 0 Not Recorded India Taylor Diving and Salvage Far East S/S Mixed Gas One of two American divers doing a gas bounce dive from the drillship "Gettysburg" in the Bay of Bengal, locked out diver died (pure He?) Bubblesblower/Longstreath -
1980 0 0 Rig 'Dixilyn 150' Jack Up, Sank, no details -
1980 0 0 Rig 'Harvey Ward' Jack Up, caught in a mudslide, total loss -
1980 0 0 Rig 'Marlin 4' South America Jack Up, Seabed slide, legs collapsed -
1980 0 0 Rig 'Ocean Champion' Egypt Jack Up, bad weather, ran agroound off Port Said -
1979 11 25 Rig 'Bohai 2' China Ocean Oil Company Jack Up, sank during rig move/towing (caught in a storm), 72 fatalities out of a POB of 74 -
1979 11 10 Andrieux Philipe Ghana or Ivory Coast Comex 130 Saturation See 'Wodeco V lost Bell' for details, the three divers in the bell, rescue stand-by diver and a nurse die in this incident. -
1979 11 10 Laubouet Philipe Ghana or Ivory Coast Comex 130 Saturation See 'Wodeco V lost Bell' for details, the three divers in the bell, rescue stand-by diver and a nurse die in this incident. -
1979 11 10 Leca Joseph 'Jo' Ghana or Ivory Coast Comex 130 Saturation See 'Wodeco V lost Bell' for details, the three divers in the bell, rescue stand-by diver and a nurse die in this incident. -
1979 11 10 Lemarchand Gilles Ghana or Ivory Coast Comex 130 Saturation See 'Wodeco V lost Bell' for details, the three divers in the bell, rescue stand-by diver and a nurse die in this incident. -
1979 11 10 Wodeco V lost bell Incident Ghana or Ivory Coast Comex 130 Saturation Entire dive team, including the supervisor, - dived in rotation, bell bounce diving. Single bell lift wire plus two guide wires tied up to the wellhead. About a month prior to the incident, the main wire had been ovalised above the socket but judged fit for purpose. On this day, during bell recovery, when the bell had reached the top of the "A" frame, the wire parted.. The bell ballast hit the water, the bell hit the ballast which had been slowed down entering the water and sank. Communications were lost with the bell. The surface team expected the divers in the bell to shed its ballast, but that did not happen. The team was without supervisor (he was in the bell) and there was no lead diver. On advice from company HQ, they mixed some 10 % Heliox and built a surface umbilical by connecting three lengths of flexible hose. The first diver started breathing the 10 % prior to entering the water and passed out. The rest of the team assumed that this was due to the fact that the components had not "mixed up properly". They equipped the next diver with a bail out cylinder filled with Air, he breathed the Air from the surface and switched to Heliox at 10 metres. On the way down, this diver pulled himself with his arms, head down along one of the bell guide wires instead of "hanging out" in the current on the way down. As a result, him and his umbilical rotated around the bell guide wire several times to the point were he could not progress any more and he exhausted himself in the process. It is possible that he had passed out underwater. The surface crew retrieved him, it needed several men to haul on the umbilical. He was suffering from pulmonary barotrauma. However, he was conscious when he reached the surface, he cleared the several turns the umbilical had made around the guide wire himself. He went in the chamber still conscious and standing with a doctor and male nurse. Short of Helium, so they only pressurized the main lock. The nurse was claustrophobic and started panicking and they had to decompress him. In order to do so, they pressurised the entrance lock with the only gas they had left, air. When the nurse left the chamber he was told that if he was not feeling well to return to the chamber to be treated. Instead he went into hiding, laid down and was found later, dead (Isobaric counter diffusion). The diver died in the chamber (Pulmonary Barotrauma),. -
1979 11 10 Wodeco V lost bell Rescue Ghana or Ivory Coast Comex and Oceaneering 130 Saturation Rescue teams arrived on board perhaps 24 hours after the bell was lost with a team from Oceaneering and a "JIM" atmospheric suit but without their normal winch/umbilical/comms (too heavy to fly) First two dives aborted due to suit flooding and retrieval was hampered by the current, but on the third attempt, the JIM got close enough to see the bell which was not floating up from its ballast but lying on the seabed, indicating that it was flooded or partly flooded. One of the guide wires had ruptured and was no longer attached to the wellhead and there was some tension in the remaining guide wire, so every time the drill ship was lifted by the swell, the was being rolled from side to side on the seabed. The JIM could not get any closer without being hit by the rolling bell so the dive was aborted and the bell grappled (NB, the JIM rescue mission in itself is an epic tale, TC). The bell was caught first time. On deck, some 30 hours after the wire failure, it was established that the bell was 2/3 flooded, both divers were floating face down, dead. Analysis of the bell atmosphere confirmed there was no measurable CO2. Both men had suffered facial injuries, one with a broken nose, one with knee injuries. It is likely that the first shock, when the bell collided with its own ballast, had thrown them down, causing the injuries. They had managed on the way down to open the bell pressurisation valve. The dive was a bounce dive, and decompression had started while the bell was on its was up before the accident. As a result the bell would have started flooding at some point before they even reached the bottom. At some point the inner door had closed, but not before the bell was 2/3 flooded. The pressurisation valve having been open, and left open on the way down, ensured a seal. The two divers (the second diver's identity is not recorded), hurt by the initial impact, drowned. -
1979 10 17 Crouch Stephen UK Topsides Diving Supervisor on the DSV Star Canopus working in the Ninian Field, died in an accident "not involved in diving operations". I have still counted this as a diver at work killed offshore, but can find no details anywhere as to what the "accident" was that "did not involve diving" onboard a saturation diving vessel. Can anybody remember the incident? The only record that I have found so far was the brief announcement above in the Glasgow Herald. TC. -
1979 8 15 Anderson Allan Mexico Taylor Diving and Salvage 50 Saturation American, aged 32, "Ixtox I" blow-out 3rd of June, Bay of Campeche, Mexico, Drill rig "Sedco 135F" sank. Diver died during attempts to shut in the well, off the barge "LB Meaders", caught in vortex at wellhead and blown to the surface. Well finally capped 23/3/1980, second biggest oil-spill in history. Wife and two children aged 11 and 7. -
1979 8 7 Guiel Victor F "Skip" UK Infabco 162 Saturation American, aged 28. DSV "Wildrake", Thistle field, parted bell wire, secondary means of recovery failed, screwed up rescue, died from hypothermia, Double fatality (Walker) -
1979 8 7 Walker Richard A UK Infabco 162 Saturation American, aged 32. DSV "Wildrake", Thistle field, parted bell wire, secondary means of recovery failed, screwed up rescue, died from hypothermia, Double fatality (Guiel) -
1979 6 3 Rig 'SF 135' Mexico PEMEX Three leg semi-submersible. Drilling on IXTOC 1, blow out, major oil release, rig sank. Diver Allan Andersion died on the 15th August during attempts to shut in the well. Well was finally capped 23/3/1980 -
1979 5 10 Rig 'Ranger1' USA Mitchell Energy 3 leg Jack Up built 1968 drilling block 189L. Between 1500 and 1800 hours in the afternoon experienced a violent shudder, with personnel reporting it as a violent shaking or a vertical fall of up to 30cm. Up to an hour was spent trying to locate the cause of the movement without success. Work aboard the rig then continued, including the offloading of supplies from the Delta Seahorse supply boat. At about 2230, prior to a shift change, the Ranger I collapsed into the sea. The stern leg, below the accommodation block, broke near the connection to the support mat causing the upper hull to fall stern-first and strike the Delta Seahorse. The bow legs supported the upper hull for a short time, then collapsed, allowing the upper hull to fall to the sea. The upper hull then separated from the legs, drifted to the west and sank over the course of the following day. Prior to the initial collapse, most of the crew were in the living quarters, with 13 men in the galley. The survivors reported experiencing a rapid fall followed by sudden jolt as the upper hull struck the water. The lower floor of the accommodation unit flooded instantly to a depth of 2-3 feet. The men escaped either through the galley's port door or through galley windows taking seat cushions or life jackets for floatation. Three patterns developed: one group gathered at the helideck; a second group swam to the Delta Seahorse whilst a third jumped overboard to get away from the upper hull before it sank. The Delta Seahorse, alongside the Ranger I, signaled a MAYDAY and picked up four crew from the water, going on to co-ordinate further rescue operations. The Miss Angela, busy towing another rig at the time of the collapse, was also dispatched to aid the rescue and picked up a further 14 men. Coast Guard helicopters recovered another four men from the water. Eight men lost their lives in the accident, with many of the survivors suffering serious injuries. The remains of the rig were later salvaged and examined by the U.S. Coast Guard. The investigating board concluded that the Ranger I had collapsed as a result of an existing fatigue crack in the stern leg, near the connection to the mat. At around 1700 hours on 10 May 1979, the crack had rapidly propagated around the leg, causing the leg to break and the rig to shudder. Over the following hours, a combination of dynamic and static loading dislodged the broken leg and caused the rig to collapse. -
1979 5 6 Wells Robert Lloyd USA S/S Air Aged 33. Quote:- “Working at the Simtag Farms intake pumps at the confluence of Willow Creek and the Columbia River when his air lines apparently were sucked into the pumps and cut. His partner was at the surface at the time. When he realised something was wrong, he dove under and attempted to free Wells and bring him up for air but the lines were stuck in the intake pumps and another diver had to be called before Wells could be freed, police said� Reported in the Tri City Herald. -
1979 5 5 Eke B E UK Maritime Offshore Products 31 S/S Air British, aged 34. Southern North Sea installation 48/29C, Over inflated dry suit, entangled in water jet equipment, helmet came detached, drowned -
1979 0 0 Harrison Jim "Piggy" UAE Topsides Ex RN Clearance Diver, killed in a road accident in Sharjah on the way to work. PC -
1979 0 0 Krausky Bruno Indonesia Hydrospace Australian, from Cairns, one year out of dive school, diving off the "Wodeco IV" or "Wodeco VII" in the Natuna field, Indonesia, on descent instead of switching to 90/10 Heliox at 40' was switched to pure He. Bubbles blower/Longstreath -
1979 0 0 McKerlich Jock or Jack UK Northern Divers 6 S/S Air Inquest was held in Banf in May 1980, date of fatality not known. (Jack was the younger brother of Sarge McKerlich who died in a commercial diving accident in 1984). Aged 21 from Kyle of Lochalsh, working in Macduff harbour, post lunch dive (reported as havng had 2 pints of beer with a bar lunch), vomited, no suit inflation, negatively buoyant, could not stay on surface, tender continued to pay out slack, burst Aorta. Reported at the inquest that 'drinking and diving is common practice on civil engineering contracts'. A diving inspector claimed he would not have been allowed to go for a drink if stricter rules - "now under consideration" - had been implemeted. Fellow diver stated that the primary cause of him vomiting was the 12' jump into the cold harbour water. Reported in the Glasgow Herald -
1979 0 0 NEDU USA USN 549 Saturation Using the 'Ocean Simulator Facility (OSF), NEDU divers completed a 37 programme to a maximum depth of 1,800' -
1979 0 0 Not Recorded France 10 S/S Air French, inspecting a valve in a nuclear power station plant water system, sucked in. The valve had been key locked by client , but unfortunately 'in open position'. -
1979 0 0 Not Recorded USA Chamber Described as 'practising welding in a chamber' at 6.8 bara (190 fsw), a student diver was fatally burned when his polyester clothes ignited from welding sparks. He had violated the established safety protocol that required him to stand waist deep in water while welding. The only thing consumed by the fire was his clothing. Sheffield and Desautels “Hyperbaric and hypobaric Chamber fires, a 73 year analysis�, Undersea Hyperbaric Medicine, 1997, 24 (3): 153-164 -
1979 0 0 Not Recorded Japan Chamber Clinical chamber (Hospital) fire, one patient killed, 6 bystanders injured when a patient lit a cigarette inside a chamber during HPBO treatment. The unconscious pateient was placed inside the chamber when the operator was persuaded to proceed quickly by anxious friends of the patient. When the patient regained consciousness he attempted to light a cigarette causing a fire and explosion that killed him and injured 6 bystanders. How the fire escaped the chamber is not reported. Sheffield and Desautels “Hyperbaric and hypobaric Chamber fires, a 73 year analysis�, Undersea Hyperbaric Medicine, 1997, 24 (3): 153-164. -
1979 0 0 Not Recorded Ireland Smit Paraphrased from Wikipedia. The Betelgeuse incident, also known as the Betelgeuse or Whiddy Island disaster, occurred on 8 January 1979, at around 1:00 am., when the oil tanker 'Betelgeuse' exploded in West Cork at the offshore jetty of the Whiddy Island Oil Terminal, due to the failure of the ship's structure during an operation to discharge its cargo of oil. The explosion and resulting fire claimed the lives of 50 people (42 French nationals, 7 Irish nationals and 1 United Kingdom national). Only 27 bodies were recovered. A further fatality occurred during the salvage operation with the loss of a Dutch diver. The salvage firm raised the Betelgeuse in four sections. The first section (the bow) was towed out to open water, 100 miles offshore, and scuttled. This measure attracted protests from the fishing community, so two further sections were sealed up and towed to breaking yards in Spain for disposal. A fourth section was broken up locally. During the salvage operation, the life of a diver was lost. The last section was not removed until July 1980. Local fishing grounds were badly contaminated and a clean-up was not finally complete until 1983. -
1979 0 0 Not Recorded Egypt Military Suez canal was cleared for vessels by mid-1975. One report states “Only one man, an Egyptian diver, has been killed in the canal clearing. However 100 Egyptian soldiers have died stripping both banks of the canal of nearly 700,000 mines last year�. The Rock Hill Herald. -
1979 0 0 Not Recorded Netherlands 14 SCUBA Dutch diver, preparing to weld, just vanished. Not confirmed, just rumour. -
1979 0 0 Sedco 1 Spain Ocean Systems International 91 Saturation 9 miles off Tarragona, Ocean Systems twin DDC and ADS IV Bell system as a surface supplied mix gas bell bounce (saturation abort) 2 man dive system, the bell was locked onto the DDC and the tube turn [trunk] clamps closed via a control panel on the Trunk and then a set [two] of locking bolts set in slots on top of the two halves of the clamps, there was a concise lock off/on procedure. Team management was less than satisfactory. Lack of team co-ordination and the attitude of “I thought that was done” was in essence the main cause of the accident by explosive decompression, dual fatality. Bell seal was broken from TUP, system came to surface in seconds. Note, another, conflicting, report indicates there were 4 divers in the system and it was being used as a saturation spread rather than gas bounce drill support with three dead on arrival at surface and one died later, (He may have partially managed to close a door. All this has come from personal e-mail communications, we need details, confirmation, names and dates, TC. Update: Date given as September 1979, but may not be accurate. Sedco drilling rig, 9 miles off Tarragona, Ocean Systems twin DDC and ADS IV Bell system as a surface supplied mix gas bell bounce (saturation abort) 2 man dive system, the bell was locked onto the DDC and the tube turn [trunk] clamps closed via a control panel on the Trunk and then a set [two] of locking bolts set in slots on top of the two halves of the clamps, there was a concise lock off/on procedure. Dive to release an AX ring. Freddie and Jimmy commenced a dive, Jimmy freaked, bell recovered and a third diver, Norman, was blown in. Jimmy calmed down and it was decided to send Jimmy and Norman down as (small) Freddie's suit was too big and he got very cold. Divers went through into the TUP and the O-ring blew and they went from 400' to surface in a few seconds. Freddie was injured (Cerebral and vestibular damage, many years treatment at Haslar and Newcastle University, still has life altering effects), but saved when hatch blew shut. Supervisor was also called Norman, may have committed suicide. No known reports - does anybody have information on this incident? -
1978 12 13 Lim Meng Kian Singapore 2 S/S Air Aged 26. Working on a fishing boat, returning from a voyage into the Indian Ocean when the boat slowed. "Mr Lim, who had some diving experience, volunteered to investigate" using an air hose attached to a compressor. He reported that the vessel's propeller was entangled in rope and took a knife to cut it. After 20 minutes, tugs on his air hose got no response and a second crew member went in to investigate. Diver was motionless in the water, air hose entangled in the propeller, but still had his mask on. Recovered to deck but did not respond to treatment. The coroner commented that there was no apparent reason why he could not have removed his mask and come to the surface from a depth of 2.1 metres and that there was insufficient evidence to show how the diver drowned. "The mask, air hose and compressor were examined and found to be trouble-free". Inquest held in March 1979 recorded an open verdict. Straits Times -
1978 11 36 Ward Mike UK Northern Divers 116 Saturation British, aged 25. Beryl Alpha, DSV "Star Canopus", DP incident inside anchor pattern, lost bell, double fatality (Prangley), hypothermia, drowning -
1978 11 26 Prangley Tony UK Northern Divers 116 Saturation British, aged 28. Beryl Alpha, DSV "Star Canopus", DP incident inside anchor pattern, lost bell, double fatality (Ward), hypothermia/drowning -
1978 9 15 Jantan Maludin bin Singapore Keppel Shipyard S/S air Aged 31, diving at the Temasek dry dock in the Tuas Yard (Keppel Shipyards). Called in to work on a broken dock gate wire Reported as drowned due to an acute lack of oxygen (One of the three three cylinders of compressed air issued to him was a nirtogen cylinder). They seem to have been using surface cylinders/umbilical similar to an SRP set up but without panel/back-up gas. The diver changed cylinders and returned to the water after a tea break but after a few minutes topsides realised there were no bubbles coming up, tugged on his lifeline, no response. Diver pulled to the surface, unconscious, transferred to hospital, declared dead. At the inquest, Singapore Oxygen Air Limited (SOXAL) stated they had supplied 25 cylinders of compressed air for industrial use (Light grey) and one cylinder of Nitrogen (Light grey with a black top) a few months earlier and that each cylinder also had a label stating the contents attached before they left the factory. They also added that cylinders with light grey bodies and black and white quarters at the top contained air for medical uses. The storeman who issued the tanks on the day had not noticed any gas contents labels on the cylinders but recalled that the cylinders were gray and at least one had black and white quarters. Additionally he said that he was not aware of which gases were in cylinders with different markings nor what colour a nitrogen cylinder should be as he was not in charge of sorting them. Investigators did not find any label on the Nitogen cylinder used by the diver. The Coroner recorded an open verdict and criticised the parties involved for their apparent lack of safety consciousness. Straits Times -
1978 7 10 Not Recorded USA Aged 41, reported as being killed by an attack of the bends whilst being treated in a ship's decompression chamber on a $5.3 million dollar outfall project at Aliso Beach (Part of Laguna Beach, South of Los Angeles). No details. Los Angeles Times -
1978 5 21 Not Recorded USA Ship Shoal, Block 114, OCS 64, Platform SOB, Odeco. "A diver was removing a valve in the oil storage tank when a nipple on the air compressor broke, reducing his air supply. On syrfacing in the tank, diver removed his helmet and was overcome by toxic fumes and drowned". OCS Incident database -
1978 5 8 Godey Gerard Congo Comex Topsides Opened a regeneration tower that had not been purged, crushed chest. (No interlock mechanism). PC -
1978 3 31 Fewer Douglas USA NOAA 14 SCUBA 23 years old, from Broooklyn, diving with a colleague in the New York Bight off Long Island collecting water samplers. His dive partner said that Fewer disappeared while they were working. The diver was found unconscious and picked up by a Coastguard cutter and then transferred to Air Force hekicopter and flown to Groton (Connecticut) for treatment, but declared dead on arrival there. No details. Virgin Islands Daily News. -
1978 2 7 Hoover David R Norway Taylor Diving and Salvage. Brown and Root 324 305 Saturation American, aged 28, hyperbaric weld demonstration from the Brown and Root Barge 324. Older sources quote O2 starvation (Gas mixer had low O2), no bailout (Warner), but the Norwegian authorities cited CO2 buid up, a 2003 report by the NSDA concluded (because of reports including bright red froth/blood on his lips) that the actual cause of death was a high ppO2 (16 bar), and that he had been put on 50/50 He/O2. -
1978 2 1 Rig Orion' UK Jack Up, broke loose during tow, ran aground on Guernsey -
1978 0 0 Names witheld at the request of the diver UK Wharton Williams 145 Saturation DSV 'Tender Carrier', working diver fed pure helium from a McDermott blender (sensors failed) and became unconscious. Recovered by bell partner, (ex Royal marine) and brought to surface. Brain damage meant him having to re-learn how to walk. Off work six months but then continued to dive until 1986. -
1978 0 0 Not Recorded USA 6 SCUBA �The victim was diving alone in 18 feet of water trying to find out why fishing nets were getting fouled on the bottom. He had not been diving for 5 years and the equipment had not been used for equally as long. The victim entered the water and never resurfaced. He was recovered two and a half hours later� Reported in the statistics of the University of Michigan, Michigan Sea Grant Program, 1979. (Not sure whether this is a true professional fatality so it is excluded from the count TC) -
1978 0 0 O'Grady Rodney USA Taylor Diving, Brown and Root 266 Went up the inlet of the jet sledge system on a 'Root and Scoot' jet barge (They never shut down the pumps completely because "it took too long to re prime then"). Another report, Paraphrased and (much sanitized TC) appeared on the 'Offshore Diver' website: “He was doing a routine ditch check when they ran up the RPMs on the impeller below deck. Bid blenders is what they are. They created the suction so all the jetted mud would go up to the barge via an approx. 14" hose and to the impeller, then shot overboard. I heard tell it was one of the newer guys that had just got on the barge that season. Paying no attention....he rev'ed up the impellers right when Rodney was checking if there was water under the pipe. Just a short yell, that was all. The steel stingers on either side of the pipe were oval-ish shaped, and again, about 14-16" wide. Well, poor Rodney, who was a regular on the 266 went right up the stinger to the heavy (like weatherford) walled hose and into the impeller, where he was ground to fish food and pumped overboard. The barge crew stopped all activity and had a closed door meeting, no divers. (Deleted, TC). The couple of tenders and the one barge diver left where called in. That's why they called us...to search the sea floor for Rodney, what was left of Rodney. That's where I leave it. Rodney wore a Miller, they are pretty tough. The casket was small. Use your imagination. We should have been allowed to Keel haul the dumb yokel that killed him. But he was gone already. I never went back there. Used to like going there as a tender as they dove us on ditch checks a good bit, even to 180' on air. I should count my lucky stars. Long to short: (Allegedly) big cover up. (Deleted) Two years later I was in sat on the Phillips SS only about 10k from the Byford Dolfin when the guys were killed. I remember the LST calling in and having us shut the hatch to the bell (it was overhead, we'd just leave it down!) and set-up the hatches to the living areas so that if the bell blew off due to some numb-skull opening the trunk they would slam shut. Open and inch or two was cool for gas circulation. So, that's where lock out tag out came from and where bell interlocks came from, I like to think so Rodney did not die horribly for absolutely nothing� -
1978 0 0 Riddett Richard 'Dick" Taiwan Samson Ocean Systems Working for Samson Ocean Sustems out of Singapore, reported as having died on a rig offshore Taiwan. No other deails. Old Divers Noticeboard -
1978 0 0 White or Whitehouse? David UK Reg Clucas (Civil Engineering) Working for hydrospace in India, went on leave to the UK (via Sharjah) and was killed in a burning explosion underneath a small barge or tanker during his field break. PC. Has anybody got aditional details? -
1977 12 12 Hassan Abdul Hamid bin Singapore Selco Malaysian, aged 32, underwater repir work on the American aircraft carrier 'Midway' with fellow diver John Then, off Manof War Anchorage, 'got into difficulties',was found unconscious in the water, died on arrival in hospital. No other details. Straits Times -
1977 10 17 Azzopardi P S UK Comex 91 Saturation British, aged 21. Semi-sub drill rig "Zephy I", ODECO, English Channel, KMD 16 helmet off (no safety pin), strong currents, bellman could not reach him, drowned -
1977 10 14 Cailleux Claude Netherlands 26 French diver, died of chest injuries from HP gas release when opening up subsea valve, reported as "25mm @ 7MPa"? Press reported a gas leak from a pipeline 8 miles from the broken pipeline valve after the accident that killed a French diver. Straits Times -
1977 10 7 Gilliam Stewart Topsides Diving Supervisor, killed in personnel basket transfer incident, DSV "Seaway Falcon" -
1977 10 3 Murphy R L UK Taylor Diving and Salvage 30 S/S Air Trench barge 316, dredging operation, Snagged subsea on stinger? Lost comms. Cut umbilical, bailout not activated, asphixia? -
1977 9 0 Rig 'Dolphin Titan 143' Jack Up, sank during towing, salvaged but retired. -
1977 8 20 Sansalone D UK Subsea Oil Services 23 SCUBA Italian, aged 29. Pipelay barge "Semac I", Working on stinger, 2 working divers plus stand-by, lost comms, continued working, Inexperienced in prevailing conditions, drowned -
1977 7 10 Petrecz Paul F USA Harmonville Volunteer Fire Department 15 SCUBA Aged 29, Montgomery County volunteer fire-fighter/diver, one of a team of 30 searching Muddy Run Lake for the body of a 22 year old who drowned whilst swimming. 'Tangled in a guideline and ran out of air' Reported as a veteran diver by fire officials. Beaver County Times -
1977 7 0 Rig 'Ocean Master II' West Africa Loffland Brothers Built in 1966 by LeTourneau at Vicksburg, Mississippi. Rig move from New Orleans to Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in June 1977 towed by the vessels Clyde and Thames through the Carribbean during Hurricane Alma and then crossed the Atlantic without incident. At the end of July 1977, off coast of Sierra Leone, the Clyde and Thames were relieved by the Zwarte Zee, which continued the tow towards Nigeria. After the change of boats, the rig encountered bad weather and suffered structural failure and flooding which led to the sinking and eventual loss of the rig. No other details -
1977 5 10 Hoffman C H UK IUC 152 Saturation American, aged 22. Venture 1, conflicting reports, had finished dive, acting as bellman, either fell unconscious in the bell and drowned in trunking or fainted and fell through hatch, recovered by diver but he then drowned in trunking, possible pO2 issue? UPDATE: See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venture_One_diving_accident -
1977 3 5 Lock Teng Kwang Singapore Aged 23, cleaning dive on the vessel 'Kota Setia' at the western anchorage found under the vessel without his diving equipment -
1977 2 11 Joseph Pat USA Fred Devine and Salvage 15 Salvage operations on the tanker “Sansitena� in Los Angeles harbour, Berth 46 (Blew up while alongside, 9 dead, 36 injured in the initial blast 17th December 1976) , had been in the water two hours osy arc cutting operations, gas pocket, underwater explosion, reported as “diver stricken with bends when he surfaced after an underwater explosion�. Also reported that he was the second diver injured on that job in four days. Although he remained in the industry, he was never able to dive again after the accident.. Los Angeles Times, PC. -
1977 2 1 Solberg Ole Jan On NSDA database as American, possible fatality for a Norwegian company -
1977 1 12 Rig 'Scan Sea' West Pacific Jack Up, sank during rig move/towing -
1977 1 2 Dubois Norbert France Comex Topsides Off Brittany Coast. Caught between the bell and chamber during TUP, crushed chest. Delayed medivac as the French Navy helicopter did not fly at night. PC -
1977 0 0 Beckham Charles Hiram USA Ocean Systems S/S Air Diving supervisor (Had also been a diving supervisor on the 'Gettysburg' in Asia in 1975/76), diving under a barge in heavy gear, believed to have been in a 'blow up' on the far side of the barge. Details needed. OK Dude/Longstreath -
1977 0 0 Pickering Mike UK S/S Air Civil engineering, Nigg dry dock gate, differential pressure, sucked up pipe, drowned -
1977 0 0 Rig 'Placid 66' Jack Up, sank, no details. -
1976 12 24 Moore M R or H R UK Comex 0 SCUBA British, aged 29. Drill rig "Sedneth 701". Heavy swell, difficulty getting into basket, tried to swim to stand-by boat, presumed drowned, possibly run over by stand-by vessel, body never recovered. -
1976 12 4 Nabusset Norbert France Comex SCUBA Off Brittany coast. Dived from one moonpool to the other in high current, tide took him away, dragged back by lifeline but lost head gear, drowned. PC -
1976 11 24 Liang Tan Boon Singapore Underwater Mairenance Company Aged 23, hull cleaning with 5 other divers on the Barber lines vessel 'Trinidad' at the Western Anchorage, propeller started injuring him. A search was launched and he was recovered from the water, taken to hospital and declared dead 2 hours later. Straits Times -
1976 11 4 Meeham C V UK KD Marine 0 SCUBA American, aged 24. Semi-sub drilling rig "Ocean Voyager", night dive to connect anchor pennants, surface tending, rough weather (Outside KD policy, being pushed by Company man on rig), lines entangled in pontoon anodes, knocked unconscious? Double fatality (Spensley) -
1976 11 4 Spensley H W UK KD Marine 0 SCUBA British, aged 24. Semi-sub drilling rig "Ocean Voyager", night dive to connect anchor pennants, surface tending, rough weather (Outside KD Policy, pushed by Company man on rig), lines entangled in pontoon anodes, knocked unconscious? Double fatality (Meecham), drowned -
1976 10 25 Soonee Mohamed bin Amin Borneo SCUBA Aged 48, onboard a Singaporean registered fishing vessel working 100 miles off the North Borneo coast. Propeller entangled with rope and nets, went in to clear it around 15:00 hours. Did not surface. Other crew members spent three hours searching for him before they saw his SCUBA gear hanging on the propeller. As it was dark they abandoned the search until the morning After a thre or four hour search the following day, they recovered his body from the seabed. The coroner recorded a verdict of misadventure, cause of death was certified as asphixia due to drowning. Straits Times -
1976 9 6 Distier Mike USA 12 SCUBA Aged 28, diving for tropical fish of Big Pine Bay, reported as gear failure, breath held to surface, went into a coma, spent 8 hours in NOAA's Miami chamber, died in a Miami hospital. Not clear if this was a commercial dive. Reported in the St Petersberg Times. -
1976 9 3 Critchfield Scott USA Aqua Hut 4 SCUBA Aged 22, Bowling Green Country Club Golf course, working on a submerged pump supplying a sprinkler system, colleague "Turned on the pump at a pre-arranged signal", about 30 seconds later the diver 'came struggling to the surface'. He went to get a rope but when he returned, the diver had disappeared. The diver's body was recovered about 20 feet from the shore. Possible electrocution, but no details. Toledo Blade. -
1976 8 20 Yore USN Thomas John "TJ" Denmark Military US Navy diver, reported as 'Lost at sea off Greenland 20th August, declared dead 30th September". No other details. Navydivers.net -
1976 8 10 Gohon Gerard North Sea Comex Topsides Caught his head between the bell and DDC during TUP, permanent paralysis. PC -
1976 7 14 Dupuy R UK ETPM 16 S/S Air French, aged 24. Barge "ETPM 701", mask fitting broke, common supply to main and bailout, drowned, cerebral annoxia. -
1976 5 13 Dymott C UK SBM Anglesey 37 SCUBA British, aged 26, drowned. 2 divers reported in trouble, located by stand-by(s) on seabed. Dymott with mouthpiece out, dive time listed as 5 hours? -
1976 5 12 Hubert Nicholas UK North Sea Diving Services 37 S/S Air British, aged 24. Pipelay barge "PT One Elfa Norge", looking for a broken transponder on the bottom of the TP1 under construction in Loch Fyne. After an uneventful dive he was approaching the surface when he died. It subsequently turned out that the transponder was not broken and the fault was on the surface. The cause of death was reported as AGE (Arterial Gas Embolism) through diving with a chest infection, lung collapse, pulmonary barotrauma -
1976 5 3 Dobson Anthony (Tony) UK Comex 37 S/S Air British, aged 30. Pipelay barge "Orca", stinger checks, either umbilical snagged subsea, pulled out of basket during recovery, extended umbilical (OD), or fouling of long umbilical in tideway, lost mouthpiece (HSE), stand-by diver could not reach him, drowning -
1976 4 16 Rig 'Ocean Express' USA Marathon Rig move from Mustang Island to a new location in Mustang Island East, 33 miles away towed by the Gulf Knight, Gulf Explorer and Gulf Viking. At 2300, the rig was about 1 mile from new location and jacking-down of the mat commenced but sea conditions deteriorated, with seas up to around 10 feet by 0600 on 15 April. Through the day, the seas continued to build with swells washing over the decks by afternoon and some water leaking into the accommodation. At 1510, one of the Gulf Knight's engines failed, followed by the parting of the Gulf Viking's towline at 1930. Numerous attempts were made to reattach the Gulf Viking's towline but heavy seas breaking over the deck frustrated the crews efforts. The water also shifted some of the drillpipe stored in racks on the deck, which the crew tried to resecure. As a result of the water washing over the deck and the loose pipe, work on the towline and pipe was abandoned as conditions became too hazardous. Around 2000, a Coast Guard helicopter was despatched to evacuate the crew. At 2115, the derrick shifted to starboard giving the rig an immediate starboard list of up to 25 degrees. The crew then abandoned the rig using survival capsules #1 and #3, sailing into 25 foot seas with 65 mph winds. The Barge Mover remained behind in an attempt to save the rig. However, when the Coast Guard chopper arrived at 2120, the Barge Mover requested evacuation from the heildeck then ordered the tugs to let go their towlines. The Coast Guard chopper then made two abortive approach attempts, during which time the rig's list increased to an estimated 45 degrees. The pilot's complete lack of visual reference in the night while attempting to hover over the rig rendered the extraction almost impossible but on the chopper's third approach, the winchman managed to lower the passenger basket just in time to scoop up the Barge Mover. The pilot said later that it appeared at this point that the chopper was rapidly losing altitude. The truth was that the rig was actually capsizing and the bow helideck was swinging up underneath the chopper. Seconds after the Barge Mover was picked up, the rig capsized to starboard. The 14 crew in capsule #1 were rescued by the Nicole Martin survey vessel, whose captain maneuvered the capsule into the lee of the vessel, allowing the crew to jump from the capsule to the Nicole Martin. Capsule #3 was not so lucky. After coming alongside the Gulf Viking, the capsule was flipped unexpectedly by the high seas and rapidly half-filled with water, preventing the capsule from self-righting. An air pocket formed inside the capsule, but after around 30 minutes only 7 men had managed to escape from it. The other 13 crew were found drowned the next day still inside the capsule. Loss of directional control, resulting from the towline breaking and engine failure, was considered the primary cause of the capsize. One of the Marine Investigation Board's findings was that 'allowing a low freeboard self-elevating drilling unit to drift broadside to boarding seas... is an invitation for loss'. The report also noted that the possibility existed that grounding of the rig may have contributed to the capsize. Both the increased weight from boarding seas and the angle of the starboard list allowing the mat to touch bottom may well have resulted in a 'tripping action' which increased the rig's heel to starboard. USCG Reports -
1976 3 26 Mitchell Michael Jay Singapore General Marine American, aged 29 from Seattle, died in hospital following a salvage dive from the barge 'Federal 401' during which his left foot was trapped in an air vent underwater. No other details. Straits Times -
1976 3 1 Rig 'Deep Sea Driller' Norway Semi Sub, drifted and grounded in a storm, 6 fatalities. -
1976 2 0 Rig 'W. D. Kent' UAE Jack Up, off Dubai, hit by barge during a storm, sank -
1976 1 17 Bannister Derek A UK Comex 73 Saturation PSV "Smit Lloyd 112", buoyant bell with the bell weights suspended underneath bell, this allowed the bell to sit on the seabed minimising the action of swell. Apparently the bell was moved and in the process the bell weights were ripped off. Bell bottom door open, uncontrolled ascent, pulmonary barotrauma.. His bell partner (Clay Ellis) died. He survived, but was very severely injured. -
1976 1 17 Ellis Clay UK Comex 73 Saturation American, aged 20. PSV "Smit Lloyd 112", buoyant bell with the bell weights suspended underneath bell, this allowed the bell to sit on the seabed minimising the action of swell. Apparently the bell was moved and in the process the bell weights were ripped off. Bell bottom door open, uncontrolled ascent, pulmonary barotrauma. Died. His bell partner (Derek Bannister) survived, but was very severely injured -
1976 1 12 Howell RN John "Scouse" UK Subsea 146 Saturation British, aged 27. He was still in the Navy, but on EVT (Spending time with prospective employees prior to leaving the armed forces). Semi-sub drill rig "Western Pacesetter 1". He passed out shortly after leaving bell, officially reported as suspected switched off own gas by knocking ball valve, drowning/hypoxia, but other sources indicate his gas was contaminated and he passed out on the seabed. His bellman could not (or would not) get him back into the bell and tied him to the outside of the bell and removed his helmet. The body was taken to RNPL for autopsy, cause of death, drowning. -
1976 1 0 Rig 'Gatto Selvatico' AGIP Jack Up, sank -
1976 0 0 Gordon Hugh On NSDA database as American, possible fatality for a Norwegian company -
1976 0 0 Not Recorded 121 Saturation A faulty welding device reported as causing a fire in a bell whilst at 400' resulting in the death of both divers, Sheffield and Desautels “Hyperbaric and hypobaric Chamber fires, a 73 year analysis�, Undersea Hyperbaric Medicine, 1997, 24 (3): 153-164. Can anyone recall this incident, it does not appear to be reported anywhere else (TC)? -
1976 0 0 Riddett Richard 'Dick' Asia Ocean Systems? (tbc) 61 S/S Air Australian, diving off one of the Diamand M rigs (Dragon or General?). Stopped responding to signals, brought to surface and pronounced dead. Details needed. OK Dude/Longstreath. -
1976 0 0 Rig 'Baku 2' Caspian Jack Up, sank after capsising (Punch through) -
1975 10 17 Peterson Barry USA SCUBA Aged 21, sports diver, drowned when he was sucked into the 2,600 foot long cooling water inlet pipe of Southern California Edison power plant. An Edison spokesman commented that he could have surfaced safely in the holding tank 'but police stated he probably didn't realise that'. (On the other hand, it is entirely probable he drowned somewhere inside the half mile long pipe? TC) Google News Archive. Edison settled out of court in 1979 ($100,000). -
1975 10 16 Yagushi Koji Singapore Toa Harbour Works Company S/S Air Japanese, described as a 'master diver' aged 49, diving with other divers from the launch 'Sentosa' on the PUB submarine cables South-West of Singapore (off Jurong Shipyard). The launch followed the diver as he walked on the seabed between the Esso mainland jetty and Pulau Ayer Chawan. His tender said that there was a violent tug on the line and hose at about 11:00. He pulled but they would not budge. They stopped the launch and a crewmember dived in to see that the line and hose were entangled in the propeller. They pulled him to the surface but 'he was already dead". At the inquest a former Naval diving unit officer testified that 'he might still be alive if other members of his diving team had been qualified divers as they would have acted faster and would have known exactly what to do which might have prevented the death of the diver'. Straits Times -
1975 9 25 Wendelaar Joachim USA 322 German, aged 36, from Hamburg, described as a veteran diver with the West German shipbuilder GKSS, was part of a three man team preparatory works to the 100 ton underwater NOAA habitat 'Helgoland' sponsored by the US, West Germany, Poland and Norway off Roskport. Quote “It appeared something went wrong with his oxygen regulator and he suffered the bends on surfacing�. Confused reporting - it appears he actually fell unconscious on deck, initially reported as a surface accident - but no details Reported in 'The Hour' -
1975 9 9 Baldwin Roger UK Oceaneering 119 Saturation British, aged 29, Ex RN CD2 ( not ex Royal Marine Corporal as reported elsewhere). Died in the same year he left the Navy. Semi-sub drill rig "Waage II", Bell Bounce diving, divers using dry-suits and known to be cold, end of bell run, TUP deliberately overheated to help compensate for potential hypothermia. After locking on, bell was isolated and decompressed. Single gauge for both bell and TUP, cross over open, Supervisor believed TUP was losing pressure and re-pressurised Excessive heat/depth, died of heat exhaustion. Double fatality (Peter Holmes) -
1975 9 9 Holmes Peter UK Oceaneering 119 Saturation British, aged 24. Semi-sub drill rig "Waage II", Bell Bounce diving, divers using dry-suits and known to be cold, end of bell run, TUP deliberately overheated to help compensate for potential hypothermia. After locking on, bell was isolated and decompressed. Single gauge for both bell and TUP, cross over open, Supervisor believed TUP was losing pressure and re-pressurised Excessive heat/depth, died of heat exhaustion. Double fatality (Roger Baldwin) -
1975 9 0 Rig 'AMDP-1' UAE Jack Up, sank during rig move/towing -
1975 8 29 Gates Robert USA Clarmac Marine Construction 4 SCUBA Aged 19, Halifax River at Ormand Beach, Emergency repairs to a 10� water main (Anchor damage) 200 yards to the North side of Granada Bridge, diving with a colleague doing final flange bolting of a new line, the other diver surfaced but moments later, at around 18:00 his bubbles ceased, divers went back in but were unable to locate him. About 20:00 divers on the barge suggested the use of grapples to search from a boat and found the body but it dropped back into the water, finally recovered a short time later, declared dead on site. Daytona Beach Morning Gazzette. -
1975 8 2 Boulay Serge Italy Comex Topsides Oilfield diving. Oxygen transfer inside a container on deck of the Glomar V, O2 leakage, possibly exacerbated by dust, flash fire. Hot weather, three crew were only wearing shorts. Died in hospital. Triple fatality (with Philipe Salvatori and Noel Shneider ). PC -
1975 8 2 Salvatori Philipe Italy Comex Topsides Oilfield diving. Oxygen transfer inside a container on deck, O2 leakage, possibly exacerbated by dust, flash fire. Hot weather, three crew were only wearing shorts. Died in hospital. Triple fatality (with Noel Shneider and Serge Boulay). PC -
1975 8 2 Schneider Noel Italy Comex Topsides Oilfield diving. Oxygen transfer inside a container on deck, O2 leakage, possibly exacerbated by dust, flash fire. Hot weather, three crew were only wearing shorts. Died in hospital. Triple fatality (with Philipe Salvatori and Serge Boulay). PC -
1975 8 0 Lee David "Tansy" Egypt Solus Schall 78 SCUBA British, ex RN clearance diver. Platform and pipeline inspection programme for AMOCO/GUPCO in the Gulf of Suez. Dive team increased when 'Beaver IV' (Diver lock out submarine) failed to perform. Diving in pairs on SCUBA with mixed gas to 255 feet on the Morgan 55 platform, diver appeared to let go of structure and drifted away. Body never recovered. Fatality thought to have occurred around the month of August. NB. The bad weather/wind period in the Gulf of Suez is from June to September, lump sum contract thought to have lost millions due to 'unexpected poor weather' as contract was bid expecting European style good summer weather. PC -
1975 7 7 Walsh Peter UK Underwater Security Ltd. 37 SCUBA British, aged 25. "Celtic Surveyor", Scapa Flow, double fatality (Carson), shore approach, pigging operation, diver sucked into pipe by wave action or incorrect valve operation, differential pressure, stand-by diver and second stand-by (third diver) also sucked in though second stand-by managed to get out, two divers drowned -
1975 7 6 Carson W UK Underwater Security Ltd. 37 SCUBA British, aged 20. "Celtic Surveyor", Scapa Flow, double fatality (Walsh), shore approach, pigging operation, diver sucked into pipe by wave action or incorrect valve operation, differential pressure, stand-by diver and second stand-by (third diver) also sucked in though second stand-by managed to get out, two divers drowned -
1975 6 14 Turner George W Norway Comex 46 SCUBA British, aged 37. Pipelay barge "Choctaw 1", meant to be doing a survey at max depth of 50m, seabed was 69m, slipped lifeline. Two divers entered water on SCUBA, supervisor returns to surface violently ill, puking, stand-by (also in SCUBA) entered water but also returned to surface violently ill and puking, second standby jumped on band mask, narked but located diver's body on seabed. Official report states 'food poisoning' though nobody else who ate in the galley reported any symptoms.................Bad gas??? -
1975 6 6 Gage Rick USA Treasure Salvors Inc Operation to recover gold from the wreck of the Spanish galleon 'Nuestra Senora Atocha', sank in a hurricane in 1622 some 12 miles off the Marquesa Islands. Salvage vessel 'North wind', a 60' converted tug rolled over and sank before dawn as the crew slept whilst anchored overnight on site. 13 crew saved, Captain and his wife plus one diver, aged 21, drowned. Daily News. -
1975 5 24 Babin Jean Claude Dubai Comex SCUBA Oilfield Dive, extended bottom time but no provision for in-water decompression stops, zodiac outboard engine failed leading to delayed recompression/surface decompression. Doctor refused to enter DDC. PC -
1975 5 16 Not Recorded USA Pacific Agar Company 8 Reported as drowned during seaweed harvesting off Dana point due to compressor failure, but no details. Los Angeles Times. -
1975 3 22 Alvestad Aage Lasse UK 3X 140 Norwegian, aged 30. "Borgney Dolphin", Monsanto, heating failed, anoxia, hypothermia, exhaustion -
1975 3 20 Cluseau Giry du Gabon Comex SCUBA Oilfield dive. Two divers, both on SCUBA, both unwell at depth and returned to the surface, one diver survived. Possible contaminated air. PC -
1975 3 18 McDonald Norman Canada Can Dive Services 6 Chamber Described as “Working in water more than 200 feet deep off the Harmac pulp mill (owned byMacMillan Bloedel Ltd)�, required surface decompression in deck chamber, “The RCMP said a diver burned to death when a spark ignited in the pure oxygen in the decompression chamber". Victim was not named. Reported in the Windsor Star. An alternative report says that the diver was completing his surface decompression at 1.6 bara (20 fsw) following a routine mixed gas dive dive to 275'. His respirator mask was not working correctly so he switched to a second that was 'Y' connected and put it on free flow which by-passed the overboard dump and allowed the O2 inside the chamber build to an estimated 40%. The diver was wearing two sweathers for warmth. As the chamber was being vented the diver removed his wool sweater from over the synthetic one. There was a flash inside the chamber and smoke poured out of the vents and BIBS dump. It was concluded that static electrical discharge was the initiating factorThe diver died as a result of the explosion, CO poisoning and asphyxia. Sheffield and Desautels “Hyperbaric and hypobaric Chamber fires, a 73 year analysis�, Undersea Hyperbaric Medicine, 1997, 24 (3): 153-164