Incidents List
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Year Month Day Surname Forenames Location Contractor Client Depth Type of Diving Details -
2008 9 17 Not Recorded Spain Saipem Topsides S7000, 60 miles off Almeira, MEDGAZ project (Spain to Algeria) J-lay, 24� pipe, 4 dead, 4 injured. Controls failure dropped two off quad sections. See IMCA SF 18-08 -
1986 9 1 Wilkinson Guy UAE Ruwais, UAE, pulled unconscious from the water after an argon cylinder was tied into the gas supply, did not respond to treatment. -
1993 1 8 Pashkosky Vladimir Singapore Russian, aged 37, diving from a barge working off Jurong, one o'clock in the morning, failed to surface. No other details. Straits Times -
2008 5 22 Rudakov Roman Maldives Touring Maldives SCUBA Russian tourist, aged 41, diving off the “Baani Adventurer� died from contaminated air (reported as 150ppm CO in his tank), 9 others ill with 80ppm CO in their tanks. Complaints from previous day and requests to change filter ignored (cheap none-CO absorbing filter fitted on compressor), Medical O2 cylinder onboard dive boat was empty. -
2010 12 22 Nikolaev Alexander Vietnam Tourist SCUBA Russian tourist diving off the island of Cu Lao Cau, double fatality (with Frenchman Philippe Busso). Another diver reported being knocked unconscious by a powerful explosion, local police blamed poachers 'blast' fishing. Voice of Russia -
2005 8 7 Priz AS-28 USSR RN 191 Minisub Russian “Priz� class submarine rescue vehicle with 7 crew trapped on seabed insubmarine hydrophone cables off Kamchatka (AS-28 was a 13 metre long submarine rescue unit designed to carry a rescue crew of 4 to transfer personnel from a sunken submarine on 6 hour missions. It was being used with a 7 man crew to carry out repairs to the submarine listening system and was carrying enough compressed air to last them 72 hours). Cut free after 4,500 mile air freight/rescue mission by UK based DSRV crew using Scorpio 45, Royal Navy Submarine Rescue Service, to cut them free, the mission was completed just as the air ran out (they were down to the last cylinder of air), all 7 crew OK. Described in a book, "72 hours", by Frank Pope -
2012 1 11 Not Recorded Malaysia Rumoured that two divers were killed on a job in Malaysia but no details, not confirmed (Longstreath) -
2007 10 0 Not Recorded USA Rumour, no details, commercial diver in Sierra Nevada mountains, dam work -
2009 3 18 Not Recorded Thailand Navy 0 Royal Thai Navy SEAL, oil installation security exercise, Arthit field, Gulf of Thailand, officer was climbing ladder from sea up to installation at the end of the exercise in the field , apparently slipped and fell off into the sea, swept away, reported as missing, presumed dead. -
1957 7 14 Not Recorded UK Military Royal Marine taking part in a combined operations exercise in Portland Harbour, failed to surface after three and a half hours, found dead at the bottom of the harbour. "It was in no way associated with any explosion". "Naval authorities are satisfied that the man's death was an accident". The Bulletin -
2008 2 9 Not Recorded Denmark DOF 0 Topsides ROVSV "Geosund" in dock, fatal accident involving ROV TMS/winch, release of locked in hydraulic pressure led to uncontrolled lifting of TMS. Safety bulletin DSN-HSEQ-S99-08-0001, IMCA SF 07/08 -
2001 0 0 IMCA SF 09 01 IMCA Topsides ROV winch failure, IMCA Safety Flash SF 9/01 -
2001 0 0 IMCA SF 08 01 IMCA Topsides ROV winch brake failure, winch paid out, lost ROV and umbilical in 2300m water depth. IMCA Safety Flash SF 08/01 -
1997 3 0 IMCA SF 01 97 IMCA Topsides ROV technician lost fingers during an on deck maintenance operation, IMCA Safety Flash SF 01/97 -
2008 0 0 IMCA SF 07/08 Denmark DOF 0 Topsides ROV related fatality in port (See 09/02/2008) -
1998 0 0 IMCA SF 04 98 IMCA Topsides ROV LARS failure during launching operations. IMCA Safety Flash SF 04/98 -
1996 0 0 Zimmerman Frank USA Divetech? Romulus, Missouri, three man team on dam spillway, diver trapped in valve? Confusion, valve may have been operated on diver or umbilical, diver possibly crushed in valve -
2003 10 19 Stevns Power Nigeria Saipem Rolled over and sank during AHT operations in support of the Castoro Otto, All 11 crew died. -
1872 10 16 Gascombe Australia S/S Air Rockhampton, Queensland "Gascombe, a diver, died in the water at Rockhampton, of apoplexy" Timaru Herald, Sydney Morning Herald -
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. -
1948 0 0 RN UK 165 RN diver sets open sea record depth dive to 540' -
1956 0 0 RN, NEDU UK Military 183 Saturation RN diver reaches 600' in open sea on heliox, the same year the US Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU) publish the USN Standard ecompression Tables -
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 -
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 -
1976 4 16 Rig 'Ocean Express' USA Marathon Rig move from Mustang Island to a new location in Mustang Island East, 33 miles away towed by the Gulf Knight, Gulf Explorer and Gulf Viking. At 2300, the rig was about 1 mile from new location and jacking-down of the mat commenced but sea conditions deteriorated, with seas up to around 10 feet by 0600 on 15 April. Through the day, the seas continued to build with swells washing over the decks by afternoon and some water leaking into the accommodation. At 1510, one of the Gulf Knight's engines failed, followed by the parting of the Gulf Viking's towline at 1930. Numerous attempts were made to reattach the Gulf Viking's towline but heavy seas breaking over the deck frustrated the crews efforts. The water also shifted some of the drillpipe stored in racks on the deck, which the crew tried to resecure. As a result of the water washing over the deck and the loose pipe, work on the towline and pipe was abandoned as conditions became too hazardous. Around 2000, a Coast Guard helicopter was despatched to evacuate the crew. At 2115, the derrick shifted to starboard giving the rig an immediate starboard list of up to 25 degrees. The crew then abandoned the rig using survival capsules #1 and #3, sailing into 25 foot seas with 65 mph winds. The Barge Mover remained behind in an attempt to save the rig. However, when the Coast Guard chopper arrived at 2120, the Barge Mover requested evacuation from the heildeck then ordered the tugs to let go their towlines. The Coast Guard chopper then made two abortive approach attempts, during which time the rig's list increased to an estimated 45 degrees. The pilot's complete lack of visual reference in the night while attempting to hover over the rig rendered the extraction almost impossible but on the chopper's third approach, the winchman managed to lower the passenger basket just in time to scoop up the Barge Mover. The pilot said later that it appeared at this point that the chopper was rapidly losing altitude. The truth was that the rig was actually capsizing and the bow helideck was swinging up underneath the chopper. Seconds after the Barge Mover was picked up, the rig capsized to starboard. The 14 crew in capsule #1 were rescued by the Nicole Martin survey vessel, whose captain maneuvered the capsule into the lee of the vessel, allowing the crew to jump from the capsule to the Nicole Martin. Capsule #3 was not so lucky. After coming alongside the Gulf Viking, the capsule was flipped unexpectedly by the high seas and rapidly half-filled with water, preventing the capsule from self-righting. An air pocket formed inside the capsule, but after around 30 minutes only 7 men had managed to escape from it. The other 13 crew were found drowned the next day still inside the capsule. Loss of directional control, resulting from the towline breaking and engine failure, was considered the primary cause of the capsize. One of the Marine Investigation Board's findings was that 'allowing a low freeboard self-elevating drilling unit to drift broadside to boarding seas... is an invitation for loss'. The report also noted that the possibility existed that grounding of the rig may have contributed to the capsize. Both the increased weight from boarding seas and the angle of the starboard list allowing the mat to touch bottom may well have resulted in a 'tripping action' which increased the rig's heel to starboard. USCG Reports -
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) -
1979 11 10 Wodeco V lost bell Rescue Ghana or Ivory Coast Comex and Oceaneering 130 Saturation Rescue teams arrived on board perhaps 24 hours after the bell was lost with a team from Oceaneering and a "JIM" atmospheric suit but without their normal winch/umbilical/comms (too heavy to fly) First two dives aborted due to suit flooding and retrieval was hampered by the current, but on the third attempt, the JIM got close enough to see the bell which was not floating up from its ballast but lying on the seabed, indicating that it was flooded or partly flooded. One of the guide wires had ruptured and was no longer attached to the wellhead and there was some tension in the remaining guide wire, so every time the drill ship was lifted by the swell, the was being rolled from side to side on the seabed. The JIM could not get any closer without being hit by the rolling bell so the dive was aborted and the bell grappled (NB, the JIM rescue mission in itself is an epic tale, TC). The bell was caught first time. On deck, some 30 hours after the wire failure, it was established that the bell was 2/3 flooded, both divers were floating face down, dead. Analysis of the bell atmosphere confirmed there was no measurable CO2. Both men had suffered facial injuries, one with a broken nose, one with knee injuries. It is likely that the first shock, when the bell collided with its own ballast, had thrown them down, causing the injuries. They had managed on the way down to open the bell pressurisation valve. The dive was a bounce dive, and decompression had started while the bell was on its was up before the accident. As a result the bell would have started flooding at some point before they even reached the bottom. At some point the inner door had closed, but not before the bell was 2/3 flooded. The pressurisation valve having been open, and left open on the way down, ensured a seal. The two divers (the second diver's identity is not recorded), hurt by the initial impact, drowned. -
1881 9 1 Duggan Walter? Ireland S/S Air Reported Tuesday 30th August and Thursday 1st September, but death probably occurred Saturday previously. Diver was 'engaged in examining the mooring tackle of the lightship off Daunts rock south of Queenstown.....". "Diver died from exhaustion in a harbour , made three descents from the Trinity steamer 'Alert' and on coming up the last time…." "Died in most distressing circumstances" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Portsmouth Evening News/Aberdeen Evening Express/Cornishman/The British Newspaper Archive -
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 -
2012 4 12 Bogs Arsinas UAE Target Engineering 18 SS/Air Reported that a Philippino diver (Not IMCA certified, alledgedly refused certification by WCCD) was brought to the surface from depth without completing decompression (dive possibly aborted by supervisor because "diver was not performing adequately in the water"). After 10 minutes on deck, collapsed. Put in a DDC and treated (Table? Depth?) but did not respond. Transferred to hospital but died the day after. No investigation, reported to his family by the contractor that he 'died in his room of a heart attack' Possibly no medical, possibly not fit to dive. Reported by The Divers Association -
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 -
1990 7 27 SCUBA Sports Divers Reported in the Miami Herald “There is a saying that scuba diving is so much fun you could just die. Unfortunately, many do. Divers get swept away by currents, snagged in underwater wrecks, tangled in seaweed, hit by boats, lost under ice or in light less freshwater caves like the ones that honeycomb North Florida. In the 18 years ending in 1988, 2,562 divers died in scuba accidents, 499 of them in Florida, according to the National Underwater Accident Data Center (NUADC) at the University of Rhode Island�. -
1982 10 10 Statistics Reported in an article in the Connecticut paper “The Day� that “Records kept by the National Underwater Accident Data Center at the University of Rhode Island show that 167 commercial divers working for US firms were killed on the job between 1970 and 1981� I guess we still have a lot of data to collect - TC -
2005 7 10 Thunder Horse USA BP Reported as the largest offshore platform ever built, BP's Thunder Horse was constructed in South Korea before being transported to the Thunder Horse Field in the Mississippi Canyon Block in the Gulf of Mexico. It is an oil and gas production platform linked to 25 subsea wells, and is planned to be the largest producer in the Gulf. Production was initially scheduled to begin at the end of 2005, but this has been delayed due to a ballast control incident around the time of Hurricane Dennis. As the Dennis approached the Gulf of Mexico in July 2005, the rig was secured and the crew evacuated. After Dennis had passed, the rig was found listing an estimated 20-30 degrees. Subsequent inspection found that key valves had failed and allowed ballast water to move inside the platform. Salvage personnel from Bisso Marine and BP boarded the rig on 11 July 2005 and, using powerful portable pumps, removed water from the platform's 185 foot portside columns and stabilised the installation. As a result, production was delayed whilst repairs were undertaken, with the start of production operations in 2007. Oil Rig Disasters -
1923 0 0 Not Recorded USA Chamber Reported as possibly the first recorded chamber fire, at the Cunningham Sanitorium in Kansas City. The chamber was outside the buildings and heavily insulated to protect the patients from extreme winter temperatures. The nurse inside the entry lock/TUP called "The tank is on fire", the doctor went into the enty lock and saw hazy smoke in the other compartment, he evacuated the pateints and then emptied the other tank. No apparent damage except charring of the wooden floor. They had external naked gas burners under the tanks to keep them warm in winter and it is believed somebody turned up the gas too much resulting in the wooden floor interior scorching. No injuries reported. Sheffield and Desautels “Hyperbaric and hypobaric Chamber fires, a 73 year analysis�, Undersea Hyperbaric Medicine, 1997, 24 (3): 153-164. They missed the fire that killled Anna Crouch 17/11/1922 (TC) -
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". -
1853 0 0 MacDonald USA S/S Air Reported as having died in an incident similar to that of John Tope who died a year later in 1854. The accident at the wreck of the 'Erie' last year, when MacDonald lost his life, was similar to this (Tope), though the victim in that case had but little experience as a diver. Too much care cannot be observed by those who follow this hazardous business. No details, but presumably another squeeze. New York Times -
1970 5 2 Chorinsky Australia Ocean Systems 61 S/S Air Reported as dying on offshore operations in the Bass Strait after being employed less than two weeks. Allegedly no medical and previously sacked by another diving contractors after panicking in deep water. Working on a pipeline at 200' with only one dive to 120' the previous week, rapid ascent. 'Weight belt attached to air line, no bail out, no first stage regulator, died 25 minutes after entering the decompression chamber' -
2008 3 30 Rudolphi Juan Fernando Chile Fish Farm Reported as dying in an industrial accident at the Mirasol Commercial salmon farm, no details,. Ecoceane -
1975 5 16 Not Recorded USA Pacific Agar Company 8 Reported as drowned during seaweed harvesting off Dana point due to compressor failure, but no details. Los Angeles Times. -
1990 7 5 Ratif Ishak bin Abdul Singapore Reported as drowned during a scanning operation off Pulau Ayer Chawan, found unconscious by a colleague. No other details. Straits Times -
1907 7 20 Trapnell Walter UK Military 45 S/S Air Reported as “A government diver� at an inquest held in Torquay. Diving operation on the wreck of the RN Torpedo boat 99 sunk off Torbay. Became entangled and was cut free by another diver (Leverett) after 2 hours and twenty minutes. Spent 2 hours at 50' 'staging' brought to the surface alive but 'died as a result of his long immersion' in hospital. Reported in the Nelson Evening Mail -
1893 5 0 Mateo Australia S/S Air Reported as a fourth fatality in the report of the deaths of Johnnie Wahoo and Ullalio Rosa as “Late last evening, and after the above was in print, another case was reported, the victim in this case being Mateo, the diver of the 'Myrtle� who died later that same week, no details. Reported in the Brisbane Courier -
2010 7 13 Not Recorded Finland S/S Air Reported as a 43 year old diver working at the oil port of Kemi (checking port sonar equipment) became distressed in the water whilst working on Monday 9th July, was pulled to the surface and taken to hospital in a critical condition, died on the following Friday. Dates are confused (Monday was 5th July?) No other details. Reported by hlb.fi -
2000 5 12 King Edward USA Reported as "Quahog diver was found dead after reported missing. Boat and diver was found day after he was lost. Apparent Drowning" NAOCD/cDiver -
1950 3 10 Bollard Petty Officer W. UK Military 163 Reported as "Petty Officer Wilfred Bollard recently set up a new world record when he reached a depth of 535 feet in a rubber diving suit. Petty Officer Bollard is attached to the Research ship "Reclaim" at Loch Fyne, in Scotland. The previous record of 440 feet was held by the United States of America. This picture shows Petty Officer Bollard, on left, being congratulated after he broke the world diving record by fellow officer W Soper, who himself broke the previous record with a depth of 454 feet." in the Horshan Times, Victoria. Curious as this is a repeat report of this same record being set in August 1948 but by 'Petty Officer W Ballard". -
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) -
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 -
1966 10 7 Tan Ah Ban Singapore Reported as 'drowned'. Clearing seaweed from the seawater inlet of the Pasir Panjang power station, ran into difficulties and dragged out of the water by fellow diver Patrick Chia, 'but was already dead when the ambulance arrived'. Straits Times -
1975 1 9 Imaizumi USA Reported as 'Diver dies as air line snaps'. Possible that 'another diver, Ta-Kashi Osaka, aged 26, who was sharing the single hose' tried to free him from entanglement in kelp but was too late to rescue him. Reported in the Los Angeles Times -
2000 0 0 IMCA SF 01/00 IMCA Report of an unplanned initiation of bell recovery whilst bell door open (Newly modified and installed system) IMCA Safety Flash SF 01/00 -
2002 0 0 IMCA SF 09 02 IMCA Report of a survey vessel sinking due to uncontrolled water ingress into the engine room after the survey transponder pole was dropped in the tube knocking off the lower gland. IMCA safety Flash SF 09/02 (This report refers to the sinking of the 'Ocean Voyager' off Iran, no injuries, photos were circulated on the intranet (TC). -
1953 6 19 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air Report of a Japanese diver who died at sea being cremated. No details -
2014 2 7 Porter Bruce New Zealand The Dive Spot 1m SCUBA Report in Maritime New Zealand dated 10 June 2015 “Whangarei diving company and co-director/skipper fined $75,000 after the death of diver. Reparations of $80,000 are also to be paid. The diver died after being struck by a propeller while on a diving trip to the Poor Knights Islands. Maritime New Zealand prosecuted the company and Mr Barnes under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure that no action or inaction at work caused harm to any person. The incident occurred after the anchor of the vessel “Pacific Hideaway” became snagged on the third dive of the trip. The diver was asked to dive down to unsnag the anchor, but a crewman on board the vessel then freed the anchor using the winch. The skipper believed Mr Porter understood there was no need to dive, but due to a miscommunication the diver entered the water and was struck by the propeller when the vessel’s engines were put into gear. Maritime New Zealand Deputy Director Lindsay Sturt said the tragic incident was entirely avoidable. The risk from propellers was not included in the vessel’s hazard register, nor was it mentioned in the briefing for divers on the day of the accident. In addition, the company did not have a clear system of communicating with divers about their entry into the water, nor did it have a clear policy that passenger divers were never asked to dive to free anchors. “Propeller strike is one of the key risks for those operating a dive operation and that risk must be managed through effective safety processes,” he said. “The consequences of having divers in the water when propellers are turning can be catastrophic, as they were in this case. Those operating commercial charter dive operations have an absolute responsibility to ensure they are operating safely. "That includes ensuring that recreational divers are fully briefed before they enter the water and that good communication is maintained at all times” -
2014 7 7 Porter Bruce New Zealand The Dive Spot 1m SCUBA Report in Maritime New Zealand dated 10 June 2015 “Whangarei diving company and co-director/skipper fined $75,000 after the death of diver. Reparations of $80,000 are also to be paid. The diver died after being struck by a propeller while on a diving trip to the Poor Knights Islands. Maritime New Zealand prosecuted the company and Mr Barnes under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure that no action or inaction at work caused harm to any person. The incident occurred after the anchor of the vessel “Pacific Hideaway” became snagged on the third dive of the trip. The diver was asked to dive down to unsnag the anchor, but a crewman on board the vessel then freed the anchor using the winch. The skipper believed Mr Porter understood there was no need to dive, but due to a miscommunication the diver entered the water and was struck by the propeller when the vessel’s engines were put into gear. Maritime New Zealand Deputy Director Lindsay Sturt said the tragic incident was entirely avoidable. The risk from propellers was not included in the vessel’s hazard register, nor was it mentioned in the briefing for divers on the day of the accident. In addition, the company did not have a clear system of communicating with divers about their entry into the water, nor did it have a clear policy that passenger divers were never asked to dive to free anchors. “Propeller strike is one of the key risks for those operating a dive operation and that risk must be managed through effective safety processes,” he said. “The consequences of having divers in the water when propellers are turning can be catastrophic, as they were in this case. Those operating commercial charter dive operations have an absolute responsibility to ensure they are operating safely. "That includes ensuring that recreational divers are fully briefed before they enter the water and that good communication is maintained at all times” -
1903 11 12 Kling A Singapore S/S Air Repair to the bottom plates (a problem discovered on her last voyage to Madras) of the SS 'Zamania' at Tanjong Pagar dock 'diver who went down was seized by a shark. His leg and arm were torn off and he died almost immediately' Straits Times -
1985 11 17 Rao Mathew J USA Caldwell Diving Company 6 S/S Air Removing silt from a dockside water when his air supply was accidentally cut off, 'His air hose got sucked into the intake of the ejection pump, cutting off his air supply,'' NY Times -
2004 2 16 McLellan Sgt William Germany Army SCUBA REME Officer based at Osnabruck, routine exercise in the river weser with two colleagues, drowned, faulty SABA gear (SABA was condemned as unsafe by a 2002 MOD inquiry into two previous deaths by drowning) -
2004 0 0 Not Recorded Saturation Release of gas from pipeline (gel barrier), diver skin burns, bell contamination (condensate?) (See IMCA SF 01/04) -
1879 7 30 Jenkins James Walter USA S/S Air Recovering an anchor lost from the “Barbarossa� in a collision with the “Italy� some weeks earlier off New York Harbour, pier 1, North River. Assistant called attention to blisters in the air pipe, but “Jenkins only laughed and said the pipe would probably last as long as he would�. Assistants protested that the hose was unsafe “but the daring engineer would not hear of it and went to his death with apparent gaiety� He had reached seabed when the pipe burst on deck. Pulled up immediately. “Upon removing the helmet the man's face and head presented a horrible appearance, being swollen to fully twice their normal size and purplish black. The tongue, swollen, discoloured and protruding was nearly bitten in two, blood trickled from the nostrils and ears, the arms were extended and rigid while the spasmodically closed fingers had buried their nails deep in the horny skin of the palms of the hands. Gasped once and expired with a long gurgling sigh�. Unemployed for two years, desperate to support his family, basically, a quick dive for "cash in hand" of 10$. reported in the New York Times. -
1975 2 6 Not Recorded Netherlands 14 Recorded on HSE database, but not in Dutch records -
2006 1 0 Not Recorded Spain 15 Quoted in a news report on Telecino.es:- “In the three days so far this year, two divers have died. The first work on expanding the port of Castellón when he died. The second died in Cartagena when diving at 50 feet below the surface, trying to recover an anchor. Two divers in the past three days, but in the last month have killed four in total� -
2010 2 8 Not Recorded Kuwait Quote from the Arab Times “An Egyptian diver in his 40s died while doing maintenance work on a huge gate in Al-Zour, reports Alam Alyawm daily�. However, the Al-Seyassah daily said �The diver fell off a boat and drowned. The corpse was fished out of the waters by divers from the Coast Guard� No details though this potentially conflicting description brings to mind a significant reporting issue in that I have heard several unofficial rumours that diver fatalities are regularly being reported as 'sailor in the sea, drowned' rather than 'diver killed at work' – a rather convenient tactic for avoiding investigations, bad press and awkward questions. (Though for 'half a story', the events on the pearler 'Dart' off Australia reported in December 1895 take some beating!) .............................TC -
1893 5 0 Madrill William Garvie Australia Topsides Queensland, Brisbane, Monday. "Still another pearl diver has died near Thursday Island after working in deep water there. William Garvie Madrill has been found in a culvert at Ipswich, lying face downwards in a shallow pool of water, with a small stone embedded in his forehead. Life was extinct. Reported in the Barrier Miner, Broken Hill, NSW -
1889 1 1 Wolter John USA, Philadelphia S/S Air Putting a patch on a vessel that had hit a shoal. Lost air supply (hose came off helmet). Pulled up by deck crew feet first but the two guys were unable to lift him into the boat, dropped him back to the bottom, got more help and dragged him out. When recovered was black in the face and unresponsive, thought to be dead. They unscrewed his face plate, "poured whiskey down his throat and rubbed him vigorously". 15 minutes later he recovered consciousness. -
2019 7 29 Linston Terrence Olmsted Lock, Kentucky USA Global Diving and Salvage PULASKI COUNTY, Ill. (KFVS) - A diver died while working on the Olmsted Lock and Dam project on Saturday, June 29. According to spokesperson with Moran Environmental Recovery, LLC, a commercial diver with Global Diving and Salvage died while working on the Olmsted Lock and Dam project. Terrence Linston reportedly had a incident while he was under water and did not survive. He had been employed with Globan since 2017 and had been working on the Olmsted project for two years. Global is contracted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the following statement on Wednesday, July 3: “Our thoughts and prayers are extended to the family members during this difficult time. We are closely coordinating with all parties as the cause of the incident is still under investigation.” - Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District According to the Moran Environmental Recovery spokesperson, they are cooperating with authorities and the investigation is ongoing. In May 2019, a massive crane specifically built to assemble, move and lift sections of the dam was demolished. In August 2018, a ribbon cutting was held for the Olmsted Lock and Dam project. The project, which replaced 1920’s-era infrastructure, hoped to make an easier navigation of commerce on the Ohio River. The Olmsted Lock and Dam is one of the busiest stretches of Illinois’ inland water system for commercial navigation. https://www.kfvs12.com/2019/07/03/diver-dies-while-working-olmsted-lock-dam-project/ -
1976 1 17 Bannister Derek A UK Comex 73 Saturation PSV "Smit Lloyd 112", buoyant bell with the bell weights suspended underneath bell, this allowed the bell to sit on the seabed minimising the action of swell. Apparently the bell was moved and in the process the bell weights were ripped off. Bell bottom door open, uncontrolled ascent, pulmonary barotrauma.. His bell partner (Clay Ellis) died. He survived, but was very severely injured. -
2004 10 6 UK Diver UKCS Prosecuted by the HSE, forged HSE part II, 12 month custodial sentence. -
1996 4 15 Lesley Vincent Charles UK SCUBA Professional scallop diver in Orkney (North of Scotland). No details PC -
2009 3 29 Not Recorded Vietnam SCUBA Professional oyster fisherman. Phu Cu District, central province of Binh Dinh. Fishermen on their boat spotted bubbles and movement in the water. Assuming he had spotted a large fish, the boat's senior fisherman packed a small can with dynamite and tossed it overboard. When he jumped into the water to harvest the fish, he found the body of a dead diver who had been diving for shellfish. They attempted to escape but were captured by coast guards who responded to the sound of the explosion. The fishermen were charged with killing the diver and destroying aquatic resources with the illegal use of explosives -
1996 2 10 Sawyer Jerry USA Professional fish farmer harvesting sea urchins off the vessel 'Wave Dancer'. Subsequent court case decided he was not an employee of the vessel owner so no liability. No details of the incident -
2002 10 2 Rig 'Rowan Houston' USA Prior to hurricane Lili, the jack-up was drilling for Anadarko Petroleum adjacent to a production platform in Ship Shoal Block 207. It was evacuated 2 days prior to Lili's passage over the Gulf, standing with the hull pre-loaded and jacked-up 63 feet above the water. After the hurricane, the rig's severed legs were found leaning over on location, and the sunken hull was found resting on the seabed approximately 1600 feet north-west. Initial reports speculated that the Rowan Houston had been toppled after a collision with the drifting MODU Ocean Lexington, but this was later proved not to be the case. Inspection revealed that the starboard leg had initiated the collapse, with possible failure of the gear train-deck connection of the starboard leg during the hurricane. As the hull fell towards the water, the substructure and derrick may have impacted the starboard leg, causing the observed impact damage. The hull then drifted off and sank approximately 1600 feet north-west of its pre-storm location. The rig was subsequently salvaged by SMIT. Oil Rig Disasters -
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.) -
2010 5 31 Not Recorded Greece Press report stating that “a diver working for Hellenic Petroleum in Aspropyrgos (West of Athens) died while working on repairs to a water tank� reported as lost consciousness underwater, taken to hospital but did not respond to treatment. No other details. Ekathimerini.com -
1988 9 23 Bates Brian UK Saturation Post Alpha disaster salvage ops, blow back during cutting ops, cracked helmet, faceplate loosened, both eardrums perforated, sinus damage, concussion, pulled in by bellman, reported as third incident in under 36 hours. The Glasgow Herald -
1972 0 0 Conover Harold Trinidad Possibly worked for Packer Diving and Salvage (Morgan city), described as being killed off the coast of Trinidad in 1972, no other details. Old Divers Notice Board -
1982 0 0 Not Recorded Australia SubSea International 152 S/S Mixed Gas Possibly a bounce dive, bell port started leaking on the bottom, (investigation revealed that the wrong size 'O' ring had been used), they started flushing out with gas, may have run out of gas, so brought the bell up from 500 fsw with the door open On surface, the divers fell out and were re-compressed in sat system. One diver who was conscious and asked for valium for the other diver, but it was denied. The second diver died of heart attack, the other survived. The surviving diver was possibly named Dolan or Doolan, but we have no real details. Date? Vessel? Persons involved? Personal communication. OK guys, who has any additional detail on this 'lost' incident? (Or any others) TC -
2004 3 0 Not Recorded Egypt SCUBA Port Said, two man SCUBA team, inspection an offshore vessel hull. Completed but one diver was asked to re-inspect bow thruster. Bow thruster was activated during dive. No details, though same diving contractor is reported to have had fatalities in November 2007 and October 2008. -
2001 10 22 Gouveia Nereus Brazil Port of Paranagua, Petobras tanker 'Norma' hit rocks leading to discharge of 1.8 million litres of Naptha. Diver from a local diving contractor in Paranagua hired by an engineer from the Petrobras subsidiary 'Transpetro' died during operations to assess the damage (Reported as 'at 17:30 the diver suffered a sudden illness and was taken to hospital where he died at 19:00 hours'). Cause of death given as 'inhalation of Naptha'. Due to the escaped Naptha cloud, there were both marine and aviation exclusion zones, but they still allowed the diving operation on the leaking hull. Investigation concluded that the diver had standard equipment not suitable for polluted water operations. The Trtanspetro engineer was sacked and also accused of manslaughter, acting negligently and without knowledge of the technical rules thereby unintentionally causing the death of the diver. The courts eventually said the diving contractor was at fault for not assessing the situation correctly. Reported by Amigos de Terra and other Brazilian press sources. -
2007 11 5 Not Recorded Poland Tri-Marine Diving services Polish diver working on an unmanned PetroBaltic platform north of Wladyslawowo, described as 'during ascent, taken ill underwater'. Died. No details. NB, it was a Petrobaltic survey vessel (the St Barbara) that found the lost wreck of the second world war German aircraft carrier 'Graf Zeppelin�in 87 metres water depth off the port of Leba in 2006 (She went missing in transit to Russia in 1947). Reported by dlavego.co m.pl. -
2018 1 5 Not Reported Mandy France Police SCUBA Policewoman aged 27 from Nice, joined the 'Fluv' (Parisienne 'Brigade Fluviale', the elite river police set up in 1900 to guard the Seine for the great exhibition) in 2016, passed her open water qualification three weeks before the incident. Joint diving exercise with the fire brigade at the ile de Cite (Notre Dame), Seine in flood (+3 metres, went to +4.1 m over the weekend, 25 kph, 7 degrees, zero vis), aborted first dive, on second attempt went in and lifeline failed (not attached properly? Parted?). Disappeared (May have had 40 kg of equipment/weight), had not been located three weeks later. French press -
2000 6 2 Not Recorded USA Police 0 Police officer, injured on the same dive during which Sgt Alane Soffregen died -
1998 8 13 Nicolson Constable David Canada Police SCUBA Police diver searching dam for missing 12 year old boy was sucked into same sluice. On a life line but it broke (along with his regulator) when pulled by the surface crew. Drowned. Ontario Ministry of Labour investigator concluded the diver would not have drowned had the dive been conducted according to the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its diving regulations and recommended charges be laid against Waterloo regional police for several offences under the act, including failing to properly plan, equip and supervise a dive of that type, but the ministry chose not to lay charges because there was not a reasonable prospect of securing a conviction (his investigation identified safe-diving practices that were not followed that night including lack of identifying and controlling the hazardous sluice, failing to use a supply of air from the surface for a dive near a dam, and limited training in doing dives near dams. Several officers argued that police dive teams should be exempt from diving regulations when they are doing an emergency rescue. Investigators argued that the rules do not distinguish between emergency dives and commercial dives because "the hazards facing divers is the same no matter what their purpose." Police officer in charge of operation said that if it had been a missing adult, the search would probably not have gone ahead at that time, 'but with a child.........' -
1991 6 11 Hansen Kenneth USA Surface Swimmer Police diver aged 26, drowned during a rescue exercise in New York Harour, not wearing lifejacket or strobe, Officer in command charged with "Failure to supervise", speculation that he was told not to wear a lifevest to make it more realistic exercise staged for visiting German TV crew. NY Times -
2002 4 30 Not Recorded UK Police 42 SCUBA Police dive team trying to recover the bodies of three family members from the hull of their vessel that sank off the South Downs Coast, two divers surfaced, one with pains in arms and shoulders, the second with ruptured eardrums, treated in a DDC, OK -
1904 6 17 Vessel "General Slocum" USA S/S Air Pleasure paddle steamship, caught fire and sank in east River, New York, 15/6/1904, loss of over 1,000 lives. Two days later, divers recovering bodies were endangered when sister ship, the "Grand Republic" ignored police and harbour official and made high speed close pass almost swamping the rescue boats. Decks full of cheering passengers in spite of groups of relatives on the shore waiting to identify bodies. -
2001 1 0 Not Recorded USA Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, diver swept over dam spillway, umbilical snap link broke, air hose pulled out of hat, drowned, no citations issued -
2011 5 25 Not recorded Nigeria Subsea 7 S/S Air Pipeline intervention in shallow water from the "Acergy Hawk", unbolting a pig receiver on a pipeline replacement project. Using air bags, as the pig receiver was freed from the pipeline end flange it rose to the full extent of the hold back line trapping the divers leg resulting in a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula. Although weaknesses were identified in the procedures and RA process, essentially this incidents highlights the risks of of using airbags in shallow water and near zero visibility where the rigging and airbag cannot be fully monitored. Source:- A good and well circulated Oil Company report -
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. -
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 -
1989 11 4 Randy Thailand Oceaneering Philippino diver, died when the Seacrest sank in Typhoon Gay. Reported by Longstreath/PC -
1989 11 4 Romy Thailand Oceaneering Philippino diver, died when the Seacrest sank in Typhoon Gay. Reported by Longstreath/PC -
2013 4 26 Tejedar Felix Italy Titan Topsides Philipino diver aged 54, one of the team working on salving the liner 'Costa Concordia' (Ran aground off the Italian island of Giglio in January 2012, found dead in his shower. Apparently had not dived in the previous three days and police were not linking his death with his work. Gazzetta del Sud -
1989 0 0 Stena Workhorse Brazil Comex do Brasil and Marsat Saturation Petrobras PGP1 gas blow out, Four Comex sat divers from the platform rescued by Marsat team on the Stena Workhorse (bell to bell transfer), one of them, Thierry Arnold later died in a bell contamination incident (1991) -
2018 8 3 dos Santos Filho Athayde (Tatá) Brazil Fugro 170 Sat Petrobras announced in a note to Imprensa that another fatal accident occurred on Friday, August 3, this time in the Santos Basin. The injured was the diver Athayde dos Santos Filho, 57, affectionately named "Tatá" and considered the most experienced in oil activity, who worked for the company Fugro in operation in Campo de Mexilhão. The diver was in saturated diving operation to a depth of 170 meters, providing support in the installation of submarine pipelines when the accident happened. Source: http://www.portalmaritimo.com/2018/08/05/mergulhador-morre-em-acidente-na-bacia-de-santos/ -
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. -
1980 3 27 Rig 'Alexander Kielland' Norway Phillips Pentagon semi submersible, Ekofisk Field, flotel at Eddas. Sructural failure, capsised (alternative story that the rig was deliberately sabotaged with explosives), 123 fatalities. No divers onboard -
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 -
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. -
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 -
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. -
1936 11 10 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air Pearl diver out of Darwin, reported as “15th death recently�. No details -
1921 12 2 Not Recorded Australia Morley Pearling 11 S/S Air Pearl Diver Killed. Further information has been received by the Inspector of Police, Cairns, regarding the recent death of a Japanese diver, aged 20 years, off Thursday Island. The deceased was engaged by the Morley Pearling Co. of Thursday Island, and was diver and captain of a ketch named "Dart." He was at work in six fathoms of water when the spring of the pump burst, and he was immediately hauled to the surface. When his head-gear was removed he was found to be dead. The scene of the fatality was at the fishing grounds, 60 miles from Thursday Island, known as Badu. Deceased was-taken to Thursday Island, where death was declared to be due to suffocation while diving in apparatus. Reported in the Cairns post, Qld. -
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. -
2008 10 20 Lazaro Rodel Philippines Gaspar Salvage & Lighterage Part of a 20 man diving team cutting up wreck of the 'Ocean Papa' which sank off Malalison Island in Culasi, Antique, Philippines “The vessel exploded on Oct. 20 during salvage operations, injuring 2 salvage divers� “Trapped air explosion knocked divers off their feet� Hospitalised with breathing difficulties, later released. (Prob oxy/arc incident, TC) -
2008 10 20 Morales Primitovo Philippines Gaspar salvage & Lighterage Part of a 20 man diving team cutting up wreck of Ocean Papa which sank off Malalison Island in Culasi, Antique, Philippines “The vessel exploded on Oct. 20 during salvage operations, injuring 2 salvage divers� “Trapped air explosion knocked divers off their feet� Hospitalised with breathing difficulties, discovered to have “diabetes and previous respiratory ailment� (Prob oxy/arc incident, TC) -
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.� -
1979 0 0 Not Recorded Ireland Smit Paraphrased from Wikipedia. The Betelgeuse incident, also known as the Betelgeuse or Whiddy Island disaster, occurred on 8 January 1979, at around 1:00 am., when the oil tanker 'Betelgeuse' exploded in West Cork at the offshore jetty of the Whiddy Island Oil Terminal, due to the failure of the ship's structure during an operation to discharge its cargo of oil. The explosion and resulting fire claimed the lives of 50 people (42 French nationals, 7 Irish nationals and 1 United Kingdom national). Only 27 bodies were recovered. A further fatality occurred during the salvage operation with the loss of a Dutch diver. The salvage firm raised the Betelgeuse in four sections. The first section (the bow) was towed out to open water, 100 miles offshore, and scuttled. This measure attracted protests from the fishing community, so two further sections were sealed up and towed to breaking yards in Spain for disposal. A fourth section was broken up locally. During the salvage operation, the life of a diver was lost. The last section was not removed until July 1980. Local fishing grounds were badly contaminated and a clean-up was not finally complete until 1983. -
2008 6 19 Nasca Michele Italy SCUBA Paraphrased from various press reports- “An amateur diver aged 57 diving with his brother 'died after coming into contact with the suction pump connected to a dock.' ' The body, horribly mutilated, and was recovered by police divers.' 'The judiciary is investigating the hypothesis that there is no protection grill on the turbine plant.' -
2005 2 3 Butel Russel Australia SCUBA Paraphrased from the press reports:- “The family of a commercial diver killed by a crocodile in the Northern Territory last week says he had extensive experience in Top End waters and was not foolhardy. Russel Butel, 55, was collecting live fish with his dive partner off the Coburg Peninsula on Thursday afternoon when he was killed by a salt-water crocodile. He was the second person taken by a crocodile in Northern Territory waters in less than a week. Mr Butel's family has released a statement saying he fell in love with the tropical waters of the Top End during a visit to Gove in the 1980s, prompting him and his partner to open a local dive shop. The family says Mr Butel's experience in Territory waters was extensive and he was not foolhardy regarding his safety and that of his crew�. ABC Regional on-line -
2000 5 19 Harun Mohd Nor Malaysia Fire and Rescue Services SCUBA Paraphrased from the newspaper report:- “Another diver from the Fire and Rescue Services Department's scuba diving unit disappeared this morning during a search operation for a colleague who had gone missing since Monday around the waters of Pulau Lalang and Pulau Saga. The diver, identified as Mohd Nor Harun, in his 40s, is feared to have suffered a similar fate as his colleague, Idris Ahmad, 36. Idris was believed to have drowned while clearing the waters of discarded fishing nets. A police spokesman said the incident occurred about 11.30am today when the diver failed to surface for a break. His body was found by fisherman 3 days later. 40 divers were taking part in the search. Another diver became unconscious during the search and was admitted to the armed forces hospital at the Lumut naval base�. Reported in the New Straits Times -
2000 5 16 Ahmad Idris Malaysia Fire and Rescue Services SCUBA Paraphrased from the newspaper report:- “Another diver from the Fire and Rescue Services Department's scuba diving unit disappeared this morning during a search operation for a colleague who had gone missing since Monday around the waters of Pulau Lalang and Pulau Saga. The diver, identified as Mohd Nor Harun, in his 40s, is feared to have suffered a similar fate as his colleague, Idris Ahmad, 36. Idris was believed to have drowned while clearing the waters of discarded fishing nets. A police spokesman said the incident occurred about 11.30am today when the diver failed to surface for a break. His body was found by fisherman 3 days later. 40 divers were taking part in the search. Another diver became unconscious during the search and was admitted to the armed forces hospital at the Lumut naval base�. Reported in the New Straits Times -
2009 9 18 Chia Gerald Singapore J Diving Services 20 SCUBA Paraphrased from the news report “1st time working for company, 2nd diving assignment for firm, 3rd day on the job, Diver drowns. 21-year-old diver's body found after two days. His badly decomposed body, missing off Western Singapore for two days, bobbed to the surface on Sunday evening; air tank taken by police for probe. In between running his own scuba diving firm, known as Jet Scuba, Mr Chia did freelance work for commercial diving companies. Relatives identified him through the tattoos on his body. The body of Mr Gerald Chia Jia Jie, 21, was found near the oil rig he had been working on, still clad in dark-blue work overalls and with his gas tank and face mask still in place. A Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) boat, part of the search operations that had been under way for more than 50 hours, spotted the body at about 6pm. When Mr Chia went missing at around noon last Friday, he was on only his second assignment underwater for J Diving Services. He had started freelancing for the company only two days before that. He was carrying out installation works on the oil rig berthed in the Jurong West Anchorage at the time, 'his job was to install shackles on the rig, a relatively simple task', said the diving supervisor. 'Seasoned divers would take 15 minutes to do it, and newcomers, half an hour at the most', he added. Mr Chia had gone underwater, about 20m down, with a more experienced partner, as is the practice in the industry. The pair were supposed to surface together, but his buddy told his colleagues later that Mr Chia needed to share oxygen (it was air, simple SCUBA operation, TC) with him, although it was not clear why. Mr Chia took two breaths of air before ascending to the surface. The supervisor said Mr Chia's buddy followed him up, but lost sight of him and started searching for him without success. Friends said Mr Chia, who studied marketing at the Management Development Institute of Singapore, took up leisure diving only a few years ago, but quickly became a qualified dive instructor.� Reported in the Straits Times (Note. Reports, if accurate!! indicate basic sports SCUBA gear (half mask not full face) and only PADI qualified whilst Singapore regulations (TA/WSH) for use of SCUBA at work require minimum full face mask, life line, surface communications, locator beacon and professional qualifications, but this is only speculation pending official reports TC) -
2000 2 3 Weaver Bill USA SCUBA Paraphrased from the 'State News':- “A veteran commercial diver from Kodiak was killed while trying to clear line from a fishing boat's propeller, according to Kodiak police. Bill Weaver, 54, died when the skipper of the 81-foot trawler Lisa Malinda tried to move the vessel while Weaver was under the boat....� -
2009 10 15 Woriki Johnson Nigeria Nigerian Navy diver SCUBA Paraphrased from reports:- “A Naval rating on board the new Navy gunship, NNS Zaria, stationed at the Escravos river in Warri South-West local government area of Delta State got drowned in the sea trying to recover the detached anchor of the gunship last Thursday. Informed sources told Vanguard that the rating, from Rivers State, was a diver and was well kitted before taking the plunge into the sea in a bid to retrieve the detached anchor of the new gunship and never surfaced again. His corpse only came afloat Saturday morning and was brought to the Warri Central Hospital morgue where his brother and some relations were on hand planning to take the body for burial immediately since he is a young man. Hospital sources confirmed the incident, just as security operatives kept mum. However, some officers were heard grumbling over why a "so-called new gunship would lose its anchor in so short a time," and also “bemoaning the untimely death of their fallen colleague�. Vanguard. -
2008 6 9 Plaian Catalin Romania Military Paraphrased from reports:- “A military diver aged 36 died on Monday morning at Constanta County Emergency Hospital. Fleet Command in Constanta said they could not yet provide details of the circumstances in which he was injured. He said that he was in training at sea and the ship returned to port. The injured diver brought to shore and taken by ambulance to Hospital but could not be saved. Doctors said the diver has died after a cardio-respiratory arrest and that he had a severe acute head trauma. 

Health professionals say that the first information received shows that the diver was submerged in water and was injured in collision between two boats. Reported in Realitatea.net. Alternate press reports:- “Divers torn to pieces by a propeller. A military diver aged 36 died and three others were injured yesterday morning during a training exercise at sea outside the port of Constanta. It seems that the tragedy took place after an inflatable boat did not respond to commands and simply passed over a similar one, in which there were many divers. He was married, had a 2 year old daughter and had served under the banner of the Romanian Navy for almost 10 years�. Reported by Libertatea Romania. -
2003 7 22 Rotaru Mircea Romania Stef and Fan SRL 30 SCUBA Paraphrased from reports :- Aged 54 years, lexNavy diver, leader of 6 divers onboard a vessel undertaking installation cleaning operations (Black Sea, Gloria platform). After they arrived in the area, two divers went a depth of 30 meters to check the platform legs, and because they were late to emerge, Mircea Rotaru jumped into the water after them, but as he went down, they surfaced. They noticed he was missing and searched for him. He was found face up to the bottom and brought to the platform where he tried to resuscitate him, but without any result. His body was taken ashore to the morgue in Mangalia. Experts say it is possible that he had a heart attack when he jumped into the water. The contractor stated he had a medical� Reported by Kappa.ro -
2009 10 6 York Jamie Canada ODS Marine 4 SCUBA Paraphrased from press reports. “Canadian, from Ottawa, aged 35, contracted by Parks Canada to carry out cleaning operations along the Trent waterway drowned following the accident on Dam 1 at Trenton's north end despite dramatic attempts to rescue him. Initial reports indicated the diver became trapped while removing logs in four metres of water. He said the ministry dispatched their own divers to the scene in order to help with the rescue attempt. At one point one of the ministry divers supplied air to the trapped man. Fellow dive team members called for help at about 9:20 am when the diver did not surface. At that point, reports to rescue officials said, he'd been down for five minutes without contact from the surface. It would be more than two hours before his body was recovered and resuscitation efforts would be called off.� The Belleville Intelligencer. Parks Canada later disbanded their part-time in-house dive team ('having reviewed their insurance') even though they had a 100 year safe diving record and the diver that died was working for a diving contractor. Court case in 2011 The trial was told that he was diving from a pontoon boat positioned near the dam when he reported that a “stop log,� the device used to control water flow, was not sitting properly. He told the support crew aboard the boat that the water was “ripping� through the gap. He was told to try to get a closer view of the stop log, but was sucked by the current into the gap. A crew from the Quinte West Fire Department used underwater cameras to find York’s body and was able to free him, but he was pronounced dead at Trenton Memorial Hospital. A post-mortem found York had died from chest compression while he was trapped. A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the pontoon boat had been positioned in such a way that York’s umbilical cord to the surface had been sucked into the gap by the current, pulling the diver in with it. The Ministry found that the dive should have been stopped as soon as York reported the gap. Contractor was fined $100,000 and also ordered to pay a 25-per-cent victim surcharge to assist victims of crime. The diving supervisor was personnaly fined $8,000 for failing to ensure the diver was provided with safe working conditions, protection, measures and procedures (Specifically the diving supervisor "shall ensure that diving is not conducted in hazardous water flow conditions" The Ottawa Citizen/Belleville Intelligencer -
2005 12 17 Atienza Juan Jose Spain Cadiz docks SCUBA Paraphrased from Press reports:-- “At four o'clock Sunday, the rescue services managed to recover the body of the diver who went missing on Saturday afternoon at Cadiz. The diver, aged 49 with 25 years of experience, worked at the factory in San Fernando, but participated in the work of putting ships into Cadiz dry dock (The vessel involved was the 'Rotterdam'). Companions of the diver called emergency services about eight o'clock in the evening because the diver who had checking the vessel's position in the dock failed to surface. Source: diariodecadiz.es/ -
2007 7 17 Nahar Indonesia Paraphrased from press reports:- Pier Ipi, Nusa Damai, Ende, Flores Island. Wreck of a vessel sunk in September 2004, needed to be removed as it was obstructing ferry access to the pier. Diver killed in an explosion cutting into the hull during salvage operations. No details. Metrotvnews.com -
2011 1 25 Rouxhet Olivier Belgium Fireman SCUBA Paraphrased from press reports:- Aged 39, a Civil Protection Force Fire Rescue FF/Diver was killed in the Line of Duty during the search for 2 children in the Meuse River. The 12 and 6 year old children had been missing since January 16 when the oldest girl jumped after her sister who fell into the water were swept away by the current of the river in the vicinity of the eastern city of Liège.. The crew-chief of the diving operation over the the previous days got into trouble going down in the man-made barrier (Sluice gate) complex on the river. He gave alarm signals by his security line, but the surface-crew couldn't free him. They immediately started a rescue operation but it was too late. He had been smashed to a pier of bridge by the flow and lost a part of his diving equipment, most importantly his breathing mask. A diver of the Liège Fire brigade was also injured bringing the unconscious diver to the surface. An medical crew start life saving measures but he died on the way to hospital. The diver was divorced and leaves a 7 year old daughter. Reported on Flanders News. -
2011 1 17 Karsky Erkan Georgia Kuzeyin Marine SCUBA Paraphrased from press reports:- “Two Turkish scuba divers were been killed (Double fatality, Murad Oglu) in an underwater explosion working on the salvage of the sunken Ukrainian ship '�Skaldovski� that sank in 2008 during a storm outside the Georgian Black Sea oil-export port of Kulevi. Preliminary probe indicated that the explosion could have been caused by hydrogen accumulated inside the ship The two divers were supposed to use a welder to fix the ship. Representatives from Georgia Petroleum, the owners and operators of the terminal, ruled out the possibility that the leak-out of oil products had caused the underwater explosion saying that the reservoirs on the vessel were emptied.
This has been the second similar incident in Kulevi for recent months. In December 2010, a 25-year old diver was badly injured when working underwater. -
2011 1 17 Oglu Murad Kara Georgia Kuzeyin Marine SCUBA Paraphrased from press reports:- “Two Turkish scuba divers were been killed (Double fatality, Erkan Karsky) in an underwater explosion working on the salvage of the sunken Ukrainian ship '�Skaldovski� that sank in 2008 during a storm outside the Georgian Black Sea oil-export port of Kulevi. Preliminary probe indicated that the explosion could have been caused by hydrogen accumulated inside the ship The two divers were supposed to use a welder to fix the ship. Representatives from Georgia Petroleum, the owners and operators of the terminal, ruled out the possibility that the leak-out of oil products had caused the underwater explosion saying that the reservoirs on the vessel were emptied.
This has been the second similar incident in Kulevi for recent months. In December 2010, a 25-year old diver was badly injured when working underwater. -
2010 12 0 Not Recorded Georgia Paraphrased from press reports:- “In December 2010, a 25-year old diver was badly injured when working underwater at the oil port of Kulevi�. Reported in the press articles reporting the deaths of Erkan Karsky and Murad Oglu in January 2011 -
2000 4 1 Connor Gary UK Fathoms Ltd. 61 SCUBA Paraphrased from press reports:- “Diver sacrificed his life to save a colleague as he continued his 15-year quest for the wreck of the Finnish freighter ‘Joanna Thorden’. The freighter sank at the notorious Pentland Skerries in the Pentland Firth during a storm in 1937, reputedly carrying copper ingots (and possibly even silver bullion). Gary Connor, a director of Wick-based Fathoms Ltd, was diving with Kenny Paterson, aged 34, on August nineteenth 1998. As they searched at a depth of 200ft (nearly 40ft more than the legal limit for commercial scuba divers), Kenny Paterson suffered symptoms of the bends and Gary brought him to the surface. Gary also suffered the bends but after treatment contracted septicemia and died in hospital in April this year. The sheriff returned a formal verdict on the medical cause of death and noted Fathoms staff originally told the Health and Safety Executive it was a recreational dive and outwith their scope of inquiry�. Reported in the Scottish Daily Record & Sunday. The FAI notes that Gary Connor died at Caithness General Hospital on the April first 2000, 20 months after the accident (cerebral anoxia, spinal bend, quadaplegia leading to tetraparesis and septicaemia), that SCUBA equipment was not appropriate for the diving operation, that the HSE was falsely induced into believing it was a sports dive and therefore there was no prompt investigation. He also noted that the actions of the deceased achieved the ultimately successful rescue of his colleague. -
1998 8 19 Paterson Kenny UK Fathoms Ltd. 61 SCUBA Paraphrased from press reports:- “Diver sacrificed his life to save a colleague as he continued his 15-year quest for the wreck of the Finnish freighter ‘Joanna Thorden’. The freighter sank at the notorious Pentland Skerries in the Pentland Firth during a storm in 1937, reputedly carrying copper ingots (and possibly even silver bullion). Gary Connor, a director of Wick-based Fathoms Ltd, was diving with Kenny Paterson, aged 34, on August nineteenth 1998. As they searched at a depth of 200ft (nearly 40ft more than the legal limit for commercial scuba divers), Kenny Paterson suffered symptoms of the bends and Gary brought him to the surface. Gary also suffered the bends but after treatment contracted septicemia and died in hospital in April this year. The sheriff returned a formal verdict on the medical cause of death and noted Fathoms staff originally told the Health and Safety Executive it was a recreational dive and outwith their scope of inquiry�. Reported in the Scottish Daily Record & Sunday. The FAI notes that Gary Connor died at Caithness General Hospital on the April first 2000, 20 months after the accident (cerebral anoxia, spinal bend, quadaplegia leading to tetraparesis and septicaemia), that SCUBA equipment was not appropriate for the diving operation, that the HSE was falsely induced into believing it was a sports dive and therefore there was no prompt investigation. He also noted that the actions of the deceased achieved the ultimately successful rescue of his colleague. -
2005 12 1 Not Recorded Spain Topsides Paraphrased from press reports:- “Diver killed in harbourside accident. A diver working on the Las Galletas fishing harbour improvement scheme was killed as the result of an onshore accident when he was struck on the head by a large rock. The 56-year-old man died almost immediately and the emergency services called to the scene could do nothing to save his life.� Tenerife News on-line -
2011 2 19 LaClair Patrick J USA Paraphrased from press reports:- “Coast Guard officials said a 54-year-old member of the Skokomish tribe ran into trouble while out on the water with a geoduck boat in the Hood Canal, near Hazel Point The man had two spotters, who saw that he was struggling and called 911 at around 4 p.m. A Navy rescue boat pulled the man out of the water and administered CPR while heading back to shore. Central Kitsap Fire whilst Rescue and Navy paramedics tried to help the man. The Kitsap County Coroner's Office declared him dead at about 7 pm� No other details. Reported by AP, Komo News, Kitsap Sun etc. -
2002 0 0 Not Recorded Thailand Scuba dive boat 'Laddawan 2' Paraphrased from press reports:- “2002 Unknown Date - 13 October 2010 report in the Phuket Gazette stated that:- 'Phuket Dive Boat Goes Up in Flames. A widely known dive tour operator lost a dive boat to a fire this morning. The dive boat, the Laddawan 2, was in the news eight years ago (2002) when a member of the crew "had his stomach sliced open and lost severed limb while cleaning the propeller" near Koh Racha Yai. The article also provides a photo of the dive boat on fire. Polson Enterprises, List of propeller incidents/Phuket Gazette -
1999 12 22 Militello A USA Paraphrased from press reports:- "Lobster Man Dies After Getting Caught in Propeller Shaft. The man, aged 40 from Goucester was on the 'Dean', a fishing boat, near Bakers Island Massachusetts (about 3 miles from the entrance to Beverly and Salem Harbours, when he became caught in the prop shaft.. A nearby fishing vessel notified the Coast Guard which transported him to Manchester Marina. He was then moved to Beverly Hospital and pronounced dead from "multiple trauma". Not clear if this was a diving accident. Polson Enterprises list of propeller incidents/Associated Press -
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 -
2010 11 4 Dau Nguyen Van Vietnam Cienco No 1 32 S/S Air Paraphrased from press reports:- "A diver drowned in Da Nang Thursday while fixing a broken drill tip at a bridge construction site. The Diver, aged 33 was paid VND10 million (US$513) to bring up a drill tip from 32 meters below the surface of the Han River. His first dive was successful; and he surfaced after 15 minutes with part of the tip. He descended once again and didn't resurface. Another worker from  the Tran Thi Ly bridge construction site dived to check on Dau and found his dead body. Some of the workers said the tube supplying oxygen to Dau was narrow and might have twisted, diminishing Dau's air supply. Workers also said the cold water might have weakened him. Rescuers managed to bring his body to the surface on Thursday evening, seven hours after the event. First investigation showed that Dau had been stuck in a pipe, which is part of the bridge construction�. Thanh Nien News.com -
2010 8 21 Hussein Mahmoud Ali Egypt Paraphrased from Press Reports:- Port Suez saw a tragic accident that claimed the live of a 40 year old vessel maintenance diver when the crew of a cargo ship waiting to transit the canal started the engines. A team from the Maritime Rescue Police recovered the body which was found to be badly damaged by the effects of the large propellers. The authorities detained the Iraqi Captain and ordered his prosecution (charged with negligence at work and killing the diver). Rosaonline.net -
2005 9 29 Butel Russel August Australia SCUBA Paraphrased from press reports:- “The man killed by a crocodile in the Northern Territory was the second fatal attack in less than a week. Russell August Butel, 55, of Darwin, was taken by a five-metre saltwater crocodile about 11.30am yesterday, only five days after British snorkeller Russell Harris, 37, was also killed by a crocodile in the NT. Mr Butel and a companion were diving near Washon Head on the Cobourg Peninsula, about 150km north-east of Darwin, when the attack happened. Mr Butel, professionally dived frequently in his role as an aquarium fish diver.� He was collecting clown fish. Sky News online -
2009 9 19 Gunderson Jerry USA Rebreather Paraphrased from press reports:- “Aged 75, started diving for golf balls in 1953, when he was 19. His passion for diving for golf balls led to the founding of a chain of seven golf-supply stores, was found dead in the centre of the lake at the Deer Creek Country Club in Deerfield Beach on Saturday. Drowned. One of his sons died while diving for golf balls in a lake 27 years ago. "I lost my brother to the water, too," said Jerry Gunderson's other son, Marc, 53 who used to dive for golf balls himself. Jerry Gunderson started retrieving, collecting and reselling golf balls soon after his first dive as a teenager. At first, it was the simple act of fishing out the golf balls in a Lake Worth course in the 1950s, washing them, and reselling them. But he went on to build a Deerfield Beach-based chain of golf-supply stores called International Golf. He sold the business a few years ago and worked as a freelance diver for smaller companies. -
2010 8 9 Castro Antonio Romero Mexico Almeja Caterina 36 S/S Air Paraphrased from press reports:- “Aged 47 years (or 50 years, depending on report), from Cuidad Constitucion, scallop diver working out of Ensenada Blanca at the Magdalena Bay Complex, went home after work, felt ill, went to the Port of San Carlos hyperbaric centre. A health official in the hyperbaric chamber located in the port said that it must report that this unfortunate diver did not die in the hyperbaric chamber as previously reported due to lack of oxygen and much less about the lack of timely patient care but to the seriousness of the symptoms caused by severe decompression, this being the cause of death, according to the opinion of the medical examiner who performed the autopsy. Cause of death listed as 'inadequate decompression, decompression illness, massive pulmonary thrombosis and oedema' It was stated that prior to the this person had been working for 4 hours at 30 meters when the compressor stopped. Dive related to the fishing industry of the municipality of Comondu. No other details. Reported by Peninsulardigital.com -
2008 12 2 Sanchez Carlos Julio Ecuador Paraphrased from press reports:- “Aged 28, Diver died in a sewer in the town Manta, Manabi, trapped in a sewage pipe and was overcome by fumes. 
The victim spent more than seven hours inside a manhole until his body was rescued by personnel from the National Police, the Fire Department and Civil Defense, which initially had to use hydraulic drill, and then a bulldozer to dig down to the pipe where the diver was trapped. The head of the Fire Department said that apparently when the diver was in the culvert and pulled out what prevented the passage of water "We believe the current pushed him, prompting him to lose control and stay in a sitting position Four divers entered the pipeline, but all effort was in vain. Eldiario.ec -
2009 9 22 Chandrashekhar Petty Officer Clearance Diver 1 India Indian Marine Commando Topsides Paraphrased from press reports:- “A clearance diver attached to the Indian Navy marine commando (Marco) in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district to control the infiltration of terrorists from across the border to Jammu and Kashmir through Wullar Lake, a 65 sq km freshwater lake, in Baramulla. Terrorists attacked the marcos camp. In retaliatory fire, one terrorist was killed and one marco died,� a senior Indian Navy official said. “He is survived by his wife and two children�. Sporting long beards and toting AK-47 assault rifles, marcos can be mistaken for militants and they follow in letter and spirit the adage of the counter-terrorism doctrine: ‘Fight a militant like a militant'. Dubbed as the ‘bearded force’ by the militants, Marcos have a knack of executing covert operations. Officially known as the Indian Marine Special Force, the unit was raised in 1987 out of naval divers to lead amphibious operations. Personnel volunteering for the force have a two-year training programme with a pass rate of only 10-25 percent. “They operate sporting beards and wearing ‘pheren’ (Kashmiri suit), thus making them indistinguishable from the locals,� another navy official added. The Marcos have gained a fearsome reputation among terrorists who refer to them as the Dadhiwali Fauj (bearded army) since Marcos are the only non-Sikh personnel allowed to grow beards, or ‘Jal Murgi’ (water hens) for the speed in which they assault from the water and even ‘Magarmachh’ (crocodiles) for their amphibious capability. OK, not a diving accident, but a diver on site, at work, so included, TC. Reported in the Thaindian News -
2011 1 27 Not Recorded USA, Washington S/S Air Paraphrased from press reports:- “A 30-year-old commercial diver was taken to a hospital Thursday after his breathing apparatus malfunctioned near Suquamish. The Port Orchard man was harvesting geoduck while tethered with an air hose to a boat, said a North Kitsap Fire & Rescue spokeswoman. The diver was at a depth of 60 feet at about 11:30 a.m. when his breathing apparatus malfunctioned. The malfunction forced the diver to surface faster than recommended to avoid decompression sickness. He was driven by boat to a dock at Kiana Lodge in Suquamish where he was evaluated by medics. The man showed no symptoms of sickness and was transported to Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton as a precaution. Reported as the second geoduck diving accident in as many months in the Suquamish area. (Two Bremerton divers were hospitalized Dec. 14 after the support boat they were tethered to drug them into deep water in Port Madison). North Kitsap Herald -
2010 10 13 Muller Travis USA Ron Perrin Water Technologies 9 SCUBA Paraphrased from press reports:- “A 28 year old diver from Arlington died at about 09:45 this morning while working inside a nearly full City of Richmond municipal above ground water storage tank in Richmond this morning. The diver worked for a contractor who was performing routine (Two yearly silt removal) maintenance on the 500,000 gallon tank, which is about 50 feet tall and was three-quarters filled with water. The diver descended into the tank in SCUBA gear (09:15) and went to the bottom (09:18) was vacuuming the bottom of it to clean it. His partner who was outside the tank on the top noticed the diver's tether line became slack (09:28). He then also put on scuba gear and went into the tank to find what was wrong. He found the man unresponsive with his mask off but started having regulator problems and surfaced. The Richmond fire Department responded and recovered the diver’s body (10:50)". Declared dead. Houston Chronicle. -
1999 12 7 Not Recorded Spain S/S Air Paraphrased from press reports:- “ A court in San Sebastian has sentenced company co-owner to a year and a half in prison for the death of a diver who was killed by the propeller of the boat from which he worked, while trying to clear an anchor that had been trapped at the bottom. The boat's skipper, who was also charged has been acquitted as he only complied with the orders of his superior . The deceased was working on a fish farm in Zumaia when about 12.30 the crew found that the bow anchor was stuck on the bottom. When the diver was in the water, the boat manager twice gave the order to go hard forward to dislodge the anchor and the employee complied with this indication, when the diver was dragged into the propeller and sliced to death. The ruling states that the owner and manager of the company "was directly responsible to provide safe working conditions for their workers', despite which he allowed the work to be performed by a single diver, where the legislation requires two. The court also noted the propeller should not have been used with a surface umbilical diver in the water,' reckless manager’ allowing the maneuver. For this reason, it condemned the manager to one year in prison for a crime of homicide by negligence and six months for another crime against the rights of worker plus banned from managing a diving company three years, plus compensation to the parents of 14,100. -
2002 12 9 Not Recorded Australia Australian Army Special Forces Topsides Paraphrased from press reports:- "Oil Rig Raid Death a 'Freak Accident'. The Australian Army Special Air Services was running a mock raid on a oil rig in Bass Straight with four inflatable boats, each carrying six divers were traveling about 3 meters apart in a staggered formation. The coxswain of one boat lost control when a diver caught his flipper strap on the tiller when he was entered the water. The driver slipped and fell onto his knees. He looked and saw a man being dragged by his leg, the boat then veered to the left and struck another diver. He saw a diver about 10 meters away with a face that "looked like it was mangled". The supervising officer said in hindsight, "propeller guards should have been used", however the boat was harder to control with guards. The soldier killed by the propeller was a 33 year old sergeant from Perth� Reported by Polson Enterprises list of propeller incidents/Herald Sun (Australia) -
2009 12 13 Kumar Mukesh India Grafftech Marine and Engineering 37 S/S Air Paraphrased from press reports: Purulia, India .An Indian diver who had is right foot stuck in a pipe for more than two days has died. Rescuers were forced to amputate his leg in order to recover the body after 72 hours. He was attempting to fix a leak inside an underwater chamber of the Purulia Power Project reservoir first noticed in March (The leak was reducing efficiency). The Mumbai-based engineering Company assigned the job to a diving team from Visakhapatnam The job was to locate the leak in the inundated reservoir chamber, find out what had caused it and carry out repairs. The repair work was to have been recorded on camera but there is no footage of Mukesh's dive. During the dive his right foot was sucked into a pipe. A specially trained diving team from Barrackpore called in to assist in the rescue got stuck in a road blockade and took more than 33 hours to reach the accident site. The diver was underwater well over 48 hours before he died. The project manager said amputation was the last resort and a move not without complications. "We had to eliminate all other options and proceed step by step", he said. According to reports Kumar was an experienced diver with 10 years of diving behind him. Purulia, Dec. 16: "Diver Mukesh Kumar's right leg was sawed off and his lifeless body pulled out, 72 hours after his foot got sucked into a drainage pipe in an underwater chamber. The suction at the mouth of the drainage pipe was so great that it had drawn in the leg till almost the thigh, though it was only till the ankle that his had foot got stuck initially. Officials of the Purulia Pumped Storage Project said "The task of locating and repairing the leak has been shelved for the time being". Reported by AHN -
2000 11 6 Ferreiro Eduardo Spain Tycsub 40 SCUBA Paraphrased from Press reports: “The accident killed a 35 year old diver carrying out commercial diving on a sewage outfall pipe at Mompos in San Sebastian. Contractor did not have the required permission from Maritime to carry out the work, no insurance, the diver had no medical, no in date SCUBA cylinder certificate, The ruling states that "The incident occurred about 11:00 pm on 6 December 2000, when the victim, who was turning 32, was unconscious with narcosis, anxiety, shortness of breath or over-exertion that could lead to carbon dioxide poisoning that caused death by cardiac arrest. These deficiencies pose serious violation of the applicable regulations posing a grave risk to workers leading to the death of the diver which would have been avoided had if the legally required security measures had been adopted by the accused�. Diver had no qualifications, and even if so would only have been certified to 25 metres under current legislation, no permit to dive from harbourmaster, no stand-by diver. The company manager was sentenced to a year and a half in prison, a fine of 1,080 euros, and ordered to compensate the family of the deceased with a total of 160,000 euros 5 years after the fatality. Bajoelagua.com -
2009 9 16 Heastie Charles Bahamas Royal Bahamas Defence Force Surface Swimmer Paraphrased from press reports: “A 21 year old Royal Bahamas Defence Force marine is clinging to life in a coma after nearly drowning during a training exercise at the community pools in South Beach. The male marine seaman was swimming laps in one of the pools during a scuba diving lesson along with several fellow officers. As his colleagues surfaced at one end of the pool, someone noticed that the marine was motionless at the bottom. His colleagues pulled him out and performed CPR until an ambulance arrived. "It was a dive course. They were taking scuba diving lessons at the Betty Kelly Kenning pools and they were doing breathing exercises, breath holding and snorkel clearing. "When (the other officers) got to the other end, someone shouted out to them that one of their divers was underwater and that's when they got him surfaced and administered CPR until the ambulance arrived," It is unclear if the marine - who has been on the Force for less than five years - had any pre-existing health issues but like all his colleagues, would have taken part in an annual physical last January. A brief press release issued by the Force said the marine was admitted to Doctor's Hospital "following a diving exercise" at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex. The statement added that the marine was in critical, but stable condition. Reported in the Tribune. -
1982 0 0 Gunderson USA SCUBA Paraphrased from press reports from 19/9/2009- “Jerry Gunderson, aged 75, started diving for golf balls in 1953, when he was 19. His passion for diving for golf balls led to the founding of a chain of seven golf-supply stores, was found dead in the centre of the lake at the Deer Creek Country Club in Deerfield Beach on Saturday. Drowned. One of his sons died while diving for golf balls in a lake 27 years ago. "I lost my brother to the water, too," said Jerry Gunderson's other son, Marc, 53 who used to dive for golf balls himself. Jerry Gunderson started retrieving, collecting and reselling golf balls soon after his first dive as a teenager. At first, it was the simple act of fishing out the golf balls in a Lake Worth course in the 1950s, washing them, and reselling them. But he went on to build a Deerfield Beach-based chain of golf-supply stores called International Golf. He sold the business a few years ago and worked as a freelance diver for smaller companies. -
2007 10 8 Colson David Australia Topsides Paraphrased from press reports “The case is stark. It took David Colson over five hours to die of the cold in Bass Strait. The 24-year-old was the deckhand on a dinghy dangerously overloaded with 744 kilograms of abalone - the weight of at least eight adults - which foundered off north-western Tasmania. Had the boat's crew pulled off the day's work, it would have made Colson about $1000, the skipper/diver $6000 and the abalone quota-holding businessman onshore about $26,000. The boat's name? ''Too Easy''. The Tasmanian abalone fishery is the world's largest and Colson was one of many drawn by its potential bonanzas. He was licensed to dive - but diving licences are one thing and getting work from quota holders is another. Abalone quotas are fisheries gold. Tasmania permits 3500 quota units, each for 760 kilograms of abalone. Units trade for about $250,000, giving the industry a capital worth about $875 million. There are about 300 quota-holding ''entities'', many fewer individuals, and they hold the power. In October 2007, a quota holder through his company, engaged diver TB to work a unit at Black Reef, 1.5 kilometres offshore. TB, who owned Too Easy, took Colson on as deckie. They started on October 8 in still water, the diver below and the deckie handling the dinghy as they did runs along the reef. But Too Easy was accumulating bilge water below its floor, the inquest heard, and the mounting catch meant it was sitting lower in the water. After about six hours work, they were calling it quits when the slopping bilge water took control of the boat. Frenzied attempts to bale and throw the catch overboard failed. With Colson on his mobile failing to raise help, Too Easy went under about 3.30pm. Their emergency position radio beacons disappeared and flares didn't work. They began to swim with Burton still in his wetsuit and Colson in wet-weather gear wearing a small lifejacket. The alarm wasn't raised onshore for more than three hours and a local constable was slow to react. By then, Colson was succumbing to hypothermia as they kept swimming against currents - he probably died about 9pm. TB refused to let go, eventually touching sand on an island off Smithton about 10.15pm and dragging Colson's body ashore. They were found in the morning by searchers. The coroner heard that the quota holder believed he had no occupational health and safety duty to those on the boat, who he saw as independent subcontractors and also noted a lack of clear workplace standards for commercial fishing vessels. The state agency, Workplace Standards Tasmania said it had no capacity to police these standards anyway. The quota holder was reported as saying ''they seem to want to blame me, whereas I don't really have anything to do with it. It's a terrible, unfortunate incident.� The coroner found that there was:- No workplace safety code for the abalone fishery, No maximum load limits for commercial dinghies, No compulsory reporting system for fishers at sea, Inadequate rules for emergency beacons or VHF radio, Inadequate bilge pumps in dinghies, Inadequate marine training and vessel survey rules. Reported in the Sydney Morning herald -
2011 1 12 Not Recorded USA S/S Air Paraphrased from press reports “ Juneau, Alaska. The Coast Guard is investigating the death of commercial diver off a boat southeast Alaska� The 68-foot fishing vessel “Island Dancer� was diving for sea cucumber in Chester bay, off Annette Island. Crew told investigators that the diver surfaced at about 1 p.m. Wednesday, took off his mask and immediately sank. They pulled the diver out of the water using the air hose and gave first aid but he did not respond to treatment�. Alaska daily News -
2009 6 26 Not Recorded Honduras 43 SCUBA Paraphrased from press report:- “The Honduran indigenous community in La Mosquitia lives from the lobster catch. The export of the 'Panulirus argus' is also one of the most profitable Honduran exports, especially to the United States. During the lobster season, from August to May, most of the adult Miskito men dive, while younger males accompany them in small boats known as 'cayucos', floating alongside the bigger lobster boats. A study by the Honduran special ombudsman for ethnic groups and cultural heritage, sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), based in Washington, found that there are 4,200 divers living with injuries, nearly half the total Miskito diving population of 9,000. The Miskito men work 12 to 17 days out at sea, in five-hour diving sessions at depths of up to 43 meters. The annual death toll among Miskito lobster divers averages around 50, according to several reports.� IPS (Inter Press Service) NOTE, IF I ADD THESE DEATHS, 50 PER YEAR JUST SINCE 2000, THAT ADDS 500 DEATHS TO THE LIST TC -
1953 7 10 Not Recorded Malta RN 52 Chamber Paraphrased from paper:- “Within 2 minutes of commencing pressurisation an unprotected 100 Watt bulb imploded at between 5 and 6 bara (!34-170 fsw) and incandescent ignited the canvas floor. The five occupants unsuccessfully trued to stamp out several small fires which rapidly spread to the wooden floor and benches. Within 1 minute flames engulfed the chamber and the pressure rose to 9.2 bara (265 fsw). The chamber was surfaced 5 minutes into the dive and when opened flames came out of the open doorway requitring extingushing by fire hose. Within 6 hours all 5 occupants had expired from their 90-100% total body surface area burns�. Sheffield and Desautels “Hyperbaric and hypobaric Chamber fires, a 73 year analysis�, Undersea Hyperbaric Medicine, 1997, 24 (3): 153-164. -
1998 8 11 Cranfield Walter Guam Deep Sea Technologies SCUBA Paraphrased from OSHA reports:- “San Franciso. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fined a diving contractor $75,000 following the death of a diver who died from decompression sickness while working on a project to salvage artifacts from a Manila galleon which sank off the coast of Guam in 1690. After a six month investigation, OSHA cited Deep Sea Technologies, a subcontractor of The Pilar Project Ltd., for willful violations which led to the death, including failure to use two-way voice communication between a mixed-gas diver and surface crew; having no decompression chamber ready for use at the dive site; requiring employees using SCUBA equipment to dive deeper than 130 feet in sea water; exceeding the allowable service pressure on the compressed gas cylinders used by SCUBA divers, and lack of tables at the dive site which outline safe diving depths and durations. The violations are covered under OSHA's Commercial Diving Operations regulations.� The company was also cited for one less-than-serious violation for failing to notify OSHA of the fatality within eight hours. “OSHA will not tolerate this type of situation," said the enforcement director for OSHA in the western states. "This fatality could have been prevented. The employer knew they were diving too deep for the equipment they used, that they had no two-way communication, and that the tanks were over pressurized, and yet they continued to put the divers at risk, resulting in this tragic consequence." Ha also noted that another diver on The Pilar Project died in 1994, and another required emergency evacuation in 1993 -
1915 2 4 Horry Sydney Australia 10 S/S Air Paraphrased from newspaper report:- “BAIRNSDALE, Thursday. A fatal accident happened on the railway bridge construction site to-day to a diver who was working in the Mitchell River. The air pipe attached to the diver's outfit became disconnected, and an attendant named Reid immediately drew him up. On reaching the surface the diver was dead. There was no water in his dress, but the pressure of water at the great depth had killed him. He recently came .from England and had not much experiences of diving, he had no relatives in Australia.� Reported in the Melbourne Argus -
1901 9 24 Chomatza Australia A. E, Jolly and Co 24 S/S Air Paraphrased from newspaper report at the time in the Northern Territory Times and Gazette “Early this week the pearling lugger "Beryl" returned to port with a sick diver and was dispatched out to the grounds again with a try diver named Chomatza in charge. Strangely enough the same boat again made her appearance in the harbour on Wednesday morning, and the dead body of the try diver, was brought ashore by the crew, and carried to the Japanese lodging house. ~ The 'matter was reported to the police, but it was not considered necessary to hold any inquest. The diving gear was found to be sound and apparently in good working order. According to the crew, the boat was at work off Shoal Bay and the diver, had been down several times in 11 to 14' fathoms of water. He usually stayed down about 15 minutes, but about 2 pm, he gave the signal to be hauled up after being down only about five minutes. He was hauled up very quickly and instructed the tender to take off his dress and after to heave up anchor and go into Shoal Bay. A few minutes later the tender discovered him sitting in his bunk in the cabin, with teeth tightly, clenched, unable M speak. He had not complained of feeling ill and uttered no cry. The tender administered some medicine taken by divers in such cases, but after a comparatively brief interval the unfortunate fellow was found to be dead. There is not the slightest doubt that, many of these diving fatalities are the outcome, of carelessness or ignorance on the part of the men engaged, the implicit instructions given by the best authorities being notoriously neglected in one important particular, i.e., regarding the time to be taken in ascending and descending. As a rule, when divers give the signal to be drawn up, they are rushed to the surface as quickly as two men hauling upon the life line can bring them, and it is this practice, resulting in a rapid change from heavy water to atmospheric pressure, which has caused more attacks of divers paralysis on the local grounds than the depth, which, as a rule, is shallow compared with other places. -
2010 1 4 Renou Simon Italy Fireman 1 Paraphrased from Italian Press Reports:- “ROME - a diver was trapped underwater while working on the maintenance at the dam Castel Jubilee to the north of the capital, where he was working to unlock one of the four sluices which had been raised to drain the high water from recent heavy rains and had not closed completely His diving partner immediately gave the alarm and have started relief operations. 
Attempts to rescue the diver were made difficult by the water pressure that passes through the slot of the lock, pinning him against t. e wall. Initial rescue attempt failed and a rescue diver from the fire brigade went in with a rescue rope which he secured to the cylinder harness and the diver was successfully pulled to the surface (Hospitalised with hypothermia, but recovered). As the working diver was recovered, the fireman disappeared from sight (the torrent was rising) in a cascade of logs/debris. He was eventually recovered by pulling on his surface line. Might have been sucked into a suction pump that was put into operation to lower the water level or simply hit by debris. “Something had ripped off the mask and his face was cyanotic and blood was pouring from his nose." working diver might have had surface supply (he had comms and a lifeline, Fireman appears to have been on a lifeline but might have been on SCUBA gear. Reported in 'La Repubblica' -
2000 0 0 Not Recorded 8 S/S Air Paraphrased from IMCA Safety Flash 1/2001:- “An IMCA member reported a diving fatality that occurred to a contract diver employed by a non-member company. During a surface supplied diving operation at a depth of 8 metres, whilst carrying out hook up operations, a diving fatality occurred. One of the divers was sick, vomiting inside his face helmet and clogging up his mask air demand valve. He pulled the helmet off his head in a rush, undid his bail out bottle harness, unhooked his umbilical safety hook from his body harness but failed to free himself from his bail out bottle pressure gauge hose. He subsequently drowned. In this case the diver appears to have tried to open the bail out bottle air supply in mistake for the free flow air valve. The diver’s breathing rate before the accident was very fast and shallow, and could have led to a build up of CO2 in his mask. CO2 build up can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, unconsciousness and death. The post accident investigation revealed that the diver who had died had no offshore diving experience. The logbook presented for scrutiny prior to the diving operations commencing was new with no dive records; the old book was requested but never received. The diver’s experience was apparently related to lobster fishing and gold digging in Rivers; this only came to light after the accident�. -
2011 11 14 Compresor shutdown Canada S/S Air Paraphrased from CDAC report:- �MONTREAL —Quebec’s labour minister said it’s “unimaginable� that wildcat strikers would cut off the air supply to two construction divers on a worksite north of Montreal on Monday. The divers in Trois-Rivieres, about 140 km north of Montreal, were shaken but unharmed when a roving group of union delegates forcibly shut down the waterfront worksite. The revelations were made Thursday in Quebec City during legislative hearings for proposed union reform legislation (Bill-33). The president of the union representing the divers told the Labour Minister that delegates from a larger union demanded the waterfront site be shut down the moment they arrived. When workers refused, one of the delegates shut down a generator which supplied electricity to radios, lights and the air compressor that fed air to the underwater divers. The two divers in the water used their emergency air supplies to resurface safely. A member of the diving team who was on shore when the generator was shut off said that the union reps threatened him. “I told them that there could have been an incident, or something serious, like a death� he said. “They told me that I could also be involved in an accident.� The company running the worksite has not pressed charges. Two larger unions represent 70% of construction workers in the province. They are fighting Bill-33 which strips them of their power to decide which and how many workers are assigned to construction sites. The government argues the two larger unions use this right to intimidate workers who are part of smaller unions by banning them from certain construction sites. The smaller unions, which collectively represent 30% of Quebec construction workers, favour the bill. Meanwhile, the union said Monday’s situation was a misunderstanding. “The version of the incident that I heard, is that one of the workers, in a moment of confusion, stopped the generator,� a spokesperson for the QFL said. “If they shut down the generator on purpose, then that is unacceptable.� CDAC -
1899 10 30 Massan Australia 29 S/S Air Paraphrased from an article in the Northern Territory Gazette and Times:- “On Tuesday afternoon the (Sailing) lugger 'Electra' came into port in tow of the launch 'Victoria'. Soon after it was known in town that the diver engaged on board, a Japanese better known as Massan amongst his countrymen, had been drowned. At the inquest, which was held at the Court House, Palmerston, on Tuesday afternoon, it was stated that the 'Electra' was working about seven miles west of the Vernon at about 8 o'clock in the morning when the mishap occurred. A little before eight Massan went down and commenced looking for shell. He had been down about a quarter of an hour when the tender signalled him, but received no answer. This aroused his alarm, and he at once had the diver' drawn up. Massan came up feet foremost, and it was then seen that he had lost his helmet. When drawn up on deck and the dress taken off it was found that he was quite dead. Everything was done that was possible under the circumstances, but all without avail, and Capt. Mugg decided to up anchor and come into Port Darwin. As the wind was not by any means a fair one Mr. C. Hamarau, owner of the launch Victoria, kindly volunteered, to tow the lugger into port. Captain Mugg informs us that the diver was working on a very uneven bottom, the water varying in depth from ten to sixteen fathoms, and it is supposed that in going into a deep hole from the 10 fathom level he slipped and fell, and going down head foremost must have struck the helmet against a rock, knocking it off. The jury found that the deceased came to his death by drowning, and that no blame war attached to any one� -
2007 7 28 Carey Lavar Bahamas Paradise Cove Resort SCUBA Paraphrased from a reported in the Nassau Guardian. “Grand Bahama police on Saturday reported another drowning. Initial reports by police indicate that 22-year-old Lavar Carey of Pinedale, Eight Mile Rock, an employee at a local watersports company, apparently drowned while at work at that facility in West Grand Bahama late Saturday afternoon. According to police shortly before six o'clock Saturday evening, the duty officer at the Police Dispatch Centre in Freeport received a call from a staff member at Paradise Cove Resort in Deadman's Reef, who reported that one of their divers was discovered by the resort's proprietor floating underwater, an apparent drowning victim. As a result, EMR Division and Central Detective Unit officers along with EMS personnel were dispatched to that location. Upon arrival there, the resort's owner, Barry Smith, pointed out Carey's body lying on the beach. He noted that Carey, who had been employed as a diver for the past year, had gone out as usual in a boat around 5:00 p.m., to collect the dive marker flags and floats and bring them ashore to secure them. After he failed to return within 20 minutes, fellow staff members became concerned and, along with Smith, they got into a boat and went looking for him. Smith stated that they found the boat that Carey had gone out in, but did not see him anywhere. After searching the area offshore from the beach for about 30 minutes, Carey was found floating motionless underwater. He was rushed ashore and rendered CPR and other resuscitative measures, but failed to respond. EMS personnel rushed him to the trauma section at the Rand Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival at 6:35 p.m. by the doctor on duty.� Diver at work, but not a diving incident, TC -
1908 7 12 Mogg Joseph Australia McPherson 15 S/S Air Paraphrased from a report in the Northern territory times and gazette. “Inquiry held at the Court House into the cause of death of pearl diver Joseph Mogg, The lugger 'Ada' was anchored off Shoal Bay. His only experience was acquired recently in the Arru I Island pearling fleet. Had been down 30 minutes when the first length of piping, directly connected with the pump, burst on deck. It was about four minutes from the time the pipe burst until on diver was on surface, bleeding from his mouth and eats, possibly "diver was little bit alive." One witness stated that he had complained that the length of piping which burst was not good. The owner denied this (the same length of pipe had been used on the previous tide to 19 fathoms and stated that he had 22 years practical experience of pearling, and attributed present mishap to a flaw in the piping. “The life of piping with steel wires was about 4 years, and this piping had only been in use two and a half seasons. A diver who knew his business would at once close the air escape valve in his helmet. If that were done there was, according to the maker's specifications, enough air in the dress to keep a man alive for 15 minutes). The evidence showed that the valve had never been closed, and, in his opinion, “The diver had never tried to come up. In a precisely similar accident which bad taken place at Cape Keith four years ago, the diver had been brought up alive, and practically unhurt, from 21 fathoms of water.� The Jury found "That J. Mogg's death was caused by suffocation through an air pipe breaking, and that no blame is attachable to anybody." Also added a rider to following effect: " We are of opinion that the system of half yearly tests of diving gear should be carried out at Port Darwin under some responsible Government official." (This is the earliest recommendation for 6 monthly dive equipment inspection witnessed by a third party that I have found, pity it took us 70 or 80 years to catch on! TC..........) -
1893 3 27 George Australia 51 S/S Air Paraphrased from a report in the Brisbane Courier. “A native of Samoa, diving from the pearling lugger 'Rotumah' in very deep water, the line showing twenty-eight fathoms. He had previously been down thrice, and the temptation to go down and gather many more was so very great that George cast aside the terrible warnings which had been given by the fatality with so many previous drivers. George thought he was strong and healthy, and could withstand the pressure of water at great depths. When George rose, to the surface on the fourth occasion he showed signs of distress and asked to have his dress taken off. This was immediately done and he asked for a drink of water and some painkiller. The latter was speedily obtained from the cabin and a few drops of it placed in a cup of water. This George took with the intention of drinking. The unfortunate victim only succeeded in clicking the cup against his tooth. Then he fell back on to the cabin-house in a death like swoon. Poor George never regained consciousness, but about 5 o'clock, or three hours after leaving the briny for the last time, he gave three long gasps and died�. -
1985 0 0 Kirkpatrick Jock Middle East McDermott 15 Saturation Paraphrased from a personal communication (Names removed and some of the more acrimonious details moderated or removed - apologies to all, but one has to be circumspect with some of this stuff, TC ):- “Sub Sea had seconded 6 welder divers to McDermotts for a job in the Red Sea off the DB 27. At the time of the incident, the AODC was debating the issue of a minimum of 2% O2 in the base gas, McDermott disagreed with it, one reason was "It will be difficult for the LST to calculate blow down", the job was an air sat weld at around 15 - 21 msw, the industry had just started using air sat's then, air being cheaper than Heliox, base gas was pure N2. The dive panel was an “in-house� built very small dive/sat panel. One of the chambers wasn't being used, so the take off was being used to flow gas to the welding habitat to keep the water out. During the dive (Air sat, so as usual at the time, the attitude of "Oh its only an air dive, don't need to analyze the divers gas", and the analyzer was either turned off or not even installed. One of the chambers had lost a few FSW, so the dive sup reached over, turned off the air supply to the sat panel which was supplying air to the habitat, turned on the N2, which was chamber make up, made up, and put air back on. Unbeknown to all at the time, the sat panel and dive panel had no check valves installed, N2 around 200 psi, air around 150 psi, (either way, the N2 to the sat panel was higher than the air to the dive panel), N2 tracked over to the dive panel, down to the diver, and zap, diver passed out from being given pure nitrogen. Initially not knowing what had happened, they were going to jump the bell man, (who was on same gas supply). Fortunately, before he donned his mask the bellman saw the diver underneath the bell and pulled him in, but he failed to respond to treatment. After the fatality, a SSOL safety rep was mobilized to the job in to carry out an investigation, (because of the 6 SSOL divers in sat). The panel designer/builder also arrived on site with a dive tech, SSOL told the dive tech to disconnect the line connecting both panels, and the crew to mix up the N2 base gas to around 9% to give a PPO2 of around 210 mbs at the working depth, (Think it was around 50 fsw). This was done, but as the investigation team was departing they noticed that the dive tech had connected the pipe up again, when he was asked why, he said "Well it hasn't happened before, and will probably not happen again.............." There were rumours that the dive supervisors were reluctant to sign off the dive logs and reports that showed the fatality was due to pure N2. -
2013 1 23 HSE Safety Alert UK HSE Saturation Paraphrased and adapted from HSE safety alert: “A serious incident occurred where a diving support vessel's dynamic positioning (DP) system, designated as IMO class 2, failed resulting in the vessel drifting off position while divers were deployed subsea (Refers to Bibby Topaz incident on 18th September 2012 which left saturation diver Chris Lemons isolated on the seabed for 40+ minutes). Investigations have shown that a probable cause of the DP failure was a single fault which caused blocking of the DP system's internal data communications. Many DP systems rely on bus-oriented communications networks. Investigation of the incident referenced above found that communications dependent on a dual bus network can be totally lost because of a single fault. IMO MSC Circular 645 includes the requirement:- "For equipment class 2, the DP-control system should consist of at least two independent computer systems. Common facilities such as self-checking routines, data transfer arrangements, and plant interfaces should not be capable of causing the failure of both / all systems". If the dynamic positioning functions are dependent on a shared communication medium such as a dual data bus network, then the duty holder should ensure that appropriate measures are in place to prevent a single fault causing failure of the DP system. Manufacturers and suppliers of dynamic positioning systems who claim their products satisfy IMO Class 2 or better should investigate the communications architecture for the relevant dynamic positioning systems. If the dynamic positioning functions are dependent on a shared communication medium such as a dual data bus network, then the manufacturer / supplier should check that appropriate measures are in place to prevent a single fault causing failure of the DP system. If such measures are not in place, then the relevant manufacturer or supplier should ensure that the users of the dynamic positioning system are provided with adequate information regarding the vulnerability of the dynamic positioning system to single faults.� Essentially the HSE, regardless of the published data, are warning the industry that there is the potential for a single point failure in any dual bus system utilising any unit connected to both buses (In the case of the Bibby Topaz that referred to each of the three DP consoles on the bridge). In other words, unless addressed, the DP system is actually not DP II but DP I because it has apotential single point failure. -
2008 9 9 Jamal Mohammed Borhan Singapore Underwater Contractors pty 11 SCUBA Paraphased from press reports at te time;- “Aged 26, East Petroleum "A" anchorage off Bedok Jetty, Oil tanker "Oliva" hull maintenance and inspection work, the diver went in to undertake an inspection but failed to surface, possibly swept away by strong currents. Married 1 year, 1 month old daughter. Body washed up 30 km away on an Indonesian island beach 12 days after he disappeared. Recreational SCUBA training only. Paraphrased from the later official Company report:- “A contract diver disappeared while completing an underwater inspection of a vessel that was anchored. All of the divers were using SCUBA equipment. Two other divers were replacing starboard ballast sea chest gratings for which the contract diver was completing the inspection. The depth of diving operation was 11 meters and the seabed depth was between 50 and 60 meters. Underwater visibility was fair on the day of the incident. The contract diver was last seen about 25 -30 meters off the starboard aft quarter of the vessel when he disappeared from the view of the other two divers. Despite extensive searches, the diver’s body was not recovered until 21 September, approx. 30 kilometres from the initial location. Contributing factors and insufficient controls related to the incident:- Actual Dive Operation did not comply with Dive Contractor’s risk assessment (diver not attached to a tender line), Diving Supervisor was actually diving, which contravenes local and Group standards. Dive operation undertaken using SCUBA (self contained underwater breathing apparatus) in breach of Company and OGP standards, which require surface supplied air. The required diver communications system, tender lines and flotation devices were not provided. One of the divers only had a recreational diving qualification. The Maritime & Port Authority Dive Permit was not complied with� -
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 -
2021 12 12 Sawiran Herman Indonesia 11m S/S Air Palembang, South Sumatra. Family diving team of two bothers and a brother-in-law (the victim) led by father installing a PDAM pump (high volume unit weighing 3 tons). Diving on an air compressor with a 100 metre hose hookah set up to check pump status. Hose went tight then broke, stand-by dived in. Diver had gone head first into the pump, head and torso missing, hips and legs recovered to surface. Divers questioned why the pump was running whilst they were doing the inspection. Reported in Indonesian Press. -
1922 9 11 Not Recorded Malaysia FMS Railway Company 12 Caisson Pahang province, about 26 miles from the town of Kuala Lipis, railway construction department building a bridge over the Jelai river, a Philippino diver was working at the bottom of one of the two 40' deep coffer dams when "the whole structure was sucked down below the bed of the river. Mr. Snelling, the diving expert attached to Messrs D. G. Robertson Ltd., was telegraphed for, but although air had been pumped through the life lines for the 96 hours before his arrival, no hopes were entertained of recoverimg the body of the diver". Straits Times" -
2005 5 22 Not Recorded USA 12 P & A job. No barrier cream on. Quote from second diver: "There was a bunch of red gooey stuff coming out of the pipeline at the cut I was making. It got all over my hat but I never got any burns. Once I saw it coming out I tried to stay away from it. I do know that it burned the hell out of him, and he couldn't dive anymore (on that job). He was in pain just turning his head". -
2008 1 0 Johnson Chris USA Veolia Oxy/Arc explosion Injury, no details. Offshorediver.com -
2005 3 21 Not Recorded USA Gulf Offshore Logistics Overboard fatality Overboard Fatality, Mustang Island, crew boat attempting to tie up to platform boat landing, crew member leaning over side to tie up, fell overboard, crushed between boat and boat landing. -
2002 12 7 Not Recorded USA Topsides Overboard Fatality, Ewing Bank, crew member of a contract work/dive boat rescued a man overboard, later pronounced dead -
2003 7 13 Not Recorded USA Apache Topsides Overboard fatality during mooring operations, South Timbalier, crew fell overboard while taking a line off the platform, 30 minutes to recover him, deceased on recovery, crushed to death -
2007 4 20 Kropidlowski Ken USA Orange County Sheriff's Department 9 SCUBA Orange County Sheriff's rescue diver rushed to a hospital with leg injuries after becoming entangled in a sunken sailboat while searching the wreckage for its missing owner. 18-year veteran of the department and a member of its dive team, he was 30-feet deep off a jetty in Newport Beach when he got tangled in debris about 11 a.m. and made an emergency ascent, "He was in extreme pain and had to be assisted onto the boat," ."He was rushed to harbor headquarters where an ambulance was waiting to take him to Hoag Hospital.He was treated for a torn ligament, his leg placed in a splint and released from the hospital on crutches, The 10-member dive team failed to find any trace of missing Phoenix boater William Eugene Ott during a two-hour search of the 30-foot sailboat. -
1893 9 4 Hoy George Australia S/S Air or 'Bendigo Advertiser' -
1982 9 8 Guan Gan Chong Singapore Underwater Maintenance Pte Operations manager of the diving company, working off the barge 'Ocean Moon' on the tanker Piotou at the Sultan Shoal, found floating near the stern. Contradictory medical testimony (one doctor said drowning, another said acute decompression sickness) and the coroner recorded an open verdict. Straits Times -
1975 6 6 Gage Rick USA Treasure Salvors Inc Operation to recover gold from the wreck of the Spanish galleon 'Nuestra Senora Atocha', sank in a hurricane in 1622 some 12 miles off the Marquesa Islands. Salvage vessel 'North wind', a 60' converted tug rolled over and sank before dawn as the crew slept whilst anchored overnight on site. 13 crew saved, Captain and his wife plus one diver, aged 21, drowned. Daily News. -
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 -
1978 5 8 Godey Gerard Congo Comex Topsides Opened a regeneration tower that had not been purged, crushed chest. (No interlock mechanism). PC -
1990 12 13 Julien Thiery France Comex Topsides Opened a regen pot that was still under pressure, massive chest injuries. An interlock would have prevented this accident. PC -
1986 0 0 Fitzerald Russell Iran 2W One year out of diving school (Fort Bovisand), air diving off a supply vessel at Kharg island. No details . Personal Communication. -
1991 2 8 Not Recorded Portugal Canadian Navy SCUBA One of two un-named Navy divers injured and hospitalised in Madeira during the rescue of diver sub-lt Corey Wells and Master Seaman Willian Hynes who both drowned when sucked into the engine cooling intake of the Canadian destroyer "Magaree" when her engines were started whilst they wrre undertakung a hull survey. Reported in the Ottawa Citizen -
2000 10 31 Lubsey Carl Jamaica Police Topsides One of two specialist divers who searched for drugs under the hulls of ships killed within two weeks of each other (The other was Donovan Henry, killed 14th October), was probably slain because he turned down bribes for several million dollars, according to police sources. According to reports, several attempts had been made to bribe Carl Lubsey but that he'd refused the offers. The police reported that at about 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday, October 31, Mr. Lubsey was on his way to Rocky Point to check the ship Orlent River II, which had been docked at the Rocky Point Port, Clarendon, to collect alumina. Police reports at the time said Lubsey was driving his Nissan pick-up on the Rocky Point Pier Road when a grey car drove up behind him. Occupants in the car opened fire hitting him and he lost control of his vehicle which crashed. The gunmen came out of the car and opened fire again, hitting him all over his body. He died on the spot. Senior Superintendent Carl Williams, the island's narcotics' chief, said the police believed the divers were killed because of their occupation and hinted that there could be a breakthrough in another week. However, the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) said hat while both cases were being investigated, the lawmen were yet to effect an arrest. The Jamaica Gleaner -
2000 10 14 Henry Donovan Jamaica Topsides One of two specialist divers who searched for drugs under the hulls of ships killed in October (the other was Carl Lubsey, 31st October 2000), was probably slain because he turned down bribes for several million dollars according to police sources. His body was discovered on the Farm main road, Montego Bay, St. James, on October 14, two days after he was reported missing from his home. Senior Superintendent Carl Williams, the island's narcotics' chief, said the police believed the divers were killed because of their occupation and hinted that there could be a breakthrough in another week. However the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) reported that while both cases were being investigated, the lawmen are yet to effect an arrest. The Jamaica Gleaner. A third diver, Aubrey Farr, was murdered in October 2001. -
1965 2 16 Jackson Frederick 'Fred' USA Military 72 Chamber One of two enlisted divers (the other was John Youmans) killed in a flash fire in a chamber during a physiological experiment (250' for two hours) at the 'old' experimental diving unit at the Washington Navy yard (It was relocated to Panama City in 1975). Two other divers (not named) acting as tenders were treated for smoke inhalation. navydivers.net. An alternate report states that the research recompression chamber contained 28% O2, 36% He, 36% N2 at 3.8 bara (91fsw) with the most probable cause of the fire being an overheated electrical motor in the CO2 scrubber. Downstream of the motor was a filter element of the type normally used for filtering jet fuel. Following manufacture, it had beem tested with kerosene, leaving residual kerosene as the probable primatry fuel in the fire. A chamber occupant called "We have fire in here!", the two outside observers noted a flame coming from the CO2 scrubber followed immediately by a flash fire in the compartment and smoke obscuring their vision. The occupants did not have time to use the bucket of water provided as a fire extinguishant. The internal temperature rose to about 800 F, the pressure went up to 8.9 bara (260 fsw). Sheffield and Desautels “Hyperbaric and hypobaric Chamber fires, a 73 year analysis�, Undersea Hyperbaric Medicine, 1997, 24 (3): 153-164. -
1965 2 16 Youmans John USA Military 72 Chamber One of two enlisted divers (the other was Frederick Jackson) killed in a flash fire in a chamber during physiological experiment (250' for two hours) at the 'old' experimental diving unit at the Washington Navy yard (It was relocated to Panama City in 1975). Two other divers (not named) acting as tenders were treated for smoke inhalation. navydivers.net. An alternate report states that the research recompression chamber contained 28% O2, 36% He, 36% N2 at 3.8 bara (91fsw) with the most probable cause of the fire being an overheated electrical motor in the CO2 scrubber. Downstream of the motor was a filter element of the type normally used for filtering jet fuel. Following manufacture, it had beem tested with kerosene, leaving residual kerosene as the probable primatry fuel in the fire. A chamber occupant called "We have fire in here!", the two outside observers noted a flame coming from the CO2 scrubber followed immediately by a flash fire in the compartment and smoke obscuring their vision. The occupants did not have time to use the bucket of water provided as a fire extinguishant. The internal temperature rose to about 800 F, the pressure went up to 8.9 bara (260 fsw). Sheffield and Desautels “Hyperbaric and hypobaric Chamber fires, a 73 year analysis�, Undersea Hyperbaric Medicine, 1997, 24 (3): 153-164 -
1998 2 18 Not Recorded Israel Israeli Navy SCUBA One of two divers roped together conducting a mine search under an Israeli cargo vessel, the Zim Adriatic, in Haifa Bay. Reported as being “sucked into one of the ship's propellers, which had been mysteriously turned on�. -
2013 12 1 Argoncillo Alex UAE Scamp / Gubunco 60m S/S Air One of two divers employed by Scamp Middle East reported as having died in November/December 2013 (The second was not named but was initially reported 'not diving related' but no details, waiting on clarification from Scamp. Later reported that the other death occurred on November 14th and was diving related). Philippino, Vessel husbandry job off Fujairah, unclear whether he got entangled in a brush cart umbilical or his diving umbilical was caught in the vessel propellor. No details, his best friend, Alex Tejedar, died in Italy in April 2013 (Costa Concordia salvage works, but death was not diving related). PC. Another report states that the incident occurred on surface supply when the divers umbilical caught in cleaning chariot brush, diver surfaced and removed band mask, chariot started to pull diver under water, standby diver launched ( in SCUBA) and gives second stage to diver in distress, diver bites off 2nd stage, rescue abandoned, diver pulled under water and drowned. PC -
2013 11 14 UAE Scamp / Gubunco SCUBA One of two divers employed by Scamp Middle East (The other was Alex Argoncillo who died 1st December) reported as having died in November/December 2013. Initially reported as 'not diving related' but no details, waiting on clarification from Scamp. PC. A later report states that the incident occurred on 14th Novemver, three divers in the water on SCUBA, weather came up, divers sought refuge in the prop area, one diver ran out of gas, removed his cylinders and gave them to the other divers before surfacing, but was swept away. No lifelines. -
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 -
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. -
1980 0 0 Not Recorded India Taylor Diving and Salvage Far East S/S Mixed Gas One of two American divers doing a gas bounce dive from the drillship "Gettysburg" in the Bay of Bengal, locked out diver died (pure He?) Bubblesblower/Longstreath -
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. -
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. -
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. -
2008 8 22 Not Recorded Singapore Dive tech Marine Services SCUBA One of three divers working on a 7m diameter propeller (at Singapore Anchorage) on the tanker “Shetland Spirit�- when the propeller was turned on, the two other divers were injured, he escaped with first aid injuries only About noon, the captain ordered the engine generators and fuel pumps be started because a nearby ship was drifting and it appeared that there could be a collision if the Shetland Spirit was not moved. Chief Engineer, who assumed that the diving operation was over, also began 'blowing the engine' - without permission - to ensure that there were no leaks or debris in the engine cylinders. The process also caused the propeller to rotate. (He would normally have been required to make a request to the bridge and receive orders from the captain before 'blowing the engine'). Blowing the engine', or turning the engine's drive shaft which is linked to the propeller, has to be done before the engine is actually started. Pleading for leniency, the lawyer stated 'It was reasonable for the accused to assume that there was an emergency.' Chief engineer fined $7,000. -
2003 5 0 Iles Andrew Saudi Arabia ADAMS One of three divers (With Stephen Harley and Michael Hopley) allegedly exposed to toxic chemicals chemicals discharged from a vessel owned by Saudi Aramco, in May 2003. All three were admitted to hospital with rashes and nausea and were then readmitted for a further ten days after they experienced difficulties in breathing and became lethargic. None have been able to return to diving as an occupation. They are bringing a negligence action in the UK against the diving contractor and diving supervisor (March 2009). Details sub judice -
2003 5 0 Hopley Michael Saudi Arabia ADAMS One of three divers (With Andrew Iles and Stephen) allegedly exposed to toxic chemicals chemicals discharged from a vessel owned by Saudi Aramco, in May 2003. All three were admitted to hospital with rashes and nausea and were then readmitted for a further ten days after they experienced difficulties in breathing and became lethargic. None have been able to return to diving as an occupation. They are bringing a negligence action in the UK against the diving contractor and diving supervisor (March 2009). Details sub judice -
2003 5 0 Harley Stephen Saudi Arabia ADAMS One of three divers (With Andrew Iles and Michael Hopley) allegedly exposed to toxic chemicals chemicals discharged from a vessel owned by Saudi Aramco, in May 2003. All three were admitted to hospital with rashes and nausea and were then readmitted for a further ten days after they experienced difficulties in breathing and became lethargic. None have been able to return to diving as an occupation. They are bringing a negligence action in the UK against the diving contractor and diving supervisor (March 2009). Details sub judice -
2013 7 29 Casas-Cordero Menéndez Miguel Chile Chilean Navy Military One of three Chilean Special Forces divers killed during underwater explosive demolition exercises. The Commander in Chief of the First Naval Zone regrets to inform the public that at 12:45 pm today, Monday 29th July , while an underwater demolition with explosives practice was done at Caleta Hornillos, in Laguna Verde, Valparaiso, there was an accident resulting in death. Should be noted that this exercise is one of the planned activities in the Annual Training Plan. A result of this unfortunate situation were deceased 2nd Lt. Miguel Casas-Cordero Menéndez and 1st. Sgt. Marcos Llancavil Arce, both from the Special Forces Command of the Armada Chilena. Additionally is currently missing Cpl. José Luis Valenzuela Valderrama. Cpl. José Luis Valenzuela Valderrama was later found also deceased.<br />Source: Emol.com -
2013 7 29 Llancavil Arce Marcos Chile Chilean Navy Military One of three Chilean Special Forces divers killed during underwater explosive demolition exercises. The Commander in Chief of the First Naval Zone regrets to inform the public that at 12:45 pm today, Monday 29th July , while an underwater demolition with explosives practice was done at Caleta Hornillos, in Laguna Verde, Valparaiso, there was an accident resulting in death. Should be noted that this exercise is one of the planned activities in the Annual Training Plan. A result of this unfortunate situation were deceased 2nd Lt. Miguel Casas-Cordero Menéndez and 1st. Sgt. Marcos Llancavil Arce, both from the Special Forces Command of the Armada Chilena. Additionally is currently missing Cpl. José Luis Valenzuela Valderrama. Cpl. José Luis Valenzuela Valderrama was later found also deceased.<br />Source: Emol.com -
2013 7 29 Valenzuela Valderrama José Luis Chile Chilean Navy Military One of three Chilean Special Forces divers killed during underwater explosive demolition exercises. The Commander in Chief of the First Naval Zone regrets to inform the public that at 12:45 pm today, Monday 29th July , while an underwater demolition with explosives practice was done at Caleta Hornillos, in Laguna Verde, Valparaiso, there was an accident resulting in death. Should be noted that this exercise is one of the planned activities in the Annual Training Plan. A result of this unfortunate situation were deceased 2nd Lt. Miguel Casas-Cordero Menéndez and 1st. Sgt. Marcos Llancavil Arce, both from the Special Forces Command of the Armada Chilena. Additionally is currently missing Cpl. José Luis Valenzuela Valderrama. Cpl. José Luis Valenzuela Valderrama was later found also deceased.<br />Source: Emol.com -
1985 12 15 Not Recorded Mexico Saturation One of four Mexican divers reported as being in saturation when the Huichol II sank in a storm off Cuidad del Carmen, bodies possibly recovered during salvage operations in February. -
1995 2 14 Ayers Wendell USA Pacific Grove Marine Rescue One of a three man dive rescue team attempting to rescue two people from a 40' cabin cruiser that had run aground on rocks 100 yards from shore. The boat rolled trapping him against the rocks. In this case they swam to the boat so not strictly a diving incident but included in the list as this was a professional diver at work as part of a rescue group. Reported in the San Jose Mercury News -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
2009 1 1 Not Recorded India Sub tech 54 S/S Air One comment was that a diver working off the DSV Samudra Pabra, swimming a leg, felt unwell but died in the chamber during decompression, no details. Note. This incident bears an uncanny similarity to another thought to have occurred before January 2007 where a diver off Bombay died during saturation decompression. Death ascribed to myocardial infarcation and therefore not diving related. Other sources consider that a likely cause could have been an undiagnosed spontaneous pneumothorax. All these memories come from personal communications and need verification. Can anybody clarify? TC -
2011 10 20 Kadian Dhirendra Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 Saturation One brother (Parminder) also died in this accident, two other brothers (LSTs onboard) survived.DSV Koosha I, built 1982 in Australia (By Carrington Slipays as the 'Lady Sonia') owned by Darya Koosh, Iranian marine contractor, POB 73, 60 survivors, 6 divers in sat plus 7 others lost when ship sank off Lavan Island in the South Pars field 15 miles off the Iranian coast during pipeline installation operations around 17:30 hours on Thursday 20th October in bad weather. Rumoured to be a 4 man portable sat system with additional chamber to make it 6 man but only a 4 man HRC. Ship was loaded with two cement silos for grouting operations. One silo broke loose in rough weather and slid across deck causing list, this caused a gas rack to follow, increasing list. Sat control van broke off and fell overboard followed by second silo, holds flooded (hatches open) including all below decks compartments. Sank in mnutes. Believed storage depth was 64 metres, sank in 70 metres water depth. Dulam DSV 'Providence' on site the morning after, they recovered the bodies from the wreck three days after the sinking. Sat system flooded. Details to be added following investigation. UK Telegraph, Iranian press, PC -
2011 10 20 Kadian Parminder Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 Saturation One brother (Dhirendra) also died in this accident, two other brothers (LSTs onboard) survived. DSV Koosha I, built 1982 in Australia (By Carrington Slipays as the 'Lady Sonia') owned by Darya Koosh, Iranian marine contractor, POB 73, 60 survivors, 6 divers in sat plus 7 others lost when ship sank off Lavan Island in the South Pars field 15 miles off the Iranian coast during pipeline installation operations around 17:30 hours on Thursday 20th October in bad weather. Rumoured to be a 4 man portable sat system with additional chamber to make it 6 man but only a 4 man HRC. Ship was loaded with two cement silos for grouting operations. One silo broke loose in rough weather and slid across deck causing list, this caused a gas rack to follow, increasing list. Sat control van broke off and fell overboard followed by second silo, holds flooded (hatches open) including all below decks compartments. Sank in mnutes. Believed storage depth was 64 metres, sank in 70 metres water depth. Dulam DSV 'Providence' on site the morning after, they recovered the bodies from the wreck three days after the sinking. Sat system flooded. Details to be added following investigation. UK Telegraph, Iranian press, PC -
1854 6 1 Tope, Second entry, incident response John USA Wells, Gowan and Green 12 S/S Air On opening the helmet, the unfortunate occupant of the armor was found to be quite dead, presenting a horrid spectacle, blood oozing from his eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Detaching the spring from the escape-valve prevented the air from inflating the armor below the neck of the diver; and when it is recollected that at the depth of thirty feet the pressure of the water is equal to fifteen pounds to the square inch, and hence there must have been a pressure of at least ten tons upon the lower extremities of the diver; and this tremendous pressure forced the vital fluid to the head, bursting the blood vessels, and thus causing immediate death. Not more than a minute and a half elapsed from the time he entered the water, to the time he was hoisted upon the deck of the vessel. The pressure of the water upon the lower part of the armor, on his two previous trials, caused a slight rush of blood to the diver’s head, causing a dizziness, which he imagined was produced by foul air, and he insisted upon descending again with the spring detached from the escape-valve, which be said would allow a free current of air to pass in and out of the armor; but a moment’s reflection will convince anyone that this alone was the cause of the melancholy casualty. The apparatus he used on this occasion was in complete working order, and one of the most perfect ever manufactured. New York Times -
1977 2 1 Solberg Ole Jan On NSDA database as American, possible fatality for a Norwegian company -
1976 0 0 Gordon Hugh On NSDA database as American, possible fatality for a Norwegian company -
2005 5 31 Millasich David Scott USA On his 44th birthday, went spear fishing (solo) off Paseo del Mar, was found lying on the rocks by a passerby walking his dog. Rolled him over and the saw that he was bleeding from the right side of his chest. The diver managed to tell him that he had slipped and fallen on his own 7" diving knife. Apparently he had pulled it out himself. Died from the wound. Daily Breeze. -
1998 0 0 IMCA SF 02 98 IMCA Topsides On deck fatality during lifting ROV equipment on a drilling rig (failed webbing strop). IMCA Safety Flash SF 02/98 -
1896 3 30 Not Recorded Australia Almond Surface Swimmer On board a cutter owned by Mr. Almond, 11 o'clock at night: "Fearing they would be murdered, the diver gave a signal to the Japanese trader and they both jumped overboard. They swam near each other and when the dinghy approached, the men therein knocked the diver with a paddle so that he drowned. As the dinghy approached the trader he dived, and being an expert swimmer he eluded his pursuers and eventually swam to a small island near West Island after about 11 hours swimming". He lived on shellfish for four days until rescued by a Manilla cutter that took him to Thursday Island. "It is quite possible that he and the diver fancied that they were in trouble, but without any foundation for the belief, for it seems clear that the trader avoided the dighy from false fear. An inquiry is being held". Reported in the Argus, Melbourne. -
2007 8 12 Not Recorded Norway Saipem On 12 August a 48-year-old man died in an accident during work (lifting operation) on board the crane vessel Saipem 7000 near the Gullfaks field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. At around the 1000hrs the man fell overboard and was found dead shortly afterwards following a rescue operation. The deceased was an employee of Saipem, who during the weekend of 12/13 August has been working for Statoil installing a subsea separator at the Tordis field. The cause of the accident is being investigated (Actually found one and a half hours later on the seabed by the ROV) first offshore Norwegian fatality since 2002. -
1975 8 2 Schneider Noel Italy Comex Topsides Oilfield diving. Oxygen transfer inside a container on deck, O2 leakage, possibly exacerbated by dust, flash fire. Hot weather, three crew were only wearing shorts. Died in hospital. Triple fatality (with Philipe Salvatori and Serge Boulay). PC -
1975 8 2 Salvatori Philipe Italy Comex Topsides Oilfield diving. Oxygen transfer inside a container on deck, O2 leakage, possibly exacerbated by dust, flash fire. Hot weather, three crew were only wearing shorts. Died in hospital. Triple fatality (with Noel Shneider and Serge Boulay). PC -
1975 8 2 Boulay Serge Italy Comex Topsides Oilfield diving. Oxygen transfer inside a container on deck of the Glomar V, O2 leakage, possibly exacerbated by dust, flash fire. Hot weather, three crew were only wearing shorts. Died in hospital. Triple fatality (with Philipe Salvatori and Noel Shneider ). PC -
1975 3 20 Cluseau Giry du Gabon Comex SCUBA Oilfield dive. Two divers, both on SCUBA, both unwell at depth and returned to the surface, one diver survived. Possible contaminated air. PC -
1972 10 10 Ney Jean Pierre Gabon Comex Oilfield dive. Switched to breathing pure oxygen with full face mask/comms on decompression stops, no basket, strong current. Shouted and pulled off mask, taken under barge by current. PC -
1973 10 10 Coelo Dominique Congo Comex 70 SCUBA Oilfield dive. Drowned. PC -
1971 3 26 Pasquier Jean Pierre Italy Comex SCUBA Oilfield dive. Breathing 50/50 during decompression stops, hyperoxia, drowned. PC -
1975 5 24 Babin Jean Claude Dubai Comex SCUBA Oilfield Dive, extended bottom time but no provision for in-water decompression stops, zodiac outboard engine failed leading to delayed recompression/surface decompression. Doctor refused to enter DDC. PC -
1976 12 4 Nabusset Norbert France Comex SCUBA Off Brittany coast. Dived from one moonpool to the other in high current, tide took him away, dragged back by lifeline but lost head gear, drowned. PC -
1977 1 2 Dubois Norbert France Comex Topsides Off Brittany Coast. Caught between the bell and chamber during TUP, crushed chest. Delayed medivac as the French Navy helicopter did not fly at night. PC -
1908 1 12 Clarke John New Zealand 41 S/S Air Off Aukland, second diver to die (the other was Harper, 1907) working on the wreck of the Eligamite "A telegram from the Elingamite expedition states that the party is returning to Auckland, Diver Clarke having died at 10:30 last night. no further information is given. This is the second diver who has died while engaged in attempting to recover the gold lost in the Elingamite". Hawera and Normamby Star, National Library of New Zealand -
1907 1 23 Harper New Zealand 41 S/S Air Off Aukland, attempting to recover gold from the wreck of the Eligamite. ""After three descents and securing 800 sovereigns, died suddenly", reported in the Camperdown Chronicle, Vic -
2009 5 1 Pesce and Martinizi Vincenza USA 8 Topsides Ocean Hyperbaric Neurologic Centre, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida, 62 year old Italian woman with her 4 year old grandson, Francesco, undergoing hyperbaric oxygen treatment in a one man 'clam shell' chamber (Built by Vickers, 1967). they had flown over from Italy to get hyperbaric oxygen treatment (not available in Italy) for the boy who had cerebral palsy 100% O2 at 1.75 atm. 20 minutes into treatment, internal chamber fire. Decompressed in 90 seconds, 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 90% of their bodies, the woman died the following day, the boy died 6 weeks later. Ignition source may have been an internal speaker (no matches or electronic equipment inside the chamber) -
1996 12 4 Engel Yair Israel Navy SCUBA OC Navy has appointed an inquiry committee to determine the cause of the mysterious deaths in a routine training exercise of two IDF frogmen, whose bodies were found yesterday in Haifa Bay 16 hours after they went missing. The two, First-Sgt. Matan Polibuda, 20, from Mevasseret Zion and First-Sgt. Yair Engel, 19, from Kibbutz Ramat Rahel, were veterans of dozens of dives. They were approaching promotion to they were 16 months in the unit and approaching their graduation into the elite Shayetet 13 underwater commando battalion -
1996 12 4 Polibuda Matan Israel Navy SCUBA OC Navy has appointed an inquiry committee to determine the cause of the mysterious deaths in a routine training exercise of two IDF frogmen, whose bodies were found yesterday in Haifa Bay 16 hours after they went missing. The two, First-Sgt. Matan Polibuda, 20, from Mevasseret Zion and First-Sgt. Yair Engel, 19, from Kibbutz Ramat Rahel, were veterans of dozens of dives. They were approaching promotion to they were 16 months in the unit and approaching their graduation into the elite Shayetet 13 underwater commando battalion -
1975 0 0 Not Recorded New Zealand Oceaneering?? 168 ADS Observation dive (Bell at atmospheric pressure) off the semi-sub Penrod 74 off Southern New Zealand. Top ceiling port started leaking, divers tried to compensate by pressurising the bell but it flooded such that when they got it to the surface, it was too heavy to lift out of the water. Bell eventually recovered and divers put into the chamber for decompression. Diver 1 went for a shower, collapsed unconscious in the shower but was revived and pulled back into the main chamber. Diver 2 (who displayed no sypmptoms of DCI) then also went for a shower and was subsequently found dead. Dive site had no spare gas for chamber treatment and extra helium was sent overnight by high speed road convoy with police escort from Nelson to Invercargill (Bottom of South Island). That gas was only available because Ocean Systems had just come to New Zealand and had set up a base at Nelson (North end of South Island) to support diving operations off the drillship 'Glomar Tasman'. New Zealand Navy did an investigation and discovered the bell had only a single (inboard) viewport (as opposed to double ports with one external for accepting external differential pressure) and the 'O' ring had blown in. OK Dude/Longstreath -
2003 0 0 Not Recorded USA NY or NJ, single diver working hull bottom, lost communications/air, drowned. -
1980 6 14 Not Recorded USA 27 S/S Air NP 311, Block 197, Cost Well MODU 'Dan Prince', Well No 1, Arco. "The MV 'Ranger' was engaged in sand bagging operations at the drilling rig 'Dan Prince'. The diver went into the water at 18:00 hours to set sandbags around the legs of the drilling rig on the bottom at 88 feet. He came up at 18:43 and passed out after breaking the surface. The diver was brought up on deck where members of the dive crew removed his gear and immediately began CPR treatment. The medic from the 'Dan Prince' came onboard at 18:56. The medic and casualty were put in the DDC at 19:03 hours. A doctor and his assistants entered the chamber at 20:11 hours and remained until the victim was pronounced dead at 20:32 hours. Cause of death was subsequently determined to be decompression sickness. OCS Incidents database 1956 to 1990, page 305 -
2012 10 18 Lyng Stig Erik Malaysia Fugro Topsides Norwegian, aged 53, servicing a tsunami warning metocean (Fugro Oceanor Wavescan) buoy off Sipadan from the MV Pendamar. Buoy lifted onto deck for maintenance after two years in the water. The last of 16 bolts holding an access lid was rusted so IP used an angle grinder. The internal atmoshere had been contaminated by gases from the batteries, resulting in an explosion which caused the lid to hit him causing fatal injuries. Reported by the Sun (Malaysia). IMCA SF 5/13 issued April 4th 2013. with detailed eport. NB Buoy manuals did highlight danger and required purging prior to access (Not done on this occassion). Procedures modified and explosion potential warning signs now used on the buoys (Similar to those already used by NOAA on their buoys) -
1974 1 116 Skipnes Per Norway Ocean Systems 77 Saturation Norwegian, aged 37. "Drill Master", bell drop weights released, bell to surface with doors open, double fatality (Smythe). -
1983 11 5 Hellevik Truls Norway Comex Houlder 0 Saturation Norwegian, aged 34. Drill rig "Byford Dolphin", Frigg field, explosive decompression of sat system when TUP clamp failed, 5 fatalities -
1975 3 22 Alvestad Aage Lasse UK 3X 140 Norwegian, aged 30. "Borgney Dolphin", Monsanto, heating failed, anoxia, hypothermia, exhaustion -
1983 10 30 Bergersen Bjorn Giaever Norway Comex Houlder 0 Saturation Norwegian, aged 29. Drill rig "Byford Dolphin", Frigg field, explosive decompression of sat system when TUP clamp failed. No interlock, 5 fatalities -
1983 3 16 Pedersen Jarle Norway 7 Norwegian, aged 29, Seaway Falcon, umbilical drawn into stern thruster. -
1974 5 23 Auestad B UK 61 Norwegian, aged 24. Died of natural causes in the DDC, Delay in getting him into DDC - obese – plus post mortem revealed history of heart problems, not medically fit to dive. -
1984 12 12 Not Recorded USA 20 S/S Air NO 03-07, Block 631, OCS-Y 0511, Sedco 708, Well No 1, Atlantic Richfield. "The diver left surface at 11:55 hours to work on an anchor at 65 feet. At approximately 12:35 hours, a garbled message came over the diving phone. The crew could not get an understandable response from the diver. He was observed at the surface trying to climb the ladder to the landing. He fell back into the water. One man climbed down the ladder and another jumped into the water to help. The diver lost consciousness and the two men got him to the landing. He was not breathing and had no pulse. CPR was started and he was moved to the DDC. CPR was continued until the doctor arrived at 18:28 hours and pronounced the victim dead. Cause of death was subsequently determined to be air embolism. OCS incidents database 1956 to 1990, page 306 -
2009 12 17 Peralta Juan Chile Fisherman Topsides Nine miles north of the town of Iquique (Punta Colorada), three man shellfish diving crew in a small (home-made) boat that sailed without authorisation (Port Captain was anticipating storms), vessel overturned in the rough seas, two divers made it ashore - one with a broken arm and were later rescued by helicopter - but the the diver's assistant was swept out to sea and drowned. Body recovered some hours later. Latercera.com -
1904 10 16 Baker Frances L USA Merrit and Chapman Wrecking Company S/S Air Niece of a A. P. Baker who died as a result of burns sustained in the sinking of the "Slocum". On his deathbed he told the family that in desperation he had thrown a tin full of valuable papers and bonds overboard. One of the documents was a warrant granted by the British Government for an estate in Scotland valued at $150,000. The girl is reported as being the first to descend in full diving gear (her father was also a diver) to commence the search. The operation was priced at $300 per day.