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Incidents List

  1. Year Month Day Surname Forenames Location Contractor Client Depth Type of Diving Details
  2. 1949 9 26 Jorgensen Robin Claude Soren USA 15 S/S Air Aged 20, professional abalone diver, was drowned in 50 feet of water in Little Harbor on the west side of Santa Catalina Island when his air compressor failed. No other details.
  3. 1949 9 24 Fois Lani Australia Topsides The pearling lugger 'New Moon', valued at £3,000, was lost in rough seas off Mangrove point, 130 miles South West of Broome. Lanis Fois, a 33 year old Koepanger river diver, is missing, believed drowned. The other members of the crew have been rescued. Reported in the Canberra Times.
  4. 1949 8 26 Rasmussen Hans Kristian Krogh Denmark Military Aged 45, Danish Navy diver (First grade Torpedo quarter-master) reported as having died in a diving accident in Aarhus Bay. Reported in navalhistory.dk
  5. 1949 8 18 Kada William Australia 15 Indonesian Pearl diver aged 37, diving off the lugger Twixteen out of Thursday Island. Signalled to be brought to the surface but as he reached the surface his helmet and corselet came detached and he was swept away. His body was recovered by divers from another lugger later. Barrier Miner, NSW, Australia Another report states:- Pearl Diver Drowns. Thursday Island.-Two Indonesians tried pluckily to rescue a fellow pearl diver when he was swept away in heavy seas while diving off Thursday Island. Sgt. H. Mumford, of the Thursday Island police, returned with the story. The diver, William Kada, 37, who was also an Indonesian, was found drowned in eight fathoms of water at 1 p.m. on Thursday. The Indonesians went out from Thursday Island on the lugger ‘Trixteen’. Kada was down pearling about eight fathoms at 11.30 a.m. when he signalled to be brought to the surface. When he reached the surface his diving helmet and corselet broke loose. He called to the men on the lugger as he was swirled away. Two other divers, Enus Euan, 22, and Markus Oben, 42, went to Kada's rescue, but were unable to reach him in the heavy seas. A Torres Strait aboriginal from another lugger which arrived later recovered Kada's body. Reported in the Barrier Miner
  6. 1949 8 12 Not Recorded "Diver killed by wreck blast.."No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Aberdeen Journal/The British Newspaper Archive
  7. 1949 6 4 Huerta Chief Machinist's Mate Ignacio L. USA Military 150 Chamber Aged 28, described as a veteran Navy diver with the diving experimental unit at the Naval Gun Factory in Washington DC., Blown down to a pressure equivalent to 490' in a wet pot, reported dizzy and was brought out. He recovered and returned to the chamber, but passed out. Water had got inside his breathing circuit/helmet and got into contact with his air purifier, and he had "burns about the neck". Treated at Bethesda Naval Hospital but died. "Officers said the lye burns caused death" (Sodium Hydroxide/caustic soda, burns to the throat). The Milwaukee Journal.
  8. 1949 4 30 Burnett George E USA 9 Aged 20, professional kelp fisherman with two years working experience, diving off San Pedro Pier, body recovered from under a rock ledge, drowned, no other details. Los Angeles Times
  9. 1949 1 22 Noor Ahmat bin Mohamed Singapore Singapore Harbour Board 15 S/S Air Malaysian aged 25 diving off the harbour approach in Tanjong Pagar salvaging a truck. Had attached two lifting wires but then stopped giving signals. Another team member dived in (without gear) but could not reach 50' but noticed the diver's helmet floating free in mid water, dived again and put it on his head and went down. "I could not see the bottom as it was not clear. I felt something with my feet. It was the diver's body". The second diver suggested that "the diver might have collapsed from fatigue and then his diving gear came off". Returning a verdict of "Misadventure", the coroner said there was no evidence to show the diving helmet was faulty. Straits Times.
  10. 1948 12 9 Not Recorded Russia Headline "Seabed fight with octopus" A seabed fight between two deep sea divers and a giant octopus in the depths of the Pacific Ocean harbour of Nevel in the Soviet Far East is told in the Soviet Navy Paper 'Red Fleet'. Straits Times
  11. 1948 10 20 Nimmock Wilfred Australia 16 S/S Air “Diver disappears� CAIRNS, Wed. ‘A Torres Strait native diver, Wilfred Nimmock, 24, dived into about nine fathoms from the pearler ‘Penguin’, He surfaced 50 yards from the boat without helmet or corselet, then sank. Some of the Penguin's crew dived but found no trace of Nimmock, his diving gear, or shell bag. Reported in The Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Qld.
  12. 1948 10 19 Roberts Bernard USA 36 S/S Air Aged 27, Sponge diver, 'Stricken with severe headaches after making a series of dives' on the 11th October, taken to hospital with a cerebral haemorrhage, died 9 days later at Bay Pines veteran's hospital. St Petersburg Times
  13. 1948 8 28 Ballard Petty Officer W. UK Military 163 "Diver Descends 535 Feet". LONDON, August 28. "Petty Officer W. Ballard descended 535 feet from a submarine rescue ship into Loch Fyne, Argyllshire, and set up a new world record dive, which an American held at 440 feet. Ballard wore a specially adapted diving suit. His object was to enable naval technicians to perfect a diving suit in which rescuers can work at crash-dive depth of submarines". Reported in The Morning Bulletin, Rockhampton, Qld. Curiously, this record was also reported on the 10th of March 1950 in the Horsham Times (Victoria) with a photograph of Bollard being congratulated by fellow Royal Navy diver W. Soper who had also broken the previous record with a dive to a depth of 454 feet.
  14. 1948 8 1 Djawa Willem Australia 50 S/S Air "Diver's Death". Darwin - "Carrying the body of the third pearl diver to have died on this coast in eight days, the lugger 'Plover' berthed here. The diver, Willem Djawa, 28, died after four 45 minute dives to 28 fathoms of water off Melville Island. He complained of headaches after the last dive. He was weraring a full suit" The Barrier Miner, Broken Hill, NSW. DIVER LOSES GRIM BATTLE - DARWIN, Aug. 4: Fighting a losing battle for life a Koepang diver was suspended, staging, for several hours in his diving suit nine fathoms below the pearling lugger ‘Plover’ riding on the blue seas near Bathurst Island. The story of his fight was told in the Coroner's Court here today by Yussif Bin Hassim, No. I diver on the ‘Plover’. The inquest concerned the death of the second diver of the ‘Plover’, Willem Djawa (28), who died on her deck last Thursday. Hassim told the Coroner (Mr. C. K. Ward) that he was diving in 28 fathoms of water, the deepest he had ever been in. He could see Djawa in the clear water nearby on the sea floor. Djawa had never been below 12 fathoms before. Three times they went down together and stayed down each time, about 45 minutes. After the last dive Djawa complained of a "sore head." To counteract the effects of deep diving, Djawa and Hassim were "staged" nine fathoms below the lugger. "I watched Djawa hanging there for 41 hours," said Hassim. Two men pulled them up and Djawa, still sick, was lowered again in an attempt to fight off the effects of submersion. For another 2 hours he hung there while the lugger plant pumped down air. Pulled on to the deck again, Djawa said: "No more." The crew closed him up in his suit again and pumped air into the suit, but he died and the ‘Plover’ headed back, to Darwin. The Coroner found that no blame was attachable to anybody. Reported in the West Australian. Perth.
  15. 1948 7 18 Do Pang Australia Ah Dep 20 S/S Air “FATALITY AT DARWIN� Darwin, July 18. “With its flag at half mast, the pearling lugger ‘Zephyr’ berthed at Darwin to-day carrying the body of a Koepang pearl diver, Do Pang (45), who died aboard the vessel, after having been brought to the surface in a state of collapse. It was the first post-war diving tragedy in these waters. The Zephyr, which is owned by an Australian born Chinese, Ah Dep, was opeating to-day in 11 fathoms in the Darwin harbour. The pump attendants became anxious when Do Pang, who was being tried out in a headpiece only, did not respond to signals�. Reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner, WA
  16. 1948 7 18 Not Recorded Australia "Three pearl divers have died". "Three divers for pearl shell have lost their lives in Northern waters in a fortnight. On July 18, a diver died in Darwin Harbour (Do Pang) and another at Broome. On Friday the lugger 'Plover' returned to Darwin to report the death of William Djawa, 28, a Koepanger". Reported in the Singleton Argus, NSW
  17. 1948 7 16 Katelino Leonard Australia W. Scott 18 S/S Air "Malay fiver dies. Drowned in diving suit". "Killed when his diving suit became flooded with water while he was diving in 10 fathoms of water off Mango point. According to other Malays onboard the vessel, the helmet was screwed onto the corselet with a crossed thread and when he was submerged water poured into the suit. He was drowned before he could be raised to the surface. Reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner.
  18. 1948 7 2 Boosinger Harry 'The Monk' USA S/S Air Aged 48, from Santa Catalina islands, professional diver, undertaking a dive described as a film stunt man. , apparently air lines fouled lost mask. No details. Reported in the Los Angeles Times.
  19. 1948 5 25 Not Recorded France S/S Air "A diver is missing and three workmen were slightly injured after an explosion aboard a destroyer in Toulon Naval Harbour. The vessel was being dismantled when the explosion occurred. The cause was not known" Reuters/Straits Times
  20. 1948 4 23 Christiansen Edward USA 9 S/S Air American, aged 49, in the Kill Van Kull, a channel in the bay between Staten Island and New Jersey, cutting a telephone cable trench, it collapsed trapping him completely by cave in for three and a half hours, guided rescuers by phone. Rescuers largely a USN diving team. During the rescue had to flag down a passing tug and send it to a nearby dredger to tell not to set of underwater explosives. St Petersburg Times.
  21. 1948 3 25 Ingle or Ingles Floyd USA Aged 22, From Rhode, Michigan, working in a 23' cistern at the Consumer's Power Company 'John C Weadock' Power plant at the mouthy of the Saginaw River. Had been underwater for about 10 minutes then failed to respond to signals, was brought up but failed to respond to treatment. “drowned when his face mask apparently knocked off�. Oswosso Argus Express.
  22. 1948 0 0 RN UK 165 RN diver sets open sea record depth dive to 540'
  23. 1947 9 19 Fargues Maurice France Military 119 SCUBA From the French Naval Vessel 'Timing' off Toulon. Experimental dive “in connection with the planned Bathysphere dives to the Ocean floor by the Belgian Professor Picard� described as 'Frances leading deep sea diver'. Reported as diving with goggles and three Oxygen tanks on his back. Reached 300' (which set a world depth record)', signalled OK and went on down to 390'. Signals stopped and he was hauled up. A colleague dived down and found him at 200', goggles off, mouthpiece out, apparently unconscious. Hauled to the surface, still unconscious, died in hospital. “Experts“ quoted as saying that “either the lifeline swung against his mouthpiece ripping it from his mouth or Fargues was seized with what divers call 'deep sea drunkenness' Reported in the Sydney Morning Herald
  24. 1947 4 21 Saman Mat Malaysia Penang, Reported as "Dived to free a rope which had been entangled and he asked for the ship's engines to be restarted. A few moments later the water was red with blood". At the inquest 'the theory was advanced that he was killed by the ship's propellor when trying to free a rope' Straits Times
  25. 1947 2 5 Fenemore Harry Australia S/S Air Aged 46, Former RAN diver or 25 years, awarded DSM for work on delousing magnetic mines in the Red sea and Suez canal during the war, inspecting piles under the wharf of the Borthwick Meat works, Murrarie, in preparation for an 83 ton lift to be landed for the City Electric Company works at Hemmant on the Brisbane river. Inexperienced assistant (who had already been told off for letting out too much line/hose), diver had been in the water only a couple of minutes when he signalled to be pulled up but it took 5 minutes to bring him to the surface. Although his head was above water, they could not bring him out so the assistant unscewed his faceplate and described the diver as blue in the face, slumped forward, eyes closed. The diver slipped back into the water and the suit filled and it took them another 5 minutes to get him up. He was put in an iron lung in Brisbane hospital but did not respond to treatment. The inquest was told that the equipment was functioning correctly but that the diver had dropped suddenly and had been subjected to a squeeze. Survived by his wife. The Courier-Mail, Brisbane
  26. 1947 0 0 Dumas Frederic France 94 SCUBA Using the Aqualung, made an air dive to 307' in the mediterranean.
  27. 1946 10 5 Lam Thin Yaw Singapore Paraphrased from press reports:- "Chinese diver who submerged in his diving suit off St John's Island to cut away a pillar preventing ships coming alongside and was hauled up dead. The air pump, air line and diving suit were stated to be in order at the time. In recording his verdict of 'death by drowning', the coroner remarked that evdence did not show definitely how Lam came by his death though he did not hold any suspicions about the incident". Straits Times
  28. 1946 8 26 Carlson Andrew Anthony USA S/S Air Aged 27, sponge diver out of Tarpon springs diving off the 40' boat 'Kaliopi' North West of Big Banks. Began working as a diver in 1942, joined the army in 1944, worked on the clearance operations of the river Passig in Manila, left the army in March 1946 and moved to Dunedin with his wife and three year old son. Air hose severed by boat's propeller. St Petersburg Times
  29. 1946 4 16 Donovan Fred USA 11 S/S Air American, aged 48, veteran of the first world war, diver for 18 years, trapped underwater for three hours, 'hauled up dead' from Lake Moraine State Reservoir. Although not feeling well, descended to repair a dam (Valve in a large pipe) , stopped responding to signals but then could not be pulled up. Eventually pulled out by surface crew. Survived by wife and 11 year old son. Schenectady Gazette.
  30. 1946 0 0 Browne Jack USA 168 Saturation DESCO Shareholder and inventor of the lightweoght full face mas, made a simulated 'wet pot' dive to 550'
  31. 1945 12 5 Graham Macka India Navy Topsides “Two Survivors Of Perils Die� SYDNEY, Tuesday “Two Australian divers of the Commonwealth Salvage Board have lost their lives in the last month, but through all operations during the war and since not a man of the team of over 30 has been killed during diving operations. Diver Macka Graham, of Melbourne, died of meningitis in hospital in Calcutta on Wednesday (5th December). He was one of the crew working under Captain J. P. Williams, under loan from the Australian Government, in raising the British India liner ‘Santhia’ which was on her side in the Hoogli River. ‘Santhia’ has been brought to an upright position ready for refloating. (The other was Joseph Dalley in Papua New Guinea). Reported in the Daily News, Pert, WA
  32. 1945 12 0 Dalley Joseph Papua New Guinea Navy Topsides “Two Survivors Of Perils Die� SYDNEY, Tuesday “Two Australian divers of the Commonwealth Salvage Board have lost their lives in the last month, but through all operations during the war and since not a man of the team of over 30 has been killed during diving operations. (Macka Graham, in India) Other diver to lose his life was Joseph Dalley, also of Melbourne. He was in the messroom of the salvage ship Cambrian Salvor in Rabaul making some toast when a detonator from a Japanese bomb being handled by some of the men exploded and killed him�. Reported in the Daily News, Pert, WA
  33. 1945 11 19 Hamilton George Norman Australia RAN 15 S/S Air Balmoral Naval Base (Now HMAS Penguin) in Sydney Harbour, Navy diver drowned diving on an anchor near the Balmoral Naval Base. "Reached the seabed and then failed to respond to line signals". A second diver was sent down and found him lying on the bottom, recovered to surface and taken to the navy base where a doctor said he had been dead for several minutes. Air hose had been severed by the anchor he was working on. Sydney Morning Herald
  34. 1945 10 4 Davis Basil USA 9 S/S Air Aged 42, from Chicago, working in the Mississippi River near Burlington (Iowa) laying a pipe along the river for the Municipial Water Company. Signalled to the surface for them to lower the piling hammer, stopped responding to signals at which stage another diver was sent to assist, apparently killed by the pile driver, broken neck, crushed chest. The Telegraph Herald, Dubuque, Iowa.
  35. 1945 9 11 Not Recorded USA Military Chamber Brooklyn Navy Base, 2 divers died, one injured, possibly dead, during chamber training (simulated dive) onboard a Salvage vessel off Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Chamber fire reported as having been started by sparks from an overheating electric fan. Sheffield and Desautels “Hyperbaric and hypobaric Chamber fires, a 73 year analysis�, Undersea Hyperbaric Medicine, 1997, 24 (3): 153-164.
  36. 1945 9 10 Cook RN PO George Robinson UK Military Aged 25, "Diver died in dock/Diver dies underwater/suffocated" No other details (Pay for access archive) Hull Daily Mail/Derby Daily Telegraph/Evening Telegraoh (Angus)/The British Newspaper Archive
  37. 1945 9 8 Tate, RN PO George R Australia 12 S/S Air Aged 25, British, "Assisting the berthing of a large British aircraft carrier in Captain Cook graving dock (Elizabeth Bay, Sydney) when something went wrong with either the air pipes or his diving suit" Reported in The Advertiser, Adelaide.
  38. 1945 8 7 Zetterstrom Arne Sweden Navy 160 S/S Mixed Gas SWEDISH DIVER KILLED ATTEMPTING RECORD DESCENT. London, August 8 (AAP) – “Arne Zetterstrom (27), a Swedish navy diver, holder of the deep sea record of 364 feet, was suffocated when ascending from a dive in which he attempted to set a new record of 525 feet. Zetterstrom made his record last December, breathing a mixture of air and hydrogen, largely eliminating the narotic effect of nitrogen�. Reported in the Cairns Post, Qld. Arne Zetterström (1917 – 7 August 1945), researcher into the breathing mixture hydrox for the Swedish Navy. Zetterström first described the use of hydrogen as a breathing gas in 1943. From 1943 to 1944, a total of six ocean dives were made utilizing this mixture with the deepest to 160 meters (96% hydrogen and 4% oxygen). On 7 August 1945, Zetterström experienced technical problems diving from the HMS Belos. His support divers misread his signals and this was followed by a rapid ascent that resulted in severe decompression sickness and hypoxia.
  39. 1945 5 0 Mallows Gunners Mate First Class Earl Military Aged 26, "Diver killed in the line of duty" according to telegram from the Navy received by his family. No other details. The Nashua Telegraph (NH)
  40. 1945 2 17 Hammerberg B'suns mate 2nd class Owen Francis Patrick USA Military 12 S/S Air US Navy aged 24, post Pearl Harbour Salvage operations, awarded the medal of honour. His citation reads:- "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a diver engaged in rescue operations at West Loch, Pearl Harbor, 17 February 1945. Aware of the danger when 2 fellow divers were hopelessly trapped in a cave-in of steel wreckage while tunneling with jet nozzles under an LST sunk in 40 feet (12 m) of water and 20 feet (6.1 m) of mud. Hammerberg unhesitatingly went overboard in a valiant attempt to effect their rescue despite the certain hazard of additional cave-ins and the risk of fouling his lifeline on jagged pieces of steel imbedded in the shifting mud. Washing a passage through the original excavation, he reached the first of the trapped men, freed him from the wreckage and, working desperately in pitch-black darkness, finally effected his release from fouled lines, thereby enabling him to reach the surface. Wearied but undaunted after several hours of arduous labor, Hammerberg resolved to continue his struggle to wash through the oozing submarine, subterranean mud in a determined effort to save the second diver. Venturing still farther under the buried hulk, he held tenaciously to his purpose, reaching a place immediately above the other man just as another cave-in occurred and a heavy piece of steel pinned him crosswise over his shipmate in a position which protected the man beneath from further injury while placing the full brunt of terrific pressure on himself. Although he succumbed in agony 18 hours after he had gone to the aid of his fellow divers, Hammerberg, by his cool judgment, unfaltering professional skill and consistent disregard of all personal danger in the face of tremendous odds, had contributed effectively to the saving of his 2 comrades. His heroic spirit of self-sacrifice throughout enhanced and sustained the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country". Navydivers.net
  41. 1944 10 13 Neller Horace UK Aged 62, :Diver died at work, adjusted air valves, signalled to…." No other details (Pay for access archive) Gloucester Citizen/The British Newspaper Archive
  42. 1944 8 25 Johnson John Paul Australia Topsides BROKE HIS NECK IN 5 FT. FALL. John Paul Johnson, 63, married, of Ferguson Road, Norman Park, a diver, was killed in a 5ft. fall at Borthwick's Meatworks Wharf, Queensport, Brisbane, yesterday. He struck some rocks when he fell, fractured his neck, and received a laceration on the head. He died instantly. Johnson, who was engaged in general repair work at the wharf, started work bracing the wharf planking at 7.30 a.m. yesterday, and was seen at 7.45 walking along a thrust pile. Reported in the Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Qld.
  43. 1944 7 28 White Peter Australia Harbor Trust S/S Air “RESOURCEFUL DIVER. Peter White, of Lyons steet, Harbor Trust diver, during the week captured a giant sunfish by pushing a boathook down its throat and then roping it. The fish was hoisted with a crane�. Williamstown Chronicle, Vic
  44. 1944 6 6 Not Recorded France Military From the Obituary of Lt Cmdr Robbie Robinson:- “As a member of a landing craft obstruction clearance unit, Petty Officer Robinson had the task of opening a path through the booby-trapped obstacles on the beaches below the high water mark. This meant defusing improvised and unfamiliar deadly explosives on the shore and underwater while being sniped at and sprayed with machine-gun fire. The unexpectedly heavy surf made his task all the more tiring, but after opening an initial path his team had cleared a gap in the enemy defences 1,000yds by 400yds by the end of the first day. Eventually, he helped to clear more than 2,500 obstacles. Two other naval divers were killed during these operations and 10 injured. Robinson himself was knocked out when six feet underwater by an explosion that left him paralysed for several hours. A Royal Engineer working close by was killed outright, but Robinson was saved by a specially designed Kapok jacket under his diving suit. Although he was left with back trouble ever after, he returned to work on the beaches and harbour of Cherbourg a couple of days later�. Reported in the Telegraph (UK).
  45. 1944 3 11 McCann George UK S/S Air Aged 38, working in a diving bell at the bottom of the Clyde, killed in an explosion attributed to marsh gas from the silt at the bottom of the river, double fatality with George Wight McKenzie, Inquest recorded a verdict of "Death by drowning in the river Clyde after an explosion" The Glasgow Herald
  46. 1944 3 11 McKenzie George Wight UK S/S Air Aged 35, working in a diving bell at the bottom of the Clyde, killed in an explosion attributed to marsh gas from the silt at the bottom of the river, double fatality with George McCann, Inquest recorded a verdict of "Death by drowning in the river Clyde after an explosion" The Glasgow Herald
  47. 1944 1 21 Franklin Bernard UK S/S Air DIVER'S HEROISM. LONDON, Tuesday (A.A.P.). – “A depth charge, which fell from a seaplane in the fairway of a seaplane base was set to explode at a certain depth, and there was grave danger that as the tide rose the depth charge would explode, causing considerable damage to the base and aircraft and nearby ship ping. Bernard Franklin, who though officially a wireman is also a qualified diver, immediately went clown to search for the depth charge, which was located after 45 minutes and hoisted aboard. While he was working, the tide was rising, and any minute he might have been blown up if the charge had detonated. Franklin is awarded the British Empire Medal�. Reported in the Examiner, Launeston, Tas
  48. 1944 0 0 Not Recorded Egypt Military S/S Air RN Salvage diver, inspection/repair of cruiser ASDIC dome, dropped off down line and sank a reported 40 extra feet, giant squeeze (pushed into helmet by differential pressure) and died instantly. Reported in “Ordeal by Water� a description of WWII Salvage operations, by South African Lt-Cmdr Peter Keeble RN.
  49. 1943 12 0 Not Recorded USA Military 3 S/S Air Naval diver, Deep Sea Diving School, Washington Naval base, training tank, welding, apparently electrocuted, only reported case of USN diver electrocution (Article by Robert Murray, US Naval Sea Systems Command).
  50. 1943 10 0 Dumas Frederic France 64 SCUBA During 1943 Cousteau with Philippe Tailliez and Dumas make over 500 dives off the South of France using the 'aqualung' with Dumas reaching 210' feet in October
  51. 1943 9 15 Lydan Cpl. J. H. Australia Military 6 Diver Rescues Troops' Beer. SYDNEY, Wed— When the weekly beer ration of an anti-aircraft unit in a remote North-Western area fell into 20 feet of water, the troops gave it up far lost, but the fortuitous passing of a diver saved it. Diving to the bottom, Cpl. J. H. Lydan, of Sydney, located the case and brought it to shore. Lydan and Sgt. G. Urquhart, of Turramurra, are the first Australian soldiers to qualify at a Navy diving school. They are attached to an Army water transport unit. Reported in The Daily News, Perth.
  52. 1943 6 24 Moore Louise USA WOMAN DIVER. Louise Moore, 21-year-old Jacksonville (USA) girl, has a war job that is probably unique for a woman-that of a diver engaged in the work of salvaging sunken ships. "There is nothing to worry about in deep-sea diving if the diver is careful," she explained. "And it certainly is a thrilling occupation!� Her first salvage dive, at Cocoa, Fla., was a two-hour Inspection of a sunken freighter. "That would have been just routine work," she said, 'except that four huge tiger sharks insisted on sticking around and watching me. They kept circling around me the entire time until I neared the surface. At times they were so close I could have put out my hand and touched them-but I didn't." The feminine diver said they made no move to attack her and she was confident they wouldn't. Other sharks and other fish, big and little, watch her as she goes about her job of salvaging. She began professional diving at the age of 15. Prior to the war, however, her experience was limited to inspection work and the recovering of lost articles. She prefers salvaging to all types of diving. Miss Moore believes that she and her sister, Mrs. Fannie Peterson, 23, also of Jacksonville, are the only working professional divers in the United States. Their father worked at that profession for for many years, and two older brothers, Warren and William, have many diving years to their credit. A younger brother, Stanley, worked with Louise in Cocoa, Fla., in the recent salvage of a large British freighter that was sank off the coast after being torpedoed by a Nazi submarine. Reported in The Northern Miner, Charters Towers, Qld.
  53. 1943 6 11 Isnor Oswald Canada Article relating to the award of a George Medal and two posthumous commendations for brave conduct to Canadian civilians. "Commendation - Oswald Isnor of Halifax, chief diver on a salvage ship, who was killed while helping to salvage a "very large and valuable cargo of rubber tires" from a grounded ship'. Reported in the Edmonton Journal in June 1943
  54. 1943 6 6 Novak Philip John USA Military American navy diver aged 24, died after a torpedo severed his lifeline, diving operations off Gould island, near Newport
  55. 1943 6 0 Not Recorded UK Military Chariot Reported that at the training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland), a charioteer died in an accident. No details. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  56. 1943 1 0 Not Recorded Sicily Military Submarine Operation "Principal" HMS P311 (Sunk with all hands and 10 diver/charioteers) was to attack Sardinia, HMS Trooper and HMS Thunderbolt were to attack vessels off Palermo (Sicily), one charioteer died during the Palermo attack. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  57. 1943 0 0 SCUBA France SCUBA Jacues Cousteau and Emile Gagnan develop the first 'demand valve' laying the way for the developmet of the 'Aqualung' and modern SCUBA gear.
  58. 1942 12 31 Anderson, RN R Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  59. 1942 12 31 Bonnell, RCNVR, DSC Lt. G Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  60. 1942 12 31 Goss, RN Sub.Lt G Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  61. 1942 12 31 Kerr, RN Lt. K Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  62. 1942 12 31 Mappleback, RN R Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  63. 1942 12 31 Pridham, RN P Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  64. 1942 12 31 Revethan B Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  65. 1942 12 31 Rickwood, RN M Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  66. 1942 12 31 Sargent, RNVR Sub-Lt. J Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  67. 1942 12 31 Stretton-Smith, RNVR Lt. S Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  68. 1942 12 31 Submarine P-311 Sardinia Military Submarine HMS P311, only unnamed T-class submarine (Was due to have been named "Tutenkhamen"). Fitted to carry 2 human torpedoes (Chariots). Lost while engaged in Operation Principle, a chariot attack on Italian cruisers at La Maddalena. Left Scotland in November 1942 with sister-boats Thunderbolt and Trooper after addition of human torpedo deck-mounted watertight containers direct for Malta. From there, sailed with two (Or three, accounts differ) Chariots (10 charioteers) for Operation Principle. Last signal on 31st December. Probably sunk by Italian mines in the approaches to Maddalena. Lost with all 80+ hands
  69. 1942 12 8 Leone Sgt Salvatore Gibraltar Military Submarine Three Italian Navy divers were killed by depth charges by British harbour defences at Gibraltar during an attack by “Human Torpedoes� from a mother ship (the ‘Olterra’). Among the dead were Lt Licio Visintini, commander of the torpedo unit, Petty Officer Giovanni Magro and Sergeant Salvatore Leone, from Sicily. Sgt. Leone's body was never found, he was awarded the Medaglia d'oro al Valor Militare and a memorial was erected in the Community Gardens in Taormina (his home town in Sicily) on the 50th anniversary of the attack. The memorial includes a rebuilt torpedo ('maiale', Italian for 'pig', a reference to it's poor handling) and a description of the events. Wikipedia and other historical sources
  70. 1942 12 8 Magro PO Giovanni Gibraltar Military Submarine Three Italian Navy divers were killed by depth charges by British harbour defences at Gibraltar during an attack by “Human Torpedoes� from a mother ship (the ‘Olterra’). Among the dead were Lt Licio Visintini, commander of the torpedo unit, Petty Officer Giovanni Magro and Sergeant Salvatore Leone, from Sicily. Sgt. Leone's body was never found, he was awarded the Medaglia d'oro al Valor Militare and a memorial was erected in the Community Gardens in Taormina (his home town in Sicily) on the 50th anniversary of the attack. The memorial includes a rebuilt torpedo ('maiale', Italian for 'pig', a reference to it's poor handling) and a description of the events. Wikipedia and other historical sources
  71. 1942 12 8 Visintini Lt Licio Gibraltar Military Submarine Three Italian Navy divers were killed by depth charges by British harbour defences at Gibraltar during an attack by “Human Torpedoes� from a mother ship (the ‘Olterra’). Among the dead were Lt Licio Visintini, commander of the torpedo unit, Petty Officer Giovanni Magro and Sergeant Salvatore Leone, from Sicily. Sgt. Leone's body was never found, he was awarded the Medaglia d'oro al Valor Militare and a memorial was erected in the Community Gardens in Taormina (his home town in Sicily) on the 50th anniversary of the attack. The memorial includes a rebuilt torpedo ('maiale', Italian for 'pig', a reference to it's poor handling) and a description of the events. Wikipedia and other historical sources
  72. 1942 11 12 Davis Owen USA Merrit and Chapman S/S Air American, aged 26 or 28, diving in Newtown Creek (leak in an oil pipe crossing the creek), long island,'Lost helmet'. Son of Captain W. N. Davis, US Navy Salvage Corps. 'Helmet Lost. Diver dies' New York Times Pay per view
  73. 1942 11 9 Preston Arthur Edward Australia Chamber “Clothes Burn Under Water� SYDNEY, Tuesday. “In addition to severe burns from which he died 33-year-old diver Arthur Edward Preston was suffering also from severe cramps of muscles when he was raised from the bed of the Hawkesbury River yesterday. Cramps were due to emergency steps taken to raise him from the deep pressure of the water. Preston, who lived in Campbell Street, Gosford, had been lowered in an airlock diving chamber when it is believed smouldering embers from his pipe set fire to his clothes. Before he could be raised his clothing had been burned off and his body was scarred from head to knees. It was not until workmates saw smoke arising that they suspected that something alarming had happened�. Reported in the Daily News, Perth, WA
  74. 1942 8 13 Freeman Lt. James Stewart USA Military S/S Air Helmet came off and he drowned, no details, Chicago Tribune
  75. 1942 8 0 Not Recorded UK Military Submarine RN Base HHZ on Loch Cairnbawn, a British Navy diver died during training with the Mark I Chariot. No details. Wikipedia and other sources
  76. 1942 4 18 Hamilton Bernard O USA 6 S/S Air Aged 32, trapped under mud and fallen pilings in Chesapeake Bay for 9 hours, rescued by Navy divers, unhurt except for minor leg injuries.
  77. 1942 0 0 Not Recorded USA Military S/S Air After the bombing of pearl harbour, 7th December 1941, it was estimated that the Navy and civilian divers spend about 20,000 hours underwater in about 5000 dives on major salvage operations lasting over two years. Two divers died on operations cutting into the wreck of the Arizona (referred to as 'due to air pockets' but probably underwater oxy arc explosions, TC) and after consultation with relatives it was decided not to attempt to recover any more bodies 'Enough were dead, it wasn't right to risk any more lives' and she remains a war grave. They removed parts of the superstructure and some guns, but the hulk still lies where she sank, atop the wreck is a white marble monument (Fund raising was pushed by Elvis Presley) The Arizona monument is widely reported, the deaths of the two divers was reported in the Deseret News in 1963. (As far as I can tell, these divers actually died in 1941/1942 during initial salvage operations. TC) No other details of the divers or other diving incidents.
  78. 1941 11 24 Shimizu Ischma Australia 57 S/S Air "Japanese Diver Dies". Brisbane, Tuesday. "Although his mates lowered him into the sea three times in an effort to ward off diver's paralysis, Isthma Shimizu (32), a Japanese diver, died while suspended 120 feet below the surface 30 miles from Darnley Island, Torres Straits. The Hobart Mercury, Tas. Another reports says: "Shimizu had been working at a depth of 31 fathoms for an hour and a half, and had sent up 3 baskets of pearl shell before being hauled to the surface. He was held for 40 minutes at 24 fathoms to avoid the effects of a sudden change in the pressure, but when he reached the deck of the boat he complained of pains in the hips, and later, at his own request, he was lowered to 25 fathoms for 6 hours. When he was brought to the surface again it was seen that he was losing the use of his legs, so he was lowered to 20 fathoms. He did not respond to a signal from the tender, and another diver descended and found him dead". The Argus, Melbourne, Vic
  79. 1941 8 26 Grieve David UK S/S Air "Inspector gives life for diver. Two dead in docks mishap. Two lives were lost in a diving accident at the docks yesterday. Victims were David Grieve (aged 31)..." "Died trying to save trapped diver. Detective inspector W. Stewart of Methil, Fifeshire, gave up his life in a vain bid to save…" or "Cupar dver honoured in recognition of his gallantry in repeated attempts to save a fellow diver from drowning in methil docks. John....." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Western daily Press/The British Newspaper Archive
  80. 1941 7 26 Tesei Major Teseo Malta Military Submarine Italian human torpedo attack on Valletta harbour resulted in the death of one of the co-founders (With Major Elios Toschi) of the human torpedo unit of the Italian Navy (1 Flottiglia Mezzi d'Assalto) founded in 1938, re-organised in 1940 as the Decima Flottiglia MAS (10th light Flotilla of Assault Craft).
  81. 1941 6 20 Leba Ratoe Australia V. J. Clarke S/S Air Described as a Koepang diver aged about 30, working off the lugger 'Donna Matilda' west of Bathurst Island, had been in around 15 minutes when they brought him to the surface, 'staging' him for 10 minutes. He was sick when he surfaced so the crew put him back in to 10 fathoms and left him there for two hours. When they brought him up his head had shrunk down through the neck of the divers suit. "He was dead". Reported in the Northern Standard, Darwin, NT.
  82. 1941 4 5 Griffeth A. O. Singapore Topsides One of two divers (The second was L. W. Martin)who were killed with 20 others when the 300 ton mooring vessel 'Buffalo' struck a mine. The vessel was going out to salvage a submerged aircraft that had crashed in the vicinity of a minefield. The explosion caused the vessel to break in two amidships, the stern sank in within two minutes, the entire ship within four minutes. Straits Times
  83. 1941 4 5 Martin L. W. Singapore Topsides One of two divers (The second was A. O. Griffeth) who were killed with 20 others when the 300 ton mooring vessel 'Buffalo' struck a mine. The vessel was going out to salvage a submerged aircraft that had crashed in the vicinity of a minefield. The explosion caused the vessel to break in two amidships, the stern sank in within two minutes, the entire ship within four minutes. Straits Times.
  84. 1941 4 5 Not Recorded Uruguay Military S/S Air "Graf Spee divers trapped in wreck. Three British divers have lost their lives while working on the wreck of the sunken Nazi pocket…" (The Graf Spee was scuttled off Montevideo on the 19th December 1939 in 11 metres water depth. She was partially broken up in 1942-1943 though parts of the wreck are still visible above the water. Salvage operations contined post 2004 as the wreck is considered a hazard to shipping) No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Portsmouth Evening News/The British Newspaper Archive
  85. 1941 4 2 Muthuraja Muthuswamy India Aged 40, resident of Srirangam, working locally in Tiruchchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, inside a well with four others, died of electric shock from a pump in the well at the Kambarasam Pettai Municipal water works. The others received mild shocks and survived. The Indian Express
  86. 1941 3 6 Sutherland RN, BEM Sub Lt. Reginald Bruce UK Military S/S Air RN Clearance diver with 'P' (Port Party) from HMS Vernon, killed in Falmouth inner harbour whist trying to defuse an unexploded parachute land-mine dropped by the Luftwaffe. Diving from a boat towed by 'The Mouse', a small motor launch fitted with a Hotchkiss propulsion unit (No Propeller). His body was never found. 5 or 6 other men also died in the explosion (Lt. JF Nicholson, PO Benham, AB Tawn (Clearance Diver) , AB Wharton and one or two others, 5 of whom are buried in Falmouth Cemetery. MCDOA archives
  87. 1941 3 6 Tawn RN, DSM, BEM AB Robert George UK Military S/S Air British, aged 24, Rendering Mines Safe (RMS) unit (Pre-Port Part 'P' groups). - DSM awarded for coolness, courage and resource when dealing with a magnetic mine in a tideway. Performed first underwater RMS attempt (GC mine in Poole harbour) in 42 feet of water from Vernon echo-sounding yacht Esmeralda 14 Jun 1940. Mine exploded while being towed ashore by fishing boat. BEM awarded for gallant conduct and devotion to duty. Clearance diver with 'P' (Port Party) from HMS Vernon when killed in Falmouth inner harbour whist trying to defuse an unexploded parachute land-mine dropped by the Luftwaffe. Diving from a boat towed by 'The Mouse', a small motor launch fitted with a Hotchkiss propulsion unit (No Propeller). 5 or 6 other men also died in the explosion - Lt. JF Nicholson, PO Benham, RB Sutherland (another clearance diver whose body was never recovered), AB Wharton and one or two others, 5 of whom are buried in Falmouth Cemetery. MCDOA archives
  88. 1940 12 13 Not Recorded UK S/S Air "How Fife diver met his death. Cut his air pipe when it fouled. Efforts to rescue a diver whose air pipe became fouled while he was …" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Dundee Courier/The British Newspaper Archive Same death as reported 1st November?
  89. 1940 12 1 Not Recorded UK S/S Air "Fife diver drowned at work. Strenuous but unavailing efforts were made to save a diver whose life-line…" …" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Dundee Courier/The British Newspaper Archive. Same diver as report for 13th December?
  90. 1940 10 10 Christian Captain George Parking Australia S/S Air Died on Norfolk Island (Australia territory, Polynesia) at the age of 86. He was the great-grandson of Fletcher Christian, leader of the Bounty mutineers (1789), and himself one of the migrants from Pitcairn Island to Norfolk Island in 1856. His mother was a descendant of John Adams, one of the leaders of the colony of mutineers. Captain Christian went to sea at the age of 17, when he joined an American Whaler sailing to Massachusetts. He rose rapidly to officer’s rank and for 25 years his calling took him to places as far distant as the Antarctic and Bering Straits. For five years Captain Christian was engaged as marine diver for the Auckland Harbour Board, and he also undertook pearl diving in the Torres Straits. In the 1870s he served on several sailing ships on the New Zealand coast. The last time Captain Christian went to sea was in 1926, when, at the age 72, he commanded the 70-ton schooner ‘Resolution’, which brought fruit from Norfolk Island to Auckland. He was survived by a daughter. Evening Post, National Library of New Zealand.
  91. 1940 9 24 Passaris Emanuel USA S/S Air Greek, aged 60, sponge fishing out of Tampa in the Gulf of Perry, no details
  92. 1940 9 19 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air “DEFECTIVE AIR PIPE BLAMED�. BROOME, Tuesday. “A finding that a leading diver, a young Kupanger, died at sea from asphyxia caused by the bursting of a defective air pipe, was returned by the Coroner (Mr. E. S. Reynolds) at an inquest. The Kupanger died on September 19 about 127 miles south of Broome, between Anna Plains and Wallal. The Coroner said that the air pipe, opened at a place where it had burst, showed that the canvas reinforcement was of distinctly defective manufacture�. Reported in the Daily News, Perth, WA.
  93. 1940 9 1 Maddison Steve Canada S/S Air Aged 70, "a diver for 32 years, met his death when he was sucked into the intake of a dam at the paper manufacturing town of Ocean Falls". Edmonton Journal
  94. 1940 8 11 Loy Wong Australia S/S Air Evidence given in Broome at the inquest into the death of a diver who died at sea 120 miles South of Broome. "What was believed to be a form of divers paralysis is really collapse caused by depletion of the natural salts of the body as a result of excesive perspiration while working at depth. The diver, after having complained of dizziness, was treated for what is known locally as 'half-caste paralysis'. The medical officer said that during the past 40 years many divers must have died from this complaint going on to explain that the symptoms were so similar those of actual diver's paralysis that the divers could not tell the difference with any ecrtainty". As a result of the evidence at this inquest, it is now thought that if divers drank salt liquid before the day's work, this would considerably assist in replacing the body chlorines and prevent collapse which are the symptoms usually preceeding death in these cases. Straits Times
  95. 1940 7 31 Whipple W. O. USA Aged 32, rigger/diver employed at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, sucked feet first into a 40' horizontal pipe, around two right angle bends and then down 35 ' through a 24� pipe on a dry dock. His helmet was ripped off, possible broken neck, it took two and a half hours to extract him from the pipe. (dive was to cap the outlet of the pipe on the new dry dock). Spokane Daily Chronicle
  96. 1940 6 19 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air "Diver Injured. Diver Jackson, employed by the Timms Bridge Construction Co pty Ltd., Queen's Domain, was injured yesterday while at work below the water at the main abutment of the Hobart Bridge. The accident occurred about midday, and it is understood Jackson received a knock which caused slight concussion. It is expected he will be able to resume work in a few days". Reported in the Mercury, Hobart, Tas
  97. 1940 4 3 Fijii Tosikuzu Australia 64 S/S Air Aged 26, pearl diver, youngest son of 8 sons and two daughters, lost his helmet, managed to ditch his boots and reach the surface but died from burst lungs, buried on Thursday Island (in a cemetary containing the bodies of 800 Japanese divers.) by his elder brother Tom who was diving just a 100 metres away but took 2 hours of in water decompression to reach the surface. The elder brother dived for pearls for 23 years until 1951 and had his own hoses cut by coral three times, luckily only at a depth of 11 fathoms and was hauled up each time, his helmet flooding, surviving by forcing his headback and breathing from the small air pocket at the top of the helmet. "A lot of divers died that way, the deck crews simply just didn't get them up before the air pocket ran out". There are reported to be a total of around 1,200 Japanese divers buried on the Tores Strait Islands. The Australian
  98. 1940 1 24 Jackson Roy Australia 21 S/S Air “Diver's Condition Still Serious - Although still recorded as serious, the condition of Roy Jackson (31), diver, 33 Cross St, New Town, who is in the Royal Hobart Hospital, had much improved last night. Jackson, with another diver A. H. Trotter, was working 70 feet under the water on the construction work of the Derwent Bridge on the western shore on Wednesday when his air line became tangled and his air supply was cut off�. Reported in the Mercury Hobart
  99. 1939 9 23 Salile Ahmat bin Australia 37 S/S Air Malay Diver Killed. PERTH. Saturday. ‘While working In 20 fathoms of water 19 miles off shore from Anna Plains pearling grounds 180 miles south of Broome, a Malay pearl diver, Ahmat Bin Salile, 24, operating from a pearling lugger, was killed when the air pipe fouled on a coral reef. Reported in the Sunday Mail, Brisbane, Qld.
  100. 1939 8 27 Anderson Carl USA Topsides Diver, from Staten island, diver for a marine construction Company was drowned in an accident when he came up but water poured over him after he took his helmet off. New York Times
  101. 1939 8 23 Purdue, RN PO Henry Otho UK Military 45 S/S Air Aged 33, Reported as 'dying of the bends' during the salvage of the "Thetis" (Sank during sea trials in Liverpool Bay on the 1st June 1939 with the loss of 99 personnel). Because of the war, at the time, the entire tragedy was largely hidden from the public.Left surface at 06:33, On bottom 06:35 (At the stern to examine the propeller), returned to surface at 07:15, put into chamber for surface decompression. Surfacing had bbeen delayed by around 5 minutes when was fouled on a grapnel on his downline. Reported that he was unconscious when in the decompression chamber. The medics further reported that his lungs wrre congested (Diseased) and this had prevented him decompressing properly, cause of death listed as Asphyxia due to lack of oxygen during decompression owing to the diseased condition of the lungs. Thetis Families Association, navy archives, Glasgow Herald
  102. 1939 7 25 Masumoto Muneo Australia 24 S/S Air JAPANESE APPRENTICE DIVER'S FATE. Mystery surrounds the loss of Muneo Masumoto. 17, Japanese apprentice diver, whose Corselet and helmet attached to lines were found in 13 fathoms near Darnley Island on July 25. It is surmised that Masumoto was seized with convulsions from diver's paralysis and twisted himself out of his helmet and corselet. The boy descended 31 fathoms at first but found the tides too strong and was brought to the surface. He complained of numbness, but later descended again to 13 fathoms. Alter five minutes he failed to respond to signals, and the captain of the lugger descended and found only the helmet and corselet. Reported in The Advertiser, Adelaide, SA
  103. 1939 7 13 Maeda Makota Australia S/S Air Japanese, aged 18, diving from the Japanese lugger Daikoku Maru off Bathurst island. Lugger out of Darwin. Became paralysed and appeared to recover somewhat but after 10 days bunk-ridden, collapsed and was brought into Darwin, transferred to hospital 'seriously ill'. Reported as the 9th Japanese diver to be stricken by diver's paralysis since the recently started season, the other 8 died. Reported in the Age. Later report|:- “DEATH OF DIVER. The 145 miles dash by the Japanese lugger ‘Kaikoku Maru’ to save the life of a young diver has been unsuccessful. Makota Maeda, 18, who was brought into Darwin on Monday morning suffering from diver's paralysis, died at the Darwin Hospital yesterday. He became paralysed on June 30, when diving in deep water 25 miles north of Bathurst Island. When he collapsed on the tenth day after giving signs of improvement, the lugger ceased fishing and made for Darwin at full speed. Maeda was immediately admitted to hospital, but he did not respond to treatment. "He is the ninth Japanese diver to succumb through diver's paralysis, this season�. Reported in The Northern Standard, Darwin, NT
  104. 1939 6 1 HMS Thetis UK Military 45 Submarine The “Thetis� arrived in Liverpool in May 1939, sea trials started on 1st June in Liverpool Bay with a tug in attendance. 59 crew, 2 caterers plus an additional 44 men aboard, bringing the complement up to 103. The boat began a dive but refused to go down. After other attempts and making some adjustments, with no other vessels in sight, the Captain ordered some of the Torpedo Tubes to be flooded. This action was not entirely successful, and suspecting that one tube had failed to flood, a valve on the tube hatch was opened to check for water. Nothing came out, and assuming the outer tube door had jammed, the hatch was opened. The valve was faulty, it was fouled with paint, and rush of water began to flood the compartment. The Torpedo room crew retreated to the next compartment and closed the hatch but it failed to work and the men from both sections retreated into the next chamber and the hatch closed. With two bow sections flooded and at a steep angle, they blew all the boats ballast tanks. The submarines bow struck the bottom, 150 feet below, leaving 18 feet of the stern above the surface. The nearest escape hatch, was just 20 feet below the surface, but following standard practice, it was not used until the vessel had been located. But the surface tug had lost track of the Submarine and it took over 17 hours for the Destroyer " Brazen " to find them, but with an emergency supply of air for just 24 hours, the extra men on board used it up at twice the rate. With rescue vessels on hand, 8 men evacuated (four drowned) before the hatches failed and the stern flooded forcing the tugs to cast off. Thetis sank with her remaining 95 men trapped onboard. Bad weather followed, making any attempt at salvage impossible. Salvage stated on 24th August (a navy diver, PO Henry Perdue, died during the operation 24/8/1939). The Submarine was recovered and refitted as the “Thunderbolt�, but suffered heavy damage during a depth charge attack in the Mediterranean and sank in over 3,000 feet of water. The only Submarine to sink twice, she cost the lives of 152 Officers and men in total. UK press and navy archives
  105. 1939 5 28 Matromoto Torakichi Australia S/S Air “Diver Suffocated� PERTH, Monday.— “A message from Broome states that the Japanese sampan, ‘Arafura Maru No. 10’, arrived on Sunday with the body of Torakichi Hatromoto, 20, who, while fishing for pearlshell 17 miles off Wallal, fouled his air pipe in the ship's propeller�. Reported in The Courier Mail, Brisbane, Qld.
  106. 1939 4 17 Shimizer Goroichi Australia Streeter and Male S/S Air “Diver's Death. POST-MORTEM AT BROOME�. Broome, April 18. “The schooner ‘Gerado’, owned by Messrs. Streeter and Male and under the control of the fleet manager, Mr. A. C. Morgan, left Broome on April 8 with a cargo for the fleet working in the vicinity of Wallal. When it arrived there a Japanese try diver, Goroichi Shimizer (about 31) relieved one of the fleet divers. At the end of four days Shimizer returned to the schooner and complained of a slight attack of paralysis. The schooner immediately set sail for Broome and anchored off the jetty on April 17, the diver having died at sunrise. The Coroner (Mr. E. S. Reynolds) ordered a post-mortem examination, which was carried out by the District Medical Officer (Dr. V. F. Donnelly). His finding was that death was due to pulmonary embolis, which is often mistaken to diver’s paralysis. Reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner, WA.
  107. 1939 3 14 Tsutsui Tanaishi Australia Gregory & Co. S/S Air News from the North. BROOME. From our own correspondent. Broome, March. BROOME DIVER KILLED. Tanaishi Tsutsui (26), a Japanese diver, was accidentally killed on Tuesday. March 14, whilst engaged in pearl fishing operations on one of Gregory and Co's luggers off the Lacepe Islands, some 80 miles north of Broome. Tsutsui was a young married man whose wife is in Japan and who himself had been in Broome for the past six or seven years. A very large gathering of his confreres paid their last respects at a solemn and spectacular oriental funeral on Thursday March 16th. Reported in the Northern Times, WA.
  108. 1939 2 18 Rene Emile Canada S/S Air Aged 63 from Vancouver, working on the Fraser river at Kanaka Landing (5 miles South of Lytton, B C) to recover a sunken barge owned by the Fraser Alluvial Gold Mining Company. At noon, the crew pulled on his lines but no response and he could not be pulled up, lines fouled. Rescue diver, Bert Walsh, was deployed and freed him, brought to the surface but dead. Reported that the diving gear was still in good working order and the suit dry. "A veteran of undersea adventures in the Americas, the Antipodes and the South Seas, had lived in Vancouver but moved to Venice, California, were his wife still lives, had returned to Vancouver to salvage the barge". The Vancouver Sun
  109. 1939 0 0 Not Recorded USA Chamber Vessel chamber, four divers had completed surface decompression using masks and O2 had built up inside the chamber. The compressor (oil lubricated) had left a thin film of oil on the inside of the chamber. When the attendent - who was smoking a cigar - opened the external door it initiated a fire. All four divers survived though there are no details of how severe their injuries were. Sheffield and Desautels “Hyperbaric and hypobaric Chamber fires, a 73 year analysis�, Undersea Hyperbaric Medicine, 1997, 24 (3): 153-164.
  110. 1938 11 25 Kakishita Tetsuo Australia Morey & Co 33 S/S Air Japanese aged 20, diving from the pearling lugger 'Thelma' at Turu cay, 90 miles Northwest of Thursday Island, was diving in just Corselet and helmet (Not full dress), appears to have flooded his hemet and was pulled up and then staged for in water decompression for 11 hours but he died. The post mortem indicated cause of death as diver's paralysis and asphyxia by accidental drowning. Reported in the Courier-Mail, Brisbane.
  111. 1938 10 20 Slessor David Dunbar UK S/S Air "Diver drowned in Loch Long. Aberdeen man working on new bridge, resided at 67 Pittodrie Street, Aberdeen". "Father sees diver brought up dead, a father, at the shore end of a diver's lifeline at Dornie Bridge, ..." (Bridge was proposed as early as 1920 to improve the road west to Kyle of Lochalsh/Isle of Skye, opposed by people concerned it would ruin the views around Eilean Donan Castle a few hundred metres to the south, the Dornie bridge was eventually opened on 30th April 1940, it was replaced with a two lane structure in 1991) No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Aberdeen Journal/The British Newspaper Archive
  112. 1938 9 0 Geoghiou Nicholas Greece "Diver Killed by Octopus. Nicholas Georghiou, a sponge diver on the Greek island of Pephos, has been …" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Evening Telegraph/The British Newspaper Archive
  113. 1938 8 24 Jotana Koheharu Australia Bowden Pearling Company 73 S/S Air 30 year old Japanese diver diving from the lugger Zamia for shell off Darnley Island in the Torres straits wearing only a helmet and corselet in 40 fathoms. His lifeline went limp and then he floated to the surface without helmet or corselet, recovered by dinghy, put back in his helmet and taken to 15 fathoms before being staged to the surface but failed to revive. "The opinion is expressed that Jotana may have been overcome by sickness during staging and was unable to keep a firm grasp of the lifeline which was the only secure means of remaining in the helmet and corselet. The cause of death was certified by the Government Medical Officer at Thursday Island to be diver's paralysis and asphyxia by drowning". Reported in The Western Australian, Perth.
  114. 1938 8 18 Jackson Roy Australia S/S Air “Diver Recovering� MELBOURNE, Thursday. ‘Diver Roy Jackson (30), of Williamstown, who had a remarkable escape from death when he was trapped in the hold of the sunken ‘Kakariki’ |(Five people died when the steel steamer Kakariki collided with another steamer, the Caradale, off Williamstown at 11pm on January 29, 1937. The Kakariki sank within minutes and later salvage operations were hampered by the vessel being stuck in four metres of mud) yesterday afternoon, is recovering in Williamstown Hospital. Jackson was semi-conscious and suffering from the effects of paralysis when he was dragged to the surface. He will remain in hospital until early next week. Reported in The Advocate, Burnie, Tas
  115. 1938 7 13 Okada Australia 37 S/S Air “JAPANESE DIVER IS SEIZED UNDER SEA. Dragged By Groper or Shark From Helmet in 20 Fathoms� DARWIN, Tuesday: “Dragged out of his helmet and corselet by a giant groper or shark, a Japanese diver named Okada, 25, was killed on the sea-floor more than 120 feet below the surface, near Bathurst Island. When the Japanese lugger ‘Zuiyo’ reached Darwin late last night with the flag flying half-mast Captain Nakashiba said that 21 divers scoured the seabed for hours after Okada's disappearance; but could find no trace of the missing man. Captain Nakashiba said that his vessel was pearling on the bed off Bathurst Island on Monday when the first diver, who had been using a full diving dress came to the surface, and said that he was suffering from paralysis. After being staged, or decompressed, he was not permitted to dive again and young Okada an apprentice went down. As with many Japanese divers, he refused to wear full diving dress, using only helmet and corselet, the lower part of his body being naked. He was lowered 20 fathoms to the bottom and commenced picking up shell. Twenty minutes later he signalled to be pulled up. He too, was suffering from diver's paralysis. He was, therefore, lowered back to be staged. Shortly afterwards it was noticed that the lifeline had gone slack. It was pulled up and only the helmet and corselet appeared above the surface. Other loggers in the vicinity were signalled to the scene, and 21 divers were sent down to search for Okada; It is believed that one of the giant groupers which slide along the sea floor seized Okada and dragged, him out of his helmet. Another theory is that he was taken by a shark, although experienced divers say that sharks are too timid to attack a diver�. Reported in the Goulburn Evening Penny Post, NSW
  116. 1938 7 7 Mohamet Yusop bin Australia V. Kepert & Co. S/S Air “DIVING FATALITY. With its flag flying half-mast, the pearling lugger ‘Don Percival’ returned to port from the pearling beds on Friday evening with the body of Yusop bin Mohamet, 24, a Malay diver who had died from diver's paralysis. The lugger, which is owned by V.R. Kepert and Co., of Darwin, was operating 50 miles south-west of Bathurst Island. On Thursday, Mohamet, who was recovering from a previous attack of paralysis was, staged and recovered sufficiently to resume his duties as second diver. He went down and got a basket of shell. When he came on deck he complained of giddiness, a symptom of paralysis. He was staged for 15 minutes. Receiving no reply to his signals the, tender brought him on deck. He was dead. At the time of his death Mohamet was diving in corselet and helmet only, which dress is most favoured by divers�. Reported in the Northern Standard, Darwin, NT
  117. 1938 6 28 Samarkos Manuel USA S/S Air Diver off the sponge vessel 'Elini' owned and operated by his brother, suffered appendicitis whilst diving, brought ashore and taken to hospital, but did not survive the operation. St Petersburg Times
  118. 1938 4 3 Fujii Tohikazu Australia Wyben Pearling Company 38 S/S Air Pearl Diver Killed When Coral Fouled Air Line. CAIRNS, Friday. — When his air line became fouled in a coral outcrop in 21 fathoms of water 10 miles from Darnley Island in Torres Strait, a Japanese diver, Tohikazu Fujii, 26, threw off his helmet, corselet, heavy boots and gloves. His dead body floated to the surface as another diver prepared to go down to free the air line. The tender was still pumping air into the discarded helmet. ' The story of the latest Barrier Reef tragedy was told by passengers in the Wandana, which called at Cairns yesterday. Fujil was number 2 diver in the Wyben Pearling Company's lugger ‘Panten’, pearling off Darnley Island on April 3. Fuji had been below for 25 minutes when the tender signaled him to rise. His reply was 'Wait a minute. Believing that he had come on a patch of shell, the tender continued pumping. Shortly afterwards the lifeline became taut, and the captain (Captain Jube Nakai), ordered another diver to go down and clear the line. As he was putting on his helmet Fujii's body came to the surface. He was placed in a diver's suit and taken 12 fathoms below and then brought up in stages over a period of 30 minutes. There was no sign of life when Fujii was hauled on board again, and the lugger immediately returned to Thursday Island, where a doctor certified that the man had died from diver's paralysis. The opinion of the other divers was that Fujil became panic stricken when he felt, the air line tighten and at tempted to rise without his suit. Reported in the Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Qld.
  119. 1938 3 28 Granter Jake USA Standard Oil Company 30 S/S Air Aged 59, described as the chief underseas diver for the Standard Oil Company diving to locate a chain lost from the taqnker 'R. H. Hanna', was struck down by the bends, transferred from san Luis Obispo to Oakland by air ambulance, placed in a decompression chamber onboard the US submarine rescue ship 'Chewink' at the Mare Island navy yard. Was pressed to 125' and then gradually decompressed. He recovered consciousness but died shortly after from 'sudden cardiac failure'. San Jose News.
  120. 1938 0 0 Nohl Max USA DESCO 31 Saturation Max Nohl and Dr. Edgar End spent 27 hours at 101' in a decompression chamber at Milwaukee Hospital, after a 5 hour decopression, Max Nohl has a DCI.
  121. 1937 12 16 Stroud Fred UK S/S Air "Diver's Death. Engaged on operations off the Devon Coast, Mr Fred Stroud, diver employed on the salvage steamer 'Ophir' which has been…" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Western Morning news/The British Newspaper Archive
  122. 1937 12 0 Nohl Max USA 128 S/S Mixed Gas First deep dive using a heliox mixture and DESCO gear (Developed by Diving Equipment and Salvage Company set up in Winsconsin by divers Max Nohl and Jack Browne with hyperbaric physiologist Edgar End) in Lake Michigan
  123. 1937 10 27 Bell James Australia Commonwealth Film Pty 9 S/S Air “DEATH OF DIVER. Tragic Circumstances�. CAIRNS. October 27. “James Bell, aged 39 employed as a diver for Commonwealth Film (Pty.) died suddenly at Green Island this afternoon, while engaged on film operations (They were filming 'Typhoon Tresure"). He was in a diving suit, being filmed in about 30 feet of water. As no replies to signals were received, he was immediately pulled to the surface. On removing the helmet, he was found to be dead. The body was brought to Cairns on the Yarrabah comission launch. As far as can be ascertained, his only relative, Mrs. Fowkes, supposed to be his mother, is at Wattleglen, Victoria. Reported in the Townsville Daily Bulletin, Qld. NB 'Typhoon Treasure' is a 1938 Australian adventure film directed by Noel Monkman set in New Guinea although shot on the Great Barrier Reef and the Queensland coast. It was Monkman's first dramatic feature film after several years making documentaries. The plot involves Alan Richards as the sole survivor of a pearling lugger which has been shipwrecked on Pakema Reef during a typhoon. He sets out to recover some pearls which went missing in the wreck, crossing through the jungle and fighting headhunters. While filming underwater scenes on Green Island in October, one of the divers, James Bell, died of myocarditis. Bruce Cummings, who was in charge of underwater photography, went down in a diving cylinder, followed a few minutes later by Bell, who was his assistant. A few minutes later Cummings noticed something was wrong with Bell. When they brought him to the surface he was dead. An inquest was later held which found no negligence
  124. 1937 9 7 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air "Divers left to Drown", "Divers Drowned. Vessel caught fire". News of the death of three Japanese divers in the Arafura sea was brought to Darwin today. Three divers on the Dai Nippon Maru were at work on the ocean bed when the lugger's compressor burst. The lugger caught fire at such a rate that the divers could not be brought up before the crew had taken to the lifeboats. They were left to their fate". Reported in the Northern Star.
  125. 1937 8 19 Sakai Australia “A Whale caused the death of pearl diver who was working underwater some 90 miles south of Broome says Reuters, from Perth, Western Australia. Sakai, head diver...� No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Aberdeen Journal/The British Newspaper Archive. Is this a duplicate/alternative report of the death reported August 1937 from a shark attack?
  126. 1937 8 0 Not Recorded Australia 64 S/S Air Pearling lugger out of Darwin, diving to 35 fathoms of Elcho Island, had been down 20 minutes when there was a vigorous tug on the lines they floated to the surface, no sign of diver, helmet boots etc. . Reported that a few fragments of clothing were seem floating on the surface the day after. Presumed to be an attack of “a 'white death' shark. Same article refers to this being the 7th diver fatality in the previous few weeks with the other fatalities being put down to 'diver's paralysis'. The Milwaukee Journal. This a duplicate/later report of the death of a Jaopanese diver in early May.
  127. 1937 7 9 Not Recorded Australia Topsides "News reached Darwin today that the mother ship of the Japanese pearling fleet, the 'Sanyo Maru", foundered in 14 or 15 fathoms of water off the North Australian coast about 15 miles from the mouth of the Liverpool river during a terrific squall. The purser and a diver were drowned but other members of the crew managed to get ashore. The luggers in the field have ceased work and are concentrating on salvage work as the vessel carries shell worth £42,000. Reported in the Canberra Times.
  128. 1937 5 20 Sakamoto Keniko or Kinicho Australia Bowden Pearling Company 37 S/S Air "A Japanese lugger brought into Darwin the body of Keniko Sakamoto, aged 25, a diver who was drowned by the bursting of the air pipe when he was working at 20 fathoms. This is the tenth fatality this season amongst divers working the pearling grounds northwest of the Liverpool river". Reported in the Worker, Brisbane.
  129. 1937 5 10 Minami Masaji Australia S/S Air "Diver Drowns" 6 Pearling luggers arrived in Darwin with flags at half mast,with the lugger 'Medlar' bearing the body of a 28 year old Japanese pearl diver. The fleet had breen working round the English Company's islands and had intended returning to Thursday Island but the winds were adverse so had made for Darwin instead. The man was an experienced diver when using a full suit but was learning to dive with a helmet and corselet only. The crew believe that he made some mistake as the lifeline fouled a buoy and he was drowned before any assistance could reach him. The loss to each lugger attending the funeral is estimated at fully £200. One diver a week is being lost on overseas luggers on average. Reported in the Albury Banner and Wodonga Express, NSW.
  130. 1937 5 9 Minamie Masaji Australia S/S Air Returning crews sailed into Darwin to-day for the funeral rites of Masaji Minaraie, a Thursday Island diver. He died at the Echo Island beds, another paralysis victim. Reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner, WA. (This incident was not reported in the American press until mid August)
  131. 1937 5 9 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air “Mysterious Monster Feared By Divers�. Darwin, May 11. “A mysterious monster has added to the grim toll of the sea among pearl divers with the Japanese fleets. It devoured a diver on the seabed, lugger crews believe, and it has struck terror into their hearts. Crews returning today from beds north of Echo Island told how it devoured the diver and his heavy gear in one vicious attack. The first intimation the lugger's crew had of the tragedy on the seafloor was a rending tug on the diver's airline. Then – slowly - the lines floated ominously to the surface. Gone was the diver and also his heavy metal diving helmet. Next morning, the sole clue to the tragedy, a few remnants of clothing, floated on the surface. The grim toll of the sea steadily mounts. Seven Japanese divers have been lost in seven weeks. Most have died from paralysis.. Reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner, WA. (This incident was not reported in the American press until mid August)
  132. 1937 3 23 Yamada Kiachichi Australia Gregory 29 S/S Air Aged 52, diving off the lugger D36 'Red Bill' at the Goulburn Island Pearling beds. (Had replaced the former number 2 diver on the vessel who died of fever two weeks earlier). At the Inquest on the Japanese diver, Kiahichi Yamada, a verdict of death from asphyxia, due to drowning was returned by the Coroner, Mr. G. J. Pigott From the evidence given it appeared that Yamada had been down once that morning, and, after a spell of about 20 minutes, went down for a second trip. He mentioned that the water was very dirty, and he had to lie down to gather shell, so he asked for a slack life-line. About half an hour after his second descent, his tender got an urgent signal to 'haul up,' Quickly followed by a second urgent signal, so the tender called for help to haul Yamada up as quickly as possible. He came up, feet first but was quickly righted, and guided to the ladder, where the helmet was removed. He then appeared to be dead, but his suit was cut off him immediately, and artificial respiration tried for about an hour, but without success. As the body was growing cold, It was placed in the cabin and covered with rugs, but when all hope was abandoned, it was sewn up in canvas, and the lugger made all speed to Darwin, which was reached about two days later. The doctor who performed the post mortem said that the body was much decomposed, but it was evident that death was due to asphyxia, probably caused by drowning. The second tender, who was in charge of Yamada said that when the suit was cut off him it was found to be half full of water, and when they tried to revive him, water came from his mouth. The inquest was adjourned for a while to permit of the production of the suit the dead diver had worn and also to obtain the services of Mr. David Carruth, whose long and varied experience of diving made his evidence of the greatest value In this case. A diver showed how the suit was worn, and Mr. Carruth explained the uses of It, and the method of controlling air inlets and outlets On examining the dead diver's suit, it was discovered that the rubber cuff had a long tear In It and It was then evident that the water had entered the suit through this tear, so that when the diver capsized, either through stumbling into a hollow on the ocean bed, or through over-balancing owing to the weight of the pearl shell be had gathered, the air rushed to the bottom part of the suit (that now was upper most) and the water filled the helmet and corselet, thus drowning the diver. What the tender had mistaken for urgent signals, to haul up must have been the last struggles of the diver in his dying agony. Reported in the Townsville Daily Bulletin, Qld.
  133. 1937 1 2 Not Recorded Australia Celebes Trading Co S/S Air Two divers drowned when waterspouts swampeds pearling boat. "Two divers drowned. While the pearling fleet of the Celebes Trading Co was fishing off the SouthEast corner of the Aru Islands, four waterspouts suddenly formed close to the fleet which were trailing slowly. The boats steeered away from the danger but the waterspouts suddenly changed direction and all fout converged into one big waterspout. This giant waterspout engulfed one vessel, the Arcadia, which foundered, and two Malay divers were drowned. Another boat canted over at a dangerous angle, but a second waterspout struck her and drove her upwards again". The Cairns Post.
  134. 1936 11 10 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air Pearl diver out of Darwin, reported as “15th death recently�. No details
  135. 1936 11 8 Seko Masao Australia Streeter & Male 26 S/S Air “DIVER'S DEATH. Once again the hazards of diving for pearl shell was tragically demonstrated when Messrs. Streeter and Male's pearling lugger ''Donna Francis" arrived in Darwin at seven o'clock on Monday morning bringing in the body of Masoa Seko, a Japanese, who was the second diver on the vessel. At the time of the occurrence, the divers were working in 12 to 14 fathoms, on grounds about 60 miles off Bathurst Island, which is a comparatively shallow depth for such work. After the diver's collapse was discovered his ship mates staged him for 12 hours but death took place on Sunday at I a.m. The vessel then headed for Darwin arriving as stated above. The body was immediately, conveyed to the morgue, where it was viewed by the Doctor and Coroner. At the inquest held this morning the Coroner's (Mr. G. J. Pigott, S M.) verdict was ‘I find that Masao Seko, a Japanese employed by the firm of Streeter and Male, Master Pearlers, of Darwin, died on the lugger ''Donna Francis Boo'’ at sea in the vicinity of Bathurst Island on 8th November, 1936 from diver's paralysis sustained in the ordinary course of his employment diving for pearl shell, and that his death was not due to negligence on the part of his tender, nor of any member of the crew of the lugger, nor on the part of the firm of Streeter and Male aforesaid, nor by reason of faulty dress, equipment and or gear at the time of the fatality. The deceased was born at Wakayamaken, Japan, and has been in the Commonwealth for a period of two years. He was 21 years of age�. Reported in the Northern Standard
  136. 1936 8 5 Not Recorded Australia 40 S/S Air "Two Japanese Divers Drown When Boat Drifts" Two divers working in only helmets, corselets and flannels signalled to the tenders to slacken the air pipe to enable them to gather shell. When no further signals were received, the crew hauled up the lines the helmets came up without the divers. It is believed that the divers were following the common practice of taking off their helmets to gather shell and that the boat had drifted too far, carrying the helmets beyond the reach of the divers. The fleet spent some considerable time searching for their bodies, but without success. 5 deaths from paralysis are reported to have occurred recently among the divers of the Japanese fleet which is extimated to comprise of more than 70 boats. Reported in the Central Queensland Herald
  137. 1936 7 22 Sakai K Australia Gregory & Co. 29 S/S Air "Diver Drowned. Whale Fouls Pipeline". "K. Sakai, head diver of Gregory and Co.'s pearling fleet, lost his life when he was below water 90 miles south of Broome. His air pipe was fouled buy a whale and torn out at the coupling in the diving helmet, thus allowing water to enter the diving dress. When he was hauled aboard, he was dead. Sakai and another diver were working in 16 fathoms near a place where two whales had been seen before the divers went below. One whale fouled the line of Sakai's companion but got free and then fouled Sakai's line. This is the first fatality caused by a whale among the Broome pearling fleet. Whales are numerous this season off the North West Coast". Reported in the Sydney Morning Herald
  138. 1936 7 11 Kumanoto Tokeo Australia E. J. Hennessey 29 S/S Air “DEATH OF JAPANESE DIVER�. BRISBANE, Sunday, - Tho pearling lugger ‘Keriri’ reached Thursday Island yesterday, with the body of a Japanese diver, Tokeo Kumanoto (28), who died while working in16 fathoms of water at Whappo Reef. The cause of his death was heart and lung trouble. He evidently felt an attack coining on, and discarded his helmet in an effort to reach the surface, but the pressure of water was too great, and he was dead when he came to the top. Reported in the Advocate, Burnie, Tas.
  139. 1936 7 8 Not Recorded Spain S/S Air Newspaper headline "Octopus Seizes Diver". "A diver working on the seabed near Tarragona was attacked by an enormous octopus. He signalled frantically to be brought to the surface and was helped into the boat with the octopus clinging to him. It was killed by a boatman'. Straits Times
  140. 1936 6 14 Wakino Yasujiro Japan S/S Air Akashi diver, had spent 20 hours a day in the water off Higashidecho, Kobe, for 14 days in an attempt to treat decompression illness. "…making good progress so much so that the doctor allowed him a little rice and beef on June 13. On the following day he was able to walk. While in the water the same afternoon, however, he complained of feeling bad again. He was again taken out of the water. By the evening he was unconscious, and he finally died". Straits Times
  141. 1936 6 4 Williams Roy Australia S/S Air PARALYSED DIVER. DARWIN, Wednesday. Roy Williams, the pearlshell diver, who was suspended for four days in diving dress in Darwin Harbour for diver's paralysis, was taken today to Darwin Hospital, where he will undergo different treatment. Williams was becoming weak from his exhausting treatment. He was paralysed below the waist, but he is now able to move his toes, and is given some chance of making a good recovery. If necessary, he will be staged again when he regains his strength. Reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, NSW
  142. 1936 3 17 Yamamoto Gonzabaro Australia E. J. Hennessey 64 S/S Air Japanese, aged 28, diving from Mr. E. J. Hennessey's pearling lugger “Keriri" near Darnley Island diving at 20 fathoms when his air lines became entangled. Discarded his helmet but dead when he got to the surface�. This is the first fatality of the season. The pearling fleet has been out only four days. Reported in the Northern Times, Examiner etc
  143. 1936 0 0 Italian Navy Italy Submarine Italian Navy testing diver controlled "Chariot" torpedo/mine systems
  144. 1935 12 5 Fukami Maso Australia 30 S/S Air Aged 23, Japanese apprentice Pearl diver working 30 miles off Bathurst Island. His second dive of the day, had sent up one bage of shellthen "While he was waiting for the bag, a snake, estimated to be about eight feet long and four inches around the middle of its body, and like the python which is found in the Northern Territory, swam close to him and seized his left wrist in its jaws" Hauled to deck and found to have his wrist torn apart by the snake's fangs. They put on a tournequet and put him back down to 10 fathoms but shortly after he signalled to be pulled up, but then floated to the surface unconscious. His body had turned black 'the result, his mates thought, of the poison from the snake and paralysis'. Straits Times
  145. 1935 12 5 Miyao Ichitaro Australia Morey & Co. 9 S/S Air BRISBANE, Saturday. — When the pearling lugger ‘Aldinia’ reached Thursday Island today she had on board two iead men. They were a Japanese diver, Ichitaro Miyao, 35, and a Mapoon native, Sammy Myquick, 17. The lugger was working at Warrior island with the diver down five fathoms. When no signals had been received for some time the captain went down and found Miyao dead in his driving dress. As the lugger was returning to Thursday Island Myquick was found dead in the hold. 'The Government officer at the island found that the diver had died from heart failure, while the aborigine had been poisoned by fumes from a broken exhaust pipe in the engine. The Mail, Adelaide, SA
  146. 1935 12 5 Miyao Shitarao or Ichitaro Australia Topsides BRISBANE, Saturday. — When the pearling lugger ‘Aldinia’ reached Thursday Island today she had on board two iead men. They were a Japanese diver, Ichitaro Miyao, 35, and a Mapoon native, Sammy Myquick, 17. The lugger was working at Warrior island with the diver down five fathoms. When no signals had been received for some time the captain went down and found Miyao dead in his driving dress. As the lugger was returning to Thursday Island Myquick was found dead in the hold. 'The Government officer at the island found that the diver had died from heart failure, while the aborigine had been poisoned by fumes from a broken exhaust pipe in the engine. The Mail, Adelaide, SA
  147. 1935 12 5 Myquick Sammy Australia BRISBANE, Saturday. — When the pearling lugger ‘Aldinia’ reached Thursday Island today she had on board two iead men. They were a Japanese diver, Ichitaro Miyao, 35, and a Mapoon native, Sammy Myquick, 17. The lugger was working at Warrior island with the diver down five fathoms. When no signals had been received for some time the captain went down and found Miyao dead in his driving dress. As the lugger was returning to Thursday Island Myquick was found dead in the hold. 'The Government officer at the island found that the diver had died from heart failure, while the aborigine had been poisoned by fumes from a broken exhaust pipe in the engine. The Mail, Adelaide, SA
  148. 1935 11 17 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air Japanese pearl diver, reported as 'became paralysed in the water and died later' Possible dual report for Sahden Bin Yachie who died 1/11/1935?)
  149. 1935 11 6 Mukai Chukuro Australia V. R. Kepert (Darwin) S/S Air Japanese pearl diver, aged 39, became paralysed underwater and died later. No details, but reported as the 7th diver that season to have died, the majority of paralysis, one from a bite from a coral snake. Aged about 39, diving from the lugger 'Winifred', on the Bathurst Island pearl beds, "Died, it is supposed, from paralysis caused by pressure'. 'Complained of pain in his left arm. For more than 14 hours he was brought to the surface by stages, but he died in the evening"Reported in the Canberra. Times et al
  150. 1935 11 1 Yachie Sahden Bin Australia 37 S/S Air "Malay Diver's Death While Pearl Fishing". Perth, Friday, "Sahden Bin Yachie (24), a Malay Pearl diver, died off the coast of Broome after having operated at 20 fathoms from 7 am to 4 pm. When Yachie was pulled up he complained of paralysis symptoms, and for several hours after was subjected to three further stagings at various depths to counter the effects. It was thought that he had been cured, but four hours later he died after a convulsive fit. Word of this tragedy, which happened on November 1, was received by police today (3rd January, 1936). reported in The Barrier Miner, Broken Hill, NSW. Another report sates "MALAY DIVER'S DEATH. The report of the death of a Malay diver, Sahdan Bin Yachie, apparently from paralysis due to deep water diving, was received from Broome by the Commissioner of Police (Mr. D. Hunter) yesterday. The diver was engaged on the pearl lugger Esquimaux, and replaced the first diver, who was sick, on October 31. He came to the surface at 5.30 pm, complaining of sickness. The first diver ordered him to be staged.' This process was continued until midnight, when the diver stated that he was feeling well. He suffered a relapse, however, and after an unsuccessful attempt to equip him for further staging he died" The West Australian.
  151. 1935 10 25 Fukami Maso Australia 37 S/S Air Japanese, aged 23, Bathurst island, bitten on the left wrist by a snake, surfaced and a tounequet put on the bite, put back in the water to decompress but came to the surface unconscious and died two hours later. Unclear whether cause of death was DCI or venom poisoning.
  152. 1935 9 14 Not Recorded Panama S/S Air Aged 73, pearl diver diving off the lugger 'Winifred' Reported as "Divers epic battle with shark, dies from wounds, Panama, Saturday (Incident could have been the previous Saturday, the 7th September. No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Hull Daily Mail/The British Newspaper Archive
  153. 1935 9 4 Johnson Julius USA S/S Air “Davy Jone's locker, whose dark and silent depths he had explored fearlessly for years, claimed the life yesterday of Julius Johnson, veteran Long Beach deep sea diver� Lost air supply, hose either kinked or severed (“apparently snagged on wreckage at the bottom of the sea�). Dive was to recover the anchor and chain slipped by the gambling boat 'Casino' when it caught fire four miles offshore two weeks earlier, Reported in the Los Angeles Times/Montreal Gazette.
  154. 1935 8 13 Siegel USA Military S/S Air Chief ship fitter on USS Falcon, “Died of the bends�. No details
  155. 1935 8 0 Not Recorded Australia 59 S/S Air Japanese pearl diver working in 35 fathoms near Echo Island, had been down 20 minutes when there was a vigorous tug on the airlines. Lines floated to surface with no sign of diver or metal helmet. "Scientists say that the only known monster capable of such an attack is a 'white death' shark which are usually about 40 feet long though there have been reports f 'white death' sharks 100 feet long". Next morning a few remnants of clothing were found floating on the surface. Diver's body and equipment never recovered. Reported in the Milwaukee Journal
  156. 1935 7 28 Mitsui Kioshichi Australia J & T Muramata 42 S/S Air Japanese pearl diver aged 54. Lugger 'Cleve' out of Darwin, working the beds off Bathurst Island diving to 18 and 23 fathoms both morning and afternoon. On surfacing in the afternoon, complained of paralysis, was put back into gear and lowered to 120' before being brought in stages towards the surface. After 35 minutes he came to the surface by himself was hauled onboard but found to be dead. Reposted to be the third diver employed by Australian pearling companies to have died and been brought ashore in Darwin but that two others on foreign boats had also died but been taken ashore in the Dutch east Indies bring the Total to 5 fatalities in July. Reported in the Sydney morning Herald
  157. 1935 7 17 Mastoridis Ellefteries USA S/S Air Aged 40, Greek from the Island of Symi who had arrived in the USA two years earlier, sponge diver off the vessel Astriopi that had left port 10 days ago, "died of suffocation when the oxygen apparaus became clogged". The Reverend Theo Karaphillis officiated at his funeral at St Nicholas Greek Church before his burial at the Cycadia Cemetery. He was survved by his widow and 9 year old son. St. Petersberg Times
  158. 1935 7 12 Martin Indonesia 31 S/S Air Koepang diver out of Darwin on the lugger 'Flying Cloud' working off the Aru Islands (Indonesian waters due north of Darwin). Standing in as the second diver (who was off sick), When pulled up from decompression stop, was found to be dead. “Diving gear in perfect working order�. Inquest returned a verdict of accidental death by suffocation (Essentially blaming the diver for adjusting his air valve and shutting off his own air). Reported in 'The Age'
  159. 1935 7 7 Salaman Australia Carpenter S/S Air Reported as Malay, Pearl diver out of Darwin diving near Bathurst Island, 'attacked by paralysis and died' “When he first gave distress signals, he was hauled to the surface, and was in great pain. He was then lowered to ten fathoms to allow him to become accustomed to the change in pressure, but he was dead when he reached the surface again.� Reported in the Canberra Times. Also reported in 'The Age' as "The lugger Zena returned to port this morning with it's flag flying at half mast and the dead body of a Koepang diver, Salmon, on board. It was reported that he came up sick after diving. He was lowered again but died. It is believed that diver's paralysis caused death".
  160. 1935 7 4 Sistakis Georgios USA 11 S/S Air Greek, aged about 63, ex-Mediterranean sponge diver, had been working the sponge beds off Tarpon Springs for 30 years, diving off the sponge diving boat 'Azaimis'. Break in air hose, lost air (Squeeze), recovered to surface but died. St. Petersburg Times
  161. 1935 5 15 Wunderlich Albert Edward Australia 2 S/S Air Aged about 40, single, working on the construction of the high level bridge over the Herbert river near Ingham, diving routinely in 7 or 8 feet of water, had been down sometime, at smoko they signalled him to prepare for pulling up but received no response and immediately hauled him up. The diver reached the surace minus his headdress which had become detached from the costume. A doctor and ambulance were hurridly summoned but after arduous endeavours at respiration life was pronounced to be extinct. Reported in the Nothern Miner.
  162. 1935 4 27 Kanada Hachiro Australia 15 S/S Air “JAPANESE DIVER KILLED. Air Pipe Line Broken�. CAIRNS. April 26. “Hackiro Kamada, a Japanese pearl diver, died at Alligator Passage, near Badu Island, while diving for shell. It is believed that an air pipe broke when the lugger drifted on the tide before the anchor could be dropped. Kamada was a member of the crew of the lugger ‘Drayton’, and in company with Chokichi, Murada dived into eight fathoms of water. About five minutes later Murada came to the surface and noticed Kamada on top of the water, with no helmet or corselet. A. dinghy was placed overboard, and members of the crew made towards the unconscious man, but the craft sank. They then swam to Kamada, and placed him on the deck of the lugger. He was breathing heavily. A flag was hoisted, and the lugger Sorrel, owned by the Bowden Pearling Co., responded�. “LOWERED INTO SEA�. “A helmet and corselet were placed on Kamada, and he was lowered to the bottom of the sea, and was kept under water for one and a half hours, but showed no signs of improving. He was pulled up on to the deck again, and it was noticed that his neck and face were swollen, and he was apparently dead. Then he was taken to Thursday Island. Dr. R. J. Nimmo (Government medical officer) Issued a certificate stating that death was due to (1) asphyxia by drowning, (2) myocarditis (accidental). Reported in the Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Qld.
  163. 1935 2 11 Hopkins Thomas UK S/S Air "Diver's death. Wreck of the 'Gladiator', Portsmouth correspondent, Mr Thomas Hopkins, retired Naval warrant officer who was awarded the...No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Western Morning Nws//The British Newspaper Archive
  164. 1935 1 5 Fujimatsu Australia 11 S/S Air Japanese pearl diver aged 27, working from the lugger 'Felton' 10 miles west of Badu (one of the Torres Strait Islands), had been in the water 45 minutes when he ditched his helmet/corslet and surfaced 4 yards from the lifeline. The diver acting as tender jumped in with a line and both divers swam to the ladder. The diver sat on deck for 5 minutes, and, after aking a deep breath, lay back on the deck. He was found to be dead. A post mortem indicated he died of beri beri and heart failure. His diving gear was found to be in order and had not been fouled. Reported in the Sydney Morning Herald
  165. 1934 10 8 Hansen Robert Roy USA ADS HMS 'Hussar', sank 23rd November 1780 off New York in the East River near treacherous Hell Gate, rumoured to be carrying gold. Hansen dived from the Tug 'Terminal' using an armoured diving suit - “Eleanor� - invented by salvage company president, Thomas P. Connolly, “Weighing 675 Ib. on deck, the suit has a head and body of steel, with grotesque protuberances for eyes and something that looks like a nose. Of rubber reinforced by interwoven copper strips, the arms and legs become flexible when subjected to high underwater pressure. The two parts of the suit join at the waist instead of around the neck. The diver goes down without an airhose, carries an oxygen bottle, a respirator, caustic soda to absorb carbon dioxide� The tall, gangling, muscular man who went down encased in ''Eleanor" is a crack deep-sea diver named Roy Robert Hansen. He worked on the S-51 and S-4 jobs when those U. S. submarines went to the bottom (TIME, Oct. 5, 1925; Dec. 26, 1927). His father, a diver called "Big Charley," was killed working in the Great Lakes, and "Big Charley's" father also lost his life diving. The Terminal's procedure was to pay out 2,000 ft. of cable with Hansen in "Eleanor" at the end, then drag him along against the swirling tide. Though the depth was never more than 112 ft., Hansen thought it the nastiest job of his career, said he was bumped against rocks and whirled around until he was groggy. By week's end he had encountered six drowned hulks, identified none as the Hussar. But Diver Hansen appraised as practically nil the chances of the rival salvage vessel 'Josephine' “Wearing ordinary diving-suits, the Josephine's divers worked only during slack tide, 20 min. twice a day�. Reported in Time Magazine
  166. 1934 9 27 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air Salvage dive from the vessel 'Bertha'. No details
  167. 1934 9 20 Currie or Curry William Wallace Canada A M Maclean & Sons S/S Air Employed to plant dynamite underwater in the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. On a stormy day, he decided it was better to dive and get paid than wait for the weather to clear. Lightning struck his equipment on the surface, travelled down his line and ignited the 6 pounds of dynamite and blasting caps he carried. His 21 year old son, Laughlin, acting as his diving assistant, witnessed the accident. Missaiiauga.net, Montreal Gazette
  168. 1934 9 13 Kongo Hisa Australia Bowden Pearling Co. 55 S/S Air "Diver Drowned When Helmet Fills With Water" Japanese diver aged 24, reported that his helmet filled with water as he rose to the surface with a bag of shells at Darnley Island. Diving off the lugger 'Sydney', came to the surfacce unconscious, the vessel master, Captain Yonekawa, thought he was suffering from diver's paralysis, fitted another helmet and took Kongo down again in an attempt to relieve the stricken diver. The Captain remained below for nearly 40 minutes but Kongo failed to respond. He was hauled to the surface dead. Reported in the Advocate, Burnie, Tasmania.
  169. 1934 8 10 Dramin Does bin Australia Hornsby 38 S/S Air “TWENTY-ONE FATHOMS DOWN. Pearl Diver's Death�. “The Commissioner of Police (Mr. W. H. Douglas) received a message from Inspector Tuohy yesterday that a Malay diver named Does Bin Dramin (30), had died at sea near Broome on Friday last. He had been working at 21 fathoms for a pearler named Hornsby. The body was brought to Broome, where an inquest will be held�. Reported in the West Australian, Perth, WA
  170. 1934 8 0 Beebe Dr. William USA 921 ADS DEEP SEA DIVER. Dr. William Beebe, the American scientist, who has established a new record for deep sea diving in his "Bathysphere" by reaching 3,023 feet. He bettered his previous attempt by 518 feet. Reported in The Western Mail, Perth
  171. 1934 7 31 Bee John UK S/S Air "Diver's death, John Bee, 54, of Queens Road, Portsmouth, a diver employed in salving of the sunken german fleet in the Orkney, died from heart failure on a salvage vessel…" " collapsed and died on deck of salvage vessel 'Bertha' after emerging from air lock." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Hull Daily Mail/The British Newspaper Archive. “DIVER DIES AFTER A JOKE� Mr. John Bee, a diver, aged 54, of Portsmouth, who was employed in the salving of the sunken German fleet at Scapa Flow for ten years, died suddenly after finishing work on the sunken warship ‘Bayern’ a few weeks ago. The diver had been joking with his comrades in the salvage boat Bertha after emerging from the air lock just before his collapse. The Canberra Times
  172. 1934 7 27 Griffen USN Fireman third class James R USA Military 30 Submarine New London Submarine Base, Escape training exercise in a 100' deep training tank, air embolism, died in a decompression chamber several hours later. Reported as lost control of lung and shot to the surface holding his breath. New York Times
  173. 1934 7 21 Pederson Olaf South Africa 9 S/S Air Aged 42, diving in Table Bay from the 'Epaty' salvaging copper ingots from the hull of the 'Hypatia' wrecked on Whale Rock in October 1929. Had been doing salvage work in the are for the previous 10 years . Gave the signal to lower the sling for copper but no ingots when it came to surface. This was followed by erratic line signals 'similar to the emergency signal' and the deck crew began to recover the diver. "Ordinarily done by one man, this task necessitated the combined efforts of four, indicating that the diver was a deadweight and something was wrong. When the diver appeared at the surface, it was seen that the face glass of his diving suit, including the frame, had apparently been unscrewed and was missing. The water had rushed in and filled the suit and the diver was unconscious. A slight movement of the lips was the only sign of life. Artificial respiration was immediately applied but without success. No water, it is stated, emerged from the body". Straits Times
  174. 1934 7 5 Etem Philippines Free diver The ‘Pear of Allah� or “Pearl of Lao Tsu�, the world’s largest known pearl.. Paraphrased from the book by Wilburn Cobb. “A Palawan island tribe on a conch fishing expedition, realised one of the group, Etem, was missing. Suspecting a giant octopus, they unsheathed their knives and dove down in search of their missing comrade. On the fourth dive they found Etem already dead, his left hand trapped between the shells of a giant Tridacna clam. With the aid of ropes, the men hoisted their dead comrade and his deep-sea murderer into one of the canoes. As the death needed to be fully explained to the authorities, they took the boy just as they had found him with his left hand still in the grip of the giant shell to chief who acted as the local notary public. The boy was buried, but three days later as the chief watched his men remove the meat from the shell, he saw an enormous pearl (It weighs over 14 lbs). Two years later it was given to Cobb as a gift after he saved the Chief’s son from dying of malaria. Contrary to some reports, not a Surface Supplied diver but native free diver – a factor which contributed to the tragedy. Also reported by Ocean Watch and others.
  175. 1934 6 15 Ota Shigara Australia 18 S/S Air Aged 25, master of the lugger 'Torenia', pearl diving in the Torres Straits. He dived for 25 minures in 10 fathoms, sent up a bag of shell, but then his air line became trapped in rocks, he ditched his gear and surfaced without helmet and corselette, complaining of feeling weary and sick. Another diver, Tomoza Conokawa from a nearby lugger, was called to help as the crew believed he was suffereing from divers's paralysis and took Ota below for two hours. When they surfaced Ota was still ill, fell asleep and died. Later, a doctor concluded he was given incorrect treatment and had actually died from heart failure. The Sydney Morning Herald.
  176. 1934 6 15 Rogall Fred USA Frederick Snare Corporation Aged 45, "Bends attack fatal to Diver". Died at the Greene County Memorial Hospital, no details. New York Times
  177. 1934 5 24 Christofis Fotis USA, Florida 27 S/S Air Aged about 52, Sponge diver onboard the 'George Washington', he had been at 15 fathoms for 43 minutes when he was taken ill, brought to the surface, but 'On removing his helmet he was found to be dead'. Vessel spent 24 hours in transit to port (Tarpon Springs) and the body was transferred to the Vinson Funeral home. Cause of death was recorded as 'suffered a stroke'. Funeral service held at the St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, buried at the Cycadia cemetery. St Petersberg Times.
  178. 1934 4 22 Sakalvous Antanis USA S/S Air Greek, aged 45, sponge diver on the 'Demetra' out of Tarpon Springs, a few minutes into his dive signalled that he had a problem and was brought up, unconscious, taken ashore but died in hospital. No details. St Petersburg Times
  179. 1934 4 6 Nggeboe Adoe Australia V. J. Clark 16 S/S Air Aged 30, from Koepang, Pearl diver out of Darwin diving Northwest of Bathurst Island, second dive of the day, paralysed in the water, dead when recovered onboard, had been working the pearl boats for about 6 years. Reported in the Courier Mail Brisbane.
  180. 1934 2 27 Not Recorded Tom UK Royal Society Lecture 15 S/S Air During a lecture in London, Sir Robert Davis (Inventor of the submarine escape apparatus) described how a diver "Tom," got drunk 50' underwater. "While salvaging a ship, found himself in a air pocket, free of water. He spotted a case of whisky near by, and promptly unscrewed the mouthpiece of his diving helmet and broached a bottle. He tied his lifeline round a stanchion to avoid his enjoyment being interrupted from the surface. We became anxious as Tom sent up no cargo for two hours. When at last he reached the surface he was dead drunk. If the air pocket had filled with water, or Tom had miscalculated his capacity and failed to replace the mouth-piece of his helmet he would have been drowned." Reported in the Brisbane Courier Mail.
  181. 1933 12 14 Evans Lloyd J. USA 34 S/S Air 40 years old from Bremerton, Washington, went to San Francisco to work on the San Francisco - Oakland Bridge project. He "was raised by easy stages for the usual rest period from 112 feet below the surface where he had been removing pins from a caisson. As his heavy equipment was being removed, he collapsed and became unconscious. He was taken to a dockside decompression chamber and treated under the supervision of Dr. J. Minton who entered the chamber to be with the diver. "The diver died after several hours of efforts had failed to revive him". The first death "on the project from the affliction ("the bends") against which officials said every precaution had been taken". Prescott Evening Courier.
  182. 1933 11 15 Ariuke Hidiji Australia 33 S/S Air LURED ON. YOUNG DIVER KILLED. Another Japanese diver has become the victim of the lure of pearls, and his fate was similar to that of many of his predecessors. The diver's name was Hidiji Ariuke, 29, a native of Erime Ken, Japan. Ushimaku Tamoto, master of the lugger ‘Adiana’, on which deceased was employed states that on November 15, about 6 a.m, he commenced work near Deliverance Island, and continued diving until 3 p.m., when he felt ill. The deceased took his place, and went down in about 18 fathoms. He stayed on the bottom for about 10 minutes, and came to the surface with 15 shells. He had a good rest, and about 4 p.m., he went down again, and stayed 20 minutes. When he returned to the deck of the lugger he appeared to be in his usual good health, but a few minutes later he complained of a pain in his right leg, and then started to lose consciousness. Tamoto said he knew deceased was getting divers paralysis. He immediately put deceased over the side of the lugger with the diving helmet and corselet on. When raised half an hour later deceased was still unconscious. He was then placed in full diving dress and lowered into 18 fathoms. Tarasahuro Umino went down with deceased to regulate the air valve. Deceased was still unconscious when he was brought to the surface at 6 p.m. He was lowered again, and when brought, up at 8 p.m. he was dead. The body was taken to Thursday Island, approximately 80 miles away. The act of submerging a diver suffering from paralysis is used by the Japanese to endeavor to cure the sufferer. It is a matter of-pressure.’ Reported in the Cairns Post, Qld.
  183. 1933 11 13 Nishi Shotaro Australia Roy Edwards 33 S/S Air Japanese pear diver, aged 48, lugger belonging to Mr Roy Edwards working out of Darwin. 60 miles Northwest of Bathurst Island, spent 6 hours doing in water therapeutic decompression the day before, not fully cured, dived the next day to continue treatment (and gather pearls!). Apparently lost control of his air valve, major squeeze, pulled up bleeding profusely from nose, ears etc, died. Reported in the Courier Mail and Canberra Times
  184. 1933 11 0 Not Recorded USA S/S Air A story of slow death by suffocation six fathoms under the surface of the Gulf of Mexico was told today by the fire charred wreckage of the sponge fishing boat Xios and bones and diving helmets of two members of her crew located on the sea floor 12 miles off Cedar Kevs�. No details, but appears that vessel caught fire and sank, in the process drowning the two divers working at the time. St Petersburg Times
  185. 1933 9 0 Tacheuchi Sounoske Australia S/S Air Paraphrased report from the Courier-Mail, Brisbane “Japanese, master and diver of the lugger 'Ridgeon' met his death when an air pipe burst while he was diving for pearls near Cook's Reef, about four minutes after he entered the water, he signalled that he had reached the bottom, and almost immediately a distress signal was received. The engineer ordered the crew to haul up the diver. Another sharp distress signal was received. After assisting the diver aboard the crew thinking he was paralysed, after adding an extra length of air pipe, lowered the diver to five fathoms, according to the Japanese fashion of treating paralysed divers. A New Guinea boy went down twice to view the diver, and on the second occasion said he thought the diver was finished." the diver was hauled up and his diving dress was cut off. The body was conveyed to Thursday Island, where a post-mortem examination revealed that death was due to asphyxiation.�
  186. 1933 7 24 Not Recorded Australia 31 S/S Air “DIVER'S HELMET PULLED OFF�. DARWIN, Monday. – “A diver's remarkable escape from death, while working in 17 fathoms of water is reported by several pearlers from the Aru Islands. The diver signalled to the tender to take up the loaded basket and send down an empty one. As the tender was hauling up, the rope of the laden basket fouled the helmet of the diver, but the tender, considering the extra weight due only to the heavily-laden basket, continued hauling up, and pulled off the diver's helmet. The diver was soon hauled to the surface, apparently drowned, but without signs of the usual paralysis. Other boats, summoned by a distress signal, rushed to his help, and one man used resuscitation methods. After almost an hour's work the diver was revived. Next day he resumed diving as usual�. Reported in the Barrier Miner, Broken Hill, NSW
  187. 1933 4 19 Sutherland James UK S/S Air Reported as "Divers death on reaching surface, collapse while climbing ladder. A Kirkwall diver collapsed and died. No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Dundee Courier/The British Newspaper Archive. Reported two months later (in June) in the New Zealand Press as "Aged 31, Working on the Kirkwall Harbour extension (Kirkwall, Orkney Isles, Scotland). "After signalling that he had finished the job, collapsed and died at the foot of the ladder before he could be hauled up". Evening Post, Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand)
  188. 1932 9 30 Stevens William Ramsey Hong Kong Hong Kong Government 6 S/S Air Australian diver employed by the Government on the Hong Kong Harbour Pipe. At the inquest, Senior commissioned Gunner George Hamilton RN, the expert witness, gave a demonstration of the working of the diving suit and helmet stating that the exhaust valve could be regulated by the diver to control the pressure of air in the suit. He also examined the topsides pump and found it efficient and 'needing about 25 turns a minute to keep a proper supply of air for working under any conditions'. The diver had only been in the water about three minutes when he ditched his helmet (including the two 40 pound lead weights). It was supposed at the inquest that there had been a mix up in the signals and when he asked for more air, he was actually given less and in desperation tried to ditch his helmet and reach the surface. The expert witness decsribed the diver's last act as "a very desperate act which I think, as an experienced diver, I would never dream of doing. It would drown him and fill up the suit with water. He absolutely committed suicide by taking his helmet off". Straits Times.
  189. 1932 9 2 Sanders Jesse USA S/S Air Described as a government emplyee, inspecting a dam on the Ohio river, got his feet trapped in a wicket, after three hours another dier and suit were brought to site from 20 miles away and he was recovered to surface but attempts to reuscitate him were unsuccessful. "He apparently died of suffocation or strabgulation as there was little water in his suit". The Reading Eagle
  190. 1932 8 28 Dahl John USA 64 S/S Air Previously the wrecking master and chief diver with the Merritt & Chapman Wrecking Company, “Noted diver dies in Norfolk, Virginia� Salvage operation off the vessel “Salvor�, cargo recovery from the wreck of the Merida (sank after a collision with the Farragut 45 miles East of Cobb Island, Virginia, with reports of treasure onboard in 1911) in approx 200' of water. Diver's death attributed to heart disease but authoriies wanted an autopsy. No other details. Reported in the Sun (Baltimore, Md.)
  191. 1932 7 28 Riddle Forest USA S/S Air Aged 35 from Hebron, Kentucky, 'repairing wickets at government dam 31 on the Ohio River. Got trapped by a fouled airline for an hour then floated to the surface, dead. Physicians said no signs of drowning or suffocation and expressed the belief he died of heart disease. The Toledo News.
  192. 1932 4 8 Duval William Canada S/S Air Aged 26, New Liskeard, Ontario, reported as river dive (Wabi river) and that he “drowned when his suit burst�. No details. Reported in the Chicago Tribune
  193. 1931 9 10 Marf Australia Muramat 35 S/S Air DARWIN, Wednesday. A Japanese diver, known as Marf, employed by Muramat's pearling fleet, died today after becoming paralysed when diving in 19 fathoms of water about 40 miles north-west of Bathurst Island. The Advocate, Burnie
  194. 1931 9 7 Kimoto Tomekichi Australia S/S Air Japanese pear diver aged 45, lugger Mars out of Darwin, diving 40 miles from Bathurst Island, signalled to be drawn to the surface. When hauled up,, it was"found that he was paralysed through working in deep water, and although efforts to revive him continued for 16 hours, he died.� After hearing medical evidence, as well| as the reports of Mr McKay and two Japanese from the boat, a verdict was given of death from divers' paralysis. (Other reports confuse his name as Tomekichi Rimolo) Reported in the Northern Territory Times and Gazette
  195. 1931 6 16 Not Recorded Italy S/S Air "Diver drowned locating wartime submarine" "Milan, June 16, A diver attempting to verify the reported location of an Australian submarine lost in war time at Porto Recanati (South of Ancona, Italian Adriatic Coast), he located the vessel but was suffocated on his third descent". Reported in the Townsville Daily Bulletin, Queensland.
  196. 1931 4 27 Long (or Lang?) Charles UK Gloucester Dock Company Topsides "Gloucester's only diver killed . Motor cycle collision with cyclist Chales Long (43), diver for the Gloucester Dock Company, was killed.." "Diver killed in cycle collision. Gl;oucester's only diver, Charles Lang (43) of Tuffley was killed in a collision near Hempstead..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Cheltenham Chronicle/The British Newspaper Archive
  197. 1931 3 30 Woodcock Percy Ingram UK Liverpool Salvage Company S/S Air "Diver's death at Salcombe. Mr Percy Ingram Woodcock, one of the divers working on behalf of the Liverpool Salvage Co. on the SS ….". No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Western Morning News/The British Newspaper Archive
  198. 1930 12 7 Bargellini Alberto France Gianni and Co Topsides One of three Italian divers who made the deepest to date salvage dives from the “Artiglio� (134m, wreck of the “Egypt�, summer 1930) before working on the wreck of the Florence (9000 tonnes munitions ship sank of St Nazaire in 1917). Munitions exploded sinking the salvage vessel. They were using explosives to dismantle the wreck and to save time, reduced the stand-off distance from 2 miles to being virtually overhead.
  199. 1930 12 7 Franceschi Aristide France Gianni and Co Topsides One of three Italian divers who made the deepest to date salvage dives from the “Artiglio� (134m, wreck of the “Egypt�, summer 1930) before working on the wreck of the Florence (9000 tonnes munitions ship sank of St Nazaire in 1917). Munitions exploded sinking the salvage vessel. They were using explosives to dismantle the wreck and to save time, reduced the stand-off distance from 2 miles to being virtually overhead.
  200. 1930 12 7 Gianni Alberto France Gianni and Co Topsides One of three Italian divers who made the deepest to date salvage dives from the “Artiglio� (134m, wreck of the “Egypt�, summer 1930) before working on the wreck of the Florence (9000 tonnes munitions ship sank of St Nazaire in 1917). Munitions exploded sinking the salvage vessel. They were using explosives to dismantle the wreck and to save time, reduced the stand-off distance from 2 miles to being virtually overhead.
  201. 1930 11 15 Kazusaka Isunegoro Australia Victor Clark S/S Air DIVER KILLED. Paralysis the Cause. DARWIN, Monday. The body of a Japanese diver, Isunegoro Kazusaka, employed in Mr. Victor Clark's pearling fleet, was brought into Darwin on Sunday night. His death was as a result of paralysis. Reported in the Daily News, Perth, WA.
  202. 1930 9 13 Not Recorded France Caisson "Divers suffocated, Two dead and three others in critical condition. Five workers engaed in submarine works at Martiques, near Marseilles were found unconscious when a diving,,," No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Nottingham Evening Post/The British Newspaper Archive
  203. 1930 7 14 Meany Pat UK 9 S/S Air News Headline "Diver Fights a Sea Monster". Fishguard (Wales). A fight to the death between a diver under the sea and a monstrous black conger eel occurred here to-day. The man won with the aid of a hammer. a pick-axe. and a jack-knife. Mr. Pat Meany, a diver who is preparing the foundations of a slipway at Fishguard harbour for the use of the lifeboat, was thirty feet below the surface of the water when he saw through the window of his diving helmet a monster more than six feet long and of great girth writhing towards him. The eel attacked the diver by curling itself round his legs. The man, hampered by his heavy suit and by the pressure of the water, was in danger of being thrown on the sea bottom. “I struck the creature with all my strength on the head with a hammer." Mr. Meany told me. "It went of slowly but soon returned to the attack with its mouth open in an alarmingly ferocious manner. “I took a pick-axe and pinned the eel against the rocky side of the confined space in which I was working, and then with a long knife struck it deep under the gills. “It then wrlthed slowly away, leaving a trail of blood.� Straits Times archives
  204. 1930 6 9 Marumoto Sanzo Australia 38 S/S Air Japanese diver, pearling west of Booby Island (Near Thursday Island), "Air pipe burst in 21 fathoms" The Advocate, Tasmania. “Japanese Diver Drowned. His airpipe bursting in 21 fathoms of water on Sunday, west of Booby Island, in Thursday Island waters, a Japanese diver, Sanzo Marumoto, was drowned. There were no suspicious circumstances. advice to this effect has been received by the Cairns police authorities�. Reported in the Cairns Post, Qld.
  205. 1930 5 0 Kawamot Kumaichi Australia S/S Air "Japanese diver Drowned, air pipe entangled in propeller"; "Dead when hauled to surface" Barrier Miner, Broken Hill, NSW
  206. 1930 4 21 Christopher Chris USA 5 S/S Air From Brooksville, working on the salvage of the luxury steam yatch "Zalophus" (125' steam yatch owned by entrepeneur - land developer - John Ringling en route to Useppa Island's famous 'Collier inn', sank in 12' of water on the night of 4th February 1930 after a collision with an unidentified object punched a hole in the hull. John Ringling was in New York on business and it was unclear at the time just who might have been onboard, Reports in 1958 claimed that then Mayor of New York city, Jimmy Walker - aged 49 and married - was onboard with his 'friend' Betty Compton - A showgirl aged 23). The judge, Arthur R. Clark, who examined the diver's remains decided an inquest was not necessary and that death resulted from natural causes. According to witnesses, the diver had gone down to just 16' when he gave the signal to pull him up. "He was not in the water more than three minutes on the dive. As he stepped on the ladder leading from the water to a floating dock he collapsed. He was dead when fellow workers removed his helmet and sent for authorities. It was stated that the diver had been in impaired health fot the previous two or three weeks suffering from bronchial trouble but had continued to work in his efforts to complete his contract. Operations to raise the yatch were to have been started within a few days. None of the offoicials inquirig into the affair, or employees of Ringling professed to know the diver's name until a press club man supplied it together with the information that he was between 60 and 65 years old, married and had several children. A doctor declared a hemorrhage caused death, undertakers took the body to Brooksville for interment. Searasota Herald-Tribune
  207. 1930 4 7 Higashi Mogatoro Australia Edward McKay 51 S/S Air Japanese, lead diver off the pearling lugger 'Dulcie', Paraphrased from the inquest reported in the Northern territory Times:- 'I was tender for the deceased. I put him down on Sunday 6th at 11.30 am. for the first time this season. The depth was 28 fathoms. He reached the bottom and signaled all right. About five minutes later he again signaled O.K. About 10 minutes later I got the signal to bring up. When he came up to 10 fathoms he signaled ma to wait. That meant he wanted to be staged. Three minutes later the deceased came to the surface and on to the ladder when I removed the face glass. The deceased did not speak. I said 'The water is too deep you should have had a longer stage coming up'. Deceased came on deck and sat down. I was coiling the life line when the engine boy sang out to me 'The diver is falling over.' I put the face glass back and we put him back on to the water and tried to stage him. When we got him to about 17 fathoms deceased used to close the valve and bring himself up to the surface. We tried several times to get him down but every time he would bring himself up�. “We took him out of the diving suit. He was unconscious and breathing feebly. We put him in his bunk in the cabin and came straight away to Darwin. Members of the crew kept massaging the deceased, but he did not regain consciousness and died about 11 am. on the 7th. Verdict returned that death was due to divers paralysis
  208. 1930 1 30 Trans Peter Canada 6 S/S Air 30 year old Danish immigrant, trapped by hoses/differential pressure against a coffer dam at the Ontario Paper Company project at Pointe aus Outardes, recovered after 71 hours, but had died (hypothermia). Working to build new life in Canada for his wife and children still in Denmark. Rescue divers Quesnel Morency and Lewis Begin were flown 200 miles north from Montreal into the remote location on the river Outardes, Quebec, to effect a rescue attempt. The Evening Independent.
  209. 1930 1 13 Hoffman or Hofferman Andrew Australia S/S Air Aged 65, from Cardiff, working in Newcastle Harbour, reported that a wire caught his air hose just above his helmet, another diver working with him brought him to the surface but attempts at resuscitation failed. Recorded as suffocated from blocked air pipe. Reported in the Western Argus and Sydney Morning Herald
  210. 1929 9 10 Nabiki Sligoro Australia S/S Air "Japanese diver drowned, Perth September 17, a Japanese diver named Sligoro Nabiki was drowned while diving off Mardi Island, on the North-west coast, recently". Reported in the Mercury (Hobart)
  211. 1929 9 1 Yasiu Kakaturo Australia Victor Clark S/S Air Pearl diver working off the lugger 'Dona Matilda', 40 miles NorthWest of Bathurst Island, "Suffocated owing to his air pipe coming into contact with the propeller", Inquest returned a verdict of accidental death. Northern Territory Times
  212. 1929 7 9 Johnstone J E Australia 1 “DIVER'S BRAVERY. When a party of men was blasting in the Yarra at Burnley, a lighted fuse attached to 10 lbs of gelignite caught on the bottom of the boat. The fuse could not be detached, and the diver, Mr. J. E Johnstone, risked his life to go below to cut the fuse. His action probably saved the lives of the men in the boat. One photograph shows the diver entering the water with the charge, and the other is of the "powder monkey� lighting the fuse which caused the trouble These photographs were taken just before the mishap�. Reported in The Argus, Melbourne, Vic.
  213. 1929 6 0 Not Recorded UK S/S Air "Scapa diver's death. From our own correspondent, Kirkwall, Thursday 20th June, 1929, Today Sheriff Brown and a jury held fatal accident inquiry into the circumstances attending..." "Diver who was working on the salvaged Kaiser." (Scuttled 21st June 1918, raised in March 1929, moved and broken up in Rosyth in 1930). No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Aberdeen Journal/The British Newspaper Archive
  214. 1929 5 6 Sabe Kikozo Australia A. C. Gregory 36 S/S Air Reported that a pearling lugger D58 of Captain Gregory's fleet sailed into Darwin port this afternoon with the flag at half mast. The captain reported that while diving for pearl off Shoal Bay a Japanese diver was working in 20 fathoms of water, the air pipe split, and the diver was dead when hauled up. The Sydney Morning Herald/Northern Standard, Darwin, NT
  215. 1929 3 20 Lois Helen USA Topsides Photograph in the Paper showing a woman dressed in standard gear with the captions "A WOMAN DIVER. Miss Helen Lois of San Francisco, who is described as the ionly woman deep sea diver in the world. Reported in the Sydney Morning Herald
  216. 1928 19 3 Ball Frank Australia S/S Air He sustained fractured ribs and injuries to the lungs. His name Is not on the danger list�. Reported in The Daily News, Perth.
  217. 1928 12 12 Christophe Lambiris USA 18 S/S Air Aged 25, Sponge diver out of Tarpon springs onboard the vessel “Bessie�, 100 miles out, reported as “drowned when his airline parted�. The Evening Independent
  218. 1928 12 7 Ali Amat bin Australia Gregory & Castilla 37 S/S Air “PEARL DIVER'S DEATH. Collapsed in 20 fathoms�. PERTH, Friday – “A message from Broome states that Amat Bin Ali, a pearl. diver, collapsed and died in 20 fathoms of water yesterday, when pearling off Lacepede Island. Ali signalled to be pulled up again, then he hastily signalled: "Stage me, quick." He was "staged" at 15 fathoms for five minutes, but when brought up he was dead A doctor certified that death was due to syncope� Reported by the Recorder, Port Pirie, SA
  219. 1928 12 6 O'Hara Fumio Australia Topsides Japanese Diver's Death. The death of Fumio O'Hara, a Japanese diver, at Broome on Thursday was reported to the Commissioner of Police (Mr. R. Connell) yesterday by Inspector Leen. O'Hara disappeared from his boarding house in the morning and four hours later his body was found on a derelict lugger on the beach. The stomach had been ripped open, evidently with a razor found near by. O'Hara had been under medical treatment. Inspector Leen stated, and had been suffering from mental depression. The inspector said he thought it was a case of suicide. The West Australian
  220. 1928 12 3 Not Recorded Brazil S/S Air 3rd of December, build up to big celebration in Rio de Janeiro for the return home of famous airman Alberto Santos-Dumont. A Dornier Wal (Seaplane) carrying Politicians and dignitaries crashed into the sea killing all 14 onboard. A diver died during an operation to recover the bodies from the plane when his air lines became entangled. Reported in The New York Times
  221. 1928 7 24 Kakutchi K Australia S/S Air Japanese pearl diver diving off Poit Vicente from a launch with a two man surface crew. Apparently flooded suit but no details. Reported in the Los Angeles Times
  222. 1928 0 0 Kimbel USA S/S Air Died of pulmonary embolism, no details
  223. 1928 0 0 SDC USA S/S Air Davis introduces his closed bell - the Davis Submersible Chamber (SDC) Diving Bell
  224. 1927 12 24 Caisson incident USA Caisson Caisson work during construction of Hudson river bridge, 3 drowned
  225. 1927 11 20 Not Recorded USA S/S Air Swedish, searching for 3 bodies after a motor schooner was sunk after a collision, 4th dive, died, no details
  226. 1927 11 10 Hawkes C. C. Australia S/S Air “Last week the crack diver of Mr. C. C. Hawkes lost his life when diving for pearl off Gautheaume Point, near Broome, owing to his air pipe becoming fouled with a coral cup. The boat was drifting and the strain on the pipe severed it and the diver was suffocated. It was stated at the inquest, however, that death was expedited owing to the deceased suffering from fatty degeneration of the heart. The fact that a diver was killed in such a manner today led to inquiries being made whether the divers working from the Broome base were using the latest diving equipment, or whether it was perhaps old equipment. It was ascertained from the Chief Inspector of Fisheries (Mr. Aldrich) that it was to the pearler’s advantage to use the latest equipment for their divers, as these men were very valuable, apart from the protection of life aspect. The owners were equipped with the latest diving equipment both in dress and1 hoses. A new diving dress, however, has been invented by Mr. Y. Murakami, of Broome, but it is understood that it has not yet been manufactured locally. He has been working on the invention for the past four years. The equipment is much reduced in weight, and, being highly rubberised, admits of free movement by the diver when on the sea bottom. The usual helmet is practically done away with, except for a plate carrying the face glass and valves. The boots and shoulder leads are reduced to less than half the weight of the ordinary equipment, whilst the air pipes are considerably smaller. It is hoped eventually to be able to manufacture the whole of the new equipment in Perth. Special compressed air cylinders may be carried on the equipment instead of using the usual air pumping machines and pipes. Reported in the Daily News, Perth, WA.
  227. 1927 10 25 Giorgas James USA 16 S/S Air Aged 28, Greek Sponge diver working out of Tarpon Springs onboard the Porteritisa, signalled to be brought to the surface after his airline parted, hauled aboard and appeared OK, helmet off, announced he was alright then collapsed and died. St. Petertsburg Times.
  228. 1927 9 19 Hook Australia S/S Air A huge octopus bearing in its tentacles a human body was forced to disgorge its prize after an hour’s battle 50 feet under the water of Port Townsend with a diver named Hook. Hook had been repairing a fish net when he saw the devil fish making its way along the bottom of the sound with a body in its clutches. The diver, who was armed with spike-pole, forthwith attacked the monster. For many minutes the gallant diver thrust and lunged at the monster which savagely gave battle but grimly held on its prey. Time after time, the fish warded off the spear-thrusts and tried to seize its assailant in its serpentlike arms, while the water became cloudy with the "dust" of battle. At last, concentrating his thrusts upon the creature's spider like body, the diver literally tore it to ribbons before it shrunk back, apparently mortally wounded, and the diver was able to prise its tenticle loose from the corpse. The body was later identified as that of the cook off a tugboat which sank in the harbour when four others were drowned, none of whose bodies have been recovered.' Straits times '
  229. 1927 8 0 Not Recorded Algeria "Divers Dynamited Underwater. Paris, Sunday, A message from Algiers to the Matin reports that one diver was.." "Killed by Explosion. Paris, Friday, A message reports that one diver was.." "One diver was killed and four others seriously injured by the preature explosion of some dynamite which they were using for the ..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Aberdeen Journal/The Lanarkshire Post/The British Newspaper Archive
  230. 1927 7 29 Hashimoto Hijiro or Bijiro Australia 33 S/S Air "Diver Drowned. Through an air pipe bursting 80 feet from the pump, a 46 year old Japanese diver with 26 years of experience was drowned at Broome, W. A. He was working at 18 fathoms and it was ten minutes before he could be brought to the surface". Reported in the Advocate, Burnie, Tasmania.
  231. 1927 6 7 Not Recorded Italy Military S/S Air "..Diver suffocated, arrest follows tragedy of torpedo search, Rome Tuesday. An under sea tragedy is reported in a message from Fiume today...." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Bristol Mercury/The British Newspaper Archive
  232. 1927 5 25 Harrison Edgar USA S/S Air American, from Catalina, speculative search for Aimee Macpherson (faked her own disappearance, but at the time was presumed missing/dead and there was a $25,000 reward for finding her. She had actually run off with her boyfriend). Water pressure acerbated appendicitis and he died. Macpherson re-appeared from the desert, initially claiming kidnap. Harrison's widow tried to sue Macpherson.
  233. 1927 5 4 Madden Charles Australia S/S Air “DIVER COLLAPSES. When he was being brought to the surface after working on a pile cylinder under water at the George's River bridge yesterday afternoon Charles Madden, aged 30, collapsed. The St George District Ambulance was called and first aid rendered. It was found necessary, however, to take the man to the St. George District Hospital. He was suffering from diver's palsy�. Reported in The Sydney Morning Herald.
  234. 1927 1 28 Romans Louis Australia S/S Air Described as a native of Switzerland, aged 28 drowned at Darwin Jetty. Employed as a diver to fix some piping underwater, "his air pipe became fouled and the diver was dead when hauled up". The Brisbane Courier. Later reported that his airlines were severed by sharp oysters shells on the piles. Later reports went:- “CARELESS DIVER. At the-inquest into the death of the diver, Louis Romans, who was asphyxiated owing to the outlet valve in his helmet being out of order, it was stated that, the gear was in shocking condition. Despite frequent warnings, Romans persisted in using it. The coroner found a verdict of accidental death brought about by deceased's carelessness. Reported in the Northern Star, Lismore, NSW.
  235. 1927 1 0 Not Recorded France Military 37 S/S Air “NAVAL DIVER'S FATE. While searching for a torpedo which had sunk to a depth of 120 ft near the Salins d'Hyeres, near Toulon, a naval diver fainted. He was at once hoisted to the surface, given medical aid and rushed off in a tug to the land, but he died later in hospital�. Reported in The Cessnock Eagle and South Maitland Recorder, NSW
  236. 1926 11 0 Not Recorded UK S/S Air “How diver met his death. A Manchester ship canal accident� “How diver lost his life in Manchester Ship canal was described at the inquest in Irlam yesterday (29/11/1926)� “Diver's strange death� No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in The Post (Lanarkshire)/Aberdeen Journal/The British Newspaper Archive
  237. 1926 10 15 Archers J M Australia S/S Air “STINGRAY ATTACKS DIVER, An incident, unprecedented in the history of Broome (W.A.) pearling, occurred last week, when J. M. Archers, a diver, was attacked while diving by a 3 cwt stingray, which drove its serrated barb right through his thigh and out at the buttocks through his diving dress and three flannel garments. He was grievously wounded, and suffered agony before the pain was alleviated at the hospital. The poison had now worked towards his spine. This is the first time a diver has been attacked though bathers along the coast are frequently whipped by sting rays' tails�. Reported in The Horsham Times, Vic
  238. 1926 9 25 Lee John UK 21 S/S Air "Accident to diver. While working on a wreck in Morecambe Bay yesterday, Jihn Lee of Weast Hartlepool..." "Diver's Ordeal. Broken helmet 70 feet below surface interviewed yesterday in Fleetwood hospital, a diver named Lee who almost…" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Aberdeen Journal/The British Newspaper Archive
  239. 1926 7 13 Williams Irving USA 15 S/S Air Described as a native of Kennebunk, working near Harpswell attempting to raise the power sloop 'Bradley A' which went ashore 10 days earlier on Bold Dick, a rocky pinnacle near Ragged Island in Casco Bay with the loss of three of the four crew. Reported as drowned at work, apparently an incident involving his air lines (being tended by his brother) which parted, but no details . Reported in the New York Times
  240. 1926 5 24 Devine John USA 12 S/S Air American, aged 40, New York East River, "Friend by mistake cut off his air hose" New York Times. Another report indicates "His lead soled boot was trapped in a cofferdam frame, his airline twisted and tangled, he died a divers death 30 feet under the East River this afternoon". He was recovered to the surface by fellow diver Alexander Hansen but was dead. Survived by 5 children. They were working on the installation of filter screens on the two water inlet tunnels supplying water to the new Edison Company plant being built at the end of fourteenth Street. Montreal Gazette
  241. 1926 4 0 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air "A message from Broome statyes that a Malay, who was unacustomed to pearling work, decided to try his hand at diving. He went below and 12 minutes afterwards was dragged to the surface dead. He had shut of the air supply in order to sink to the bottom and failed to turn it on again". Northern Star, NSW, Auistralia
  242. 1925 12 19 Parsons William UK S/S Air Reported as "Death of diver during tests at Collingwood docks, Liverpool" "Divers tragic Death. Death drom misadaventure was the verdict at Liverpool. Saturday on William Parsons, Liverpool, who died after...." "Death from misadventure was the verdict at Liverpool.." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in The Post (Lanarkshire)/Aberdeen Journal/The British Newspaper Archive
  243. 1925 11 0 German Divers S/S Air "German Divers, ..expert divers who claim to have made underwater examinations at a depth of 500 feet. They were out last night with the British Naval..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Western Daily Press/The British Newspaper Archive. (Yeah, right, 1925, on air, 500' Propaganda! TC)
  244. 1925 10 30 Not Recorded Persian Gulf "Pearl divers perish in cyclone. Reports of the recent cyclone in the Persian Gulf show that 32 pearl divers were…." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Angus Evening Telegraph/The British Newspaper Archive
  245. 1925 10 1 Not Recorded Bahrain Topsides Persian Gulf Storm, 32 drowned, 35 boats lost. Message received in Bushire from Bahrein Island in the Persian Gulf confirm the statement that the first reports of the cyclone on October 1 were exaggerated and that 32 Pearl divers were drowned and 35 boats are unaccounted for, a further 14 damaged. The town was not damaged. Casualties to boats belonging to other ports are estimated at 50. The duration of the storm was half an hour. The Mercury, Hobart.
  246. 1925 10 0 Not Recorded UK S/S Air ".. Weymouth diver's death. Crushed by motor engine. A fatal accident occurred Thursday afternoon…"No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Western Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive
  247. 1925 9 24 Okuna Nizo Australia S/S Air Japanese pearl diver aged 33 or 35. “Drowned on the sea bottom�. "Was drowned while pearling near Broome owing to his air pipe snapping on a reef" The Wyalong Advocate and Mining, Agricultural and Pastoral Gazette, NSW, Australia. “JAPANESE DIVER DROWNED� PERTH, Wednesday.— “A Japanese diver named Nizo Okuna, about 35 years, was drowned on the bottom while engaged in pearling 80 miles from Broome in consequence of the snapping of the air pipe attached to his diving suit. Okuna’s line fouled a reef in a heavy sea and broke and then his air pipe went. The diver, later, floated to the surface dead. Another diver saved his life by rising before the reef was encountered�. Reported in The Register, Adelaide
  248. 1925 7 5 Woodhead Australia S/S Air Photograph of a diver in standard gear with the caption "Geraldton's Official diver, Mr. Woodhead, who is seen here in his armour about to descend. He is the first diver in Geraldton to be equipped with the latest telephone apparatus". Reported in the Sunday Times, Perth, WA.
  249. 1925 3 0 Suketaro Yamakado Australia S/S Air PEARL DIVER SUFFOCATED. PERTH, Tuesday. A Japanese diver, Yamakado Suketaro, lost his life while working on a pearling lugger at sea 200 miles from Broome. He was lowered to the bottom in a diving suit, with an air pipe and life line. When the line was severed by coral rock the air pipe was fully extended, and as the lugger turned to give aid the pipe broke about 100 feet from the engine. When the body was recovered it was found that the Japanese was suffocated inside the diving suit. Reported in the Argus, Melbourne, Vic. Inquest returned a verdict of accidental death. The Age.
  250. 1924 10 22 Gunn Morrison UK S/S Air "Diver drowned in Lyness harbour, ex petty officer Morrison Gunn of Victoria Sreeet, Kirkwal..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Derby Daily Telegraph/The British Newspaper Archive
  251. 1924 9 30 MacKenzie Charles Wiliam Hong Kong Topsides Chief diver of Taikoo Docks, appeared at the Central Magistracy having been remanded the previous Saturday. "Defendant was charged with driving his motor-cycle in a dangerous manner; with being under the influence of drink; and with not stopping his machine after the occurrence of an accident in which two members of the police force were knocked down and injured. The judge, in fining the defendent $100 on each of the first and third charges, the second charge being withdrawn, said that the defendant was fortunate that the Captain Superintendent of Police had not asked for imprisonment. The Chinese constable was awarded $10 compensation" Straits Times
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