Incidents List
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Year Month Day Surname Forenames Location Contractor Client Depth Type of Diving Details -
1988 7 13 Hastings Robbie USA SCUBA Sports diver aged 30, died after being stung by a Jellyfish (Portuguese man-of-war). Charlotte Observer -
1988 7 6 Piper Alpha UK Occidental 167 of the 226 personnel onboard died in fire/explosions. Survivors included the entire night shift air diving team. -
1986 7 31 Cibulski Joel USA Aged 30, working off the fishing vessel 'Rigorous' anchored off Baker Island (off the West Coast of Prince of Wales Island) according to Alaska state troopers, trying to free another trawler's propeller. Apparently got entangled in the net and cut his own air line, pulled from the water unconscious, declared dead on arrival at Ketchichan Hospital. Anchorage Daily News. -
1986 7 30 Vienneau Alain Canada Repechage et Recherche Sous Marine Marcoux Inc Aged 23, working at the entrance of the Lachine canal on a Parks Canada project to clean up the waterway. Police said he got caught in the circular opening in the locks that allows water from the Lac St. Louis to spill into the canal. He was removing debris in a strong current when the accident occurred. Reported in the Ottawa Citizen. However, the Montreal Gazette went on to say (paraphrased) Clean-up work on the Lachine Canal continued yesterday, one day after a diver died clearing debris from a water intake in a lock at the canal's western end. “He may have been knocked unconscious when currents banged his head against underwater debris�, his boss said yesterday, “we would have stopped working for a week or so after the accident, but since we already had police and a crane arranged for today, we went ahead� The team had been trying to block a 15 centimetre opening in the lock with metal plates. Vienneau, who had been working for Marcoux for 6 months was going to block it with a piece of wood. “He went down, and after a few minutes he stopped giving us any signals� said Marcoux. “And he didn't give a distress signal either� He said he pulled the lifeless diver from the water about 30 seconds after his last signal. A witness who works at a nearby gas station, said he what all the activity was and saw five men pulling on a rope tied to something in the water. “I didn't know what it was, they brought it out and I saw it was a man in full diving gear with his mask off. He was completely blue�. Emergency services spent half an hour trying to revive him on site. A Parks Canada official said that he did not have any details about the accident but “had no reason to suppose that the work will be delayed� because of the death. They began lowering the water in the canal two day before the accident (which explains the differential pressure) and “planned for environmental experts to examine the toxic sediments that cover the bottom of the 13.4 kilometre long waterway once it was drained.� -
1986 7 20 Baldi Timothy H USA Aged 27, with one other diver, had been employed by the skipper of the 350 foot long Spanish bulk cement carrier 'Encofrador' moored off Richmond to inspect the hull after they ran over a buoy. Killed by the turning propeller USCG reported they 'had recovered 'parts of the body'. No other details. Reported in the San Jose Mercury News. -
1986 7 15 Anderson RE Sapper Vincent UK Navy Topsides Aged 19, Royal Engineer, one of three men undertaking a two day diver aptitude training course at Horsea Island, collapsed and died during a mud run, wearing a dry suit on what was described as the hottest day in July, his two companions were also hspitalised with heat exhaustion. The Royal Naval surgeon said that his interrnal temperature recorded when the body arrived at hospital was 42 degrees but that even so he might have been saved if he had been given intravenous hydration when he first collapsed. An aermy spokesman said that "It has to be remembered that this run was a normal part of the routine. Hundreds have gone through it before without any ill effects". The Glasgow Herald -
1984 7 19 Nielsen Lt. Jorgen Seligmann Denmark Navy Died on a training exercise dive at the Navy Seal combat training failities in Kongsore harbour due to an explosive charge being detonated close to him in error. Reported by navalhistory.dk -
1983 7 20 Rig 'Penrod 52' USA Jack Up, blow out, collapsed. -
1981 7 24 Tay Ah Sai Singapore Aged 41, Fisherman. Vessel owner testified at the inquest that the diver surfaced after half an hour underwater complaining that he felt like he was 'dying'. Two crew members went back into the sea with him to get rid of his bends but he died later of acute decompression sickness. Verdict:- Death by misadventure. Straits Times -
1981 7 11 Craig Gordon UAE Comex S/S Air Installing a welding habitat onto a pipeline in the Zakum Field. Habitat 'hung up' and the diver , wearing a band-mask, was looking for the cause when it dropped, head crushed, died instantly. -
1981 7 1 Chanfays Dominique Brazil Comex S/S Mixed Gas Gas bell bounce dive. Divers carried out their own decompression from inside the bell. Divers opened the decompression without regulating their decompression and literally decompressed themselvs to death. Possible lack of training, possible language problem (French Supervisor/Brazilian divers). A surface to bell umbilical would have allowed the supervisor to control the rate of decompression. Double fatality (Julio Espindola). PC -
1981 7 1 Espindola Julio Brazil Comex S/S Mixed Gas Gas bell bounce dive. Divers carried out their own decompression from inside the bell. Divers opened the decompression without regulating their decompression and literally decompresed themselvs to death. Possible lack of training, possible language problem (French Supervisor/Brazilian divers). A surface to bell umbilical would have allowed the supervisor to control the rate of decompression. Double fatality (Dominique Chanfays). PC -
1978 7 10 Not Recorded USA Aged 41, reported as being killed by an attack of the bends whilst being treated in a ship's decompression chamber on a $5.3 million dollar outfall project at Aliso Beach (Part of Laguna Beach, South of Los Angeles). No details. Los Angeles Times -
1977 7 10 Petrecz Paul F USA Harmonville Volunteer Fire Department 15 SCUBA Aged 29, Montgomery County volunteer fire-fighter/diver, one of a team of 30 searching Muddy Run Lake for the body of a 22 year old who drowned whilst swimming. 'Tangled in a guideline and ran out of air' Reported as a veteran diver by fire officials. Beaver County Times -
1977 7 0 Rig 'Ocean Master II' West Africa Loffland Brothers Built in 1966 by LeTourneau at Vicksburg, Mississippi. Rig move from New Orleans to Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in June 1977 towed by the vessels Clyde and Thames through the Carribbean during Hurricane Alma and then crossed the Atlantic without incident. At the end of July 1977, off coast of Sierra Leone, the Clyde and Thames were relieved by the Zwarte Zee, which continued the tow towards Nigeria. After the change of boats, the rig encountered bad weather and suffered structural failure and flooding which led to the sinking and eventual loss of the rig. No other details -
1976 7 14 Dupuy R UK ETPM 16 S/S Air French, aged 24. Barge "ETPM 701", mask fitting broke, common supply to main and bailout, drowned, cerebral annoxia. -
1975 7 7 Walsh Peter UK Underwater Security Ltd. 37 SCUBA British, aged 25. "Celtic Surveyor", Scapa Flow, double fatality (Carson), shore approach, pigging operation, diver sucked into pipe by wave action or incorrect valve operation, differential pressure, stand-by diver and second stand-by (third diver) also sucked in though second stand-by managed to get out, two divers drowned -
1975 7 6 Carson W UK Underwater Security Ltd. 37 SCUBA British, aged 20. "Celtic Surveyor", Scapa Flow, double fatality (Walsh), shore approach, pigging operation, diver sucked into pipe by wave action or incorrect valve operation, differential pressure, stand-by diver and second stand-by (third diver) also sucked in though second stand-by managed to get out, two divers drowned -
1974 7 19 Brening Fred USA 15 SCUBA US Navy dry dock at Brooklyn Navy Yard. Civilian commercial diver entered pump well to repair pump, "a 5 minute job", trapped by differential pressure for 17 hours, body recovered the day after. Reported in the Virgin Islands Daily News. -
1974 7 5 Dimmer John UK KD Marine 150 Saturation British, aged 27. Drill rig "Sedco 135F", suffered a pneumothorax. Was distressed during decompression and after treated with a therapeutic re-compression but died in the chamber. Diving supervisor initially suspected pneumothorax but was over-ridden by the doctor who diagnosed the symptoms as pneumonia (The doctor involved was inexperienced in hyperbaric medicine). -
1972 7 21 Tan Han Siew Singapore 23 S/S air Aged 36, crewmember on a fishing vessel out of Singapore. Anchor stuck on seabed, diver sent down to invesigate and came back up to say it was jammed in rocks, he went down to free it and after 15 minutes was signalled to come up. No response, so was pulled up. Expert witness (bomb disposal unit diver described the effects of losing gas at depth (collapsed lungs, 'died of pulmnary suffocation'). Coroner recorded an open verdict. No real details. Straits Times -
1963 7 10 Foulks Layne USA Donjon Marine American, civil engineering job, New Jersey, off crane barge 256, crushed between jetty and crane bucket, right shoulder, multiple fractures, collapsed lung -
1961 7 28 Beghtol Robert G USA Military SCUBA American police officer, Arvada, Colorado, aged 26, died during a training exercise -
1960 7 15 Burris Sgt. Kiefer C USA Military SCUBA American police officer, Kansas, Missouri, died during a training dive -
1960 7 15 Bybee Herbert E USA Military SCUBA American police officer, Kansas, Missouri, died during a training dive -
1958 7 0 Oppey John UK "Extraordinary Death of a Diver. An inquest was held at Dover on Friday (14th July 1958) on the body of John Oppy, a diver employed at the Admiralty Pier works...." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Birmigham Daily Post/The British Newspaper Archive -
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 -
1955 7 30 Byrnes Michael USA SCUBA Aged 15, SCUBA training in a YMCA swimming pool in San Bernardino drowned when his arm got sucked into an outlet pipe. “The boy's parents watched while three doctors and fire department resuscitator crew worked over the body for an hour after he was pulled from the water�. Reported in the Spokane Daily Chronicle. -
1954 7 29 Perkins RN PO John Singapore 5 Aged 35. Reported as drowned at the Seletar Naval Base (HMS Cossack?), Singapore, during diving exercises the day after seaman Charles Larkin died in a shark attack during a contraband search in Singapore harbour. The exercise was to remove mines from ship's hulls, his lifeline got entangled in the propeller shaft. Stand-by diver found him with his mask off, not breathing when recovered to deck, did not respond to treatment. Coroner recorded a verdict of misadventure. Straits Times -
1954 7 28 Larkin RN Leading Seaman Charles Brian Singapore Aged 20, serving on HMS 'Terror', one of two divers searching for contraband suspected of being dropped overboard from ships at the inner roads of Singapore harbour. Surfaced suddenly waving his arms, water around him stained with blood. Gashed from hip to thigh, died from loss of blood and shock. Reported as shark attack. Coroner recorded a verdict of misadventure. Straits Times -
1953 7 10 Not Recorded Malta RN Chamber Four Naval ratings, 3 British and 1 Indian, killed in a explosion in the decompression chamber of the 1440 ton RFA Salvage vessel 'Sea Salvor' during diver training whilst in Valetta harbour. A fifth Naval rating died a day later. No Details, but believed to be the same incident reported by Sheffield and Desautels in which 5 people died . The Glasgow Herald -
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. -
1952 7 28 David Jack Australia R & H Hocking 31 S/S Air Diver's Death. THURSDAY ISLAND, July 31.— “On Monday afternoon the pearling ketch ‘Trixen’, owned by Messrs. R. and H. Hockings, arrived in port flying the flag half-mast, indicating a dead diver. The dead man was Jack David, married, and aged about 27 years, of Yam Island. The boat was working in about 17 fathoms of water around Darnley Island, when the air and life lines apparently became fouled. It would appear that the deceased shed his helmet with the object of coming to the surface, but on reaching the surface he was beyond human aid. His body was taken to Yam Island for burial�. Reported in the Townsville Bulletin, Qld. -
1950 7 1 del Cargo Marcisco Italy Chamber "Two deep sea divers were burned to death in a decompression chamber at Bari, Italy. The two divers had just entered the chamber when the fire broke out. By the time attendant had got the doors open, the two men were dead" The Milwaukee Journal -
1950 7 1 Palazzi Angelo Italy Chamber "Two deep sea divers were burned to death in a decompression chamber at Bari, Italy. The two divers had just entered the chamber when the fire broke out. By the time attendant had got the doors open, the two men were dead" The Milwaukee Journal -
1948 7 18 Do Pang Australia Ah Dep 20 S/S Air “FATALITY AT DARWIN� Darwin, July 18. “With its flag at half mast, the pearling lugger ‘Zephyr’ berthed at Darwin to-day carrying the body of a Koepang pearl diver, Do Pang (45), who died aboard the vessel, after having been brought to the surface in a state of collapse. It was the first post-war diving tragedy in these waters. The Zephyr, which is owned by an Australian born Chinese, Ah Dep, was opeating to-day in 11 fathoms in the Darwin harbour. The pump attendants became anxious when Do Pang, who was being tried out in a headpiece only, did not respond to signals�. Reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner, WA -
1948 7 18 Not Recorded Australia "Three pearl divers have died". "Three divers for pearl shell have lost their lives in Northern waters in a fortnight. On July 18, a diver died in Darwin Harbour (Do Pang) and another at Broome. On Friday the lugger 'Plover' returned to Darwin to report the death of William Djawa, 28, a Koepanger". Reported in the Singleton Argus, NSW -
1948 7 16 Katelino Leonard Australia W. Scott 18 S/S Air "Malay fiver dies. Drowned in diving suit". "Killed when his diving suit became flooded with water while he was diving in 10 fathoms of water off Mango point. According to other Malays onboard the vessel, the helmet was screwed onto the corselet with a crossed thread and when he was submerged water poured into the suit. He was drowned before he could be raised to the surface. Reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner. -
1948 7 2 Boosinger Harry 'The Monk' USA S/S Air Aged 48, from Santa Catalina islands, professional diver, undertaking a dive described as a film stunt man. , apparently air lines fouled lost mask. No details. Reported in the Los Angeles Times. -
1944 7 28 White Peter Australia Harbor Trust S/S Air “RESOURCEFUL DIVER. Peter White, of Lyons steet, Harbor Trust diver, during the week captured a giant sunfish by pushing a boathook down its throat and then roping it. The fish was hoisted with a crane�. Williamstown Chronicle, Vic -
1941 7 26 Tesei Major Teseo Malta Military Submarine Italian human torpedo attack on Valletta harbour resulted in the death of one of the co-founders (With Major Elios Toschi) of the human torpedo unit of the Italian Navy (1 Flottiglia Mezzi d'Assalto) founded in 1938, re-organised in 1940 as the Decima Flottiglia MAS (10th light Flotilla of Assault Craft). -
1940 7 31 Whipple W. O. USA Aged 32, rigger/diver employed at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, sucked feet first into a 40' horizontal pipe, around two right angle bends and then down 35 ' through a 24� pipe on a dry dock. His helmet was ripped off, possible broken neck, it took two and a half hours to extract him from the pipe. (dive was to cap the outlet of the pipe on the new dry dock). Spokane Daily Chronicle -
1939 7 25 Masumoto Muneo Australia 24 S/S Air JAPANESE APPRENTICE DIVER'S FATE. Mystery surrounds the loss of Muneo Masumoto. 17, Japanese apprentice diver, whose Corselet and helmet attached to lines were found in 13 fathoms near Darnley Island on July 25. It is surmised that Masumoto was seized with convulsions from diver's paralysis and twisted himself out of his helmet and corselet. The boy descended 31 fathoms at first but found the tides too strong and was brought to the surface. He complained of numbness, but later descended again to 13 fathoms. Alter five minutes he failed to respond to signals, and the captain of the lugger descended and found only the helmet and corselet. Reported in The Advertiser, Adelaide, SA -
1939 7 13 Maeda Makota Australia S/S Air Japanese, aged 18, diving from the Japanese lugger Daikoku Maru off Bathurst island. Lugger out of Darwin. Became paralysed and appeared to recover somewhat but after 10 days bunk-ridden, collapsed and was brought into Darwin, transferred to hospital 'seriously ill'. Reported as the 9th Japanese diver to be stricken by diver's paralysis since the recently started season, the other 8 died. Reported in the Age. Later report|:- “DEATH OF DIVER. The 145 miles dash by the Japanese lugger ‘Kaikoku Maru’ to save the life of a young diver has been unsuccessful. Makota Maeda, 18, who was brought into Darwin on Monday morning suffering from diver's paralysis, died at the Darwin Hospital yesterday. He became paralysed on June 30, when diving in deep water 25 miles north of Bathurst Island. When he collapsed on the tenth day after giving signs of improvement, the lugger ceased fishing and made for Darwin at full speed. Maeda was immediately admitted to hospital, but he did not respond to treatment. "He is the ninth Japanese diver to succumb through diver's paralysis, this season�. Reported in The Northern Standard, Darwin, NT -
1938 7 13 Okada Australia 37 S/S Air “JAPANESE DIVER IS SEIZED UNDER SEA. Dragged By Groper or Shark From Helmet in 20 Fathoms� DARWIN, Tuesday: “Dragged out of his helmet and corselet by a giant groper or shark, a Japanese diver named Okada, 25, was killed on the sea-floor more than 120 feet below the surface, near Bathurst Island. When the Japanese lugger ‘Zuiyo’ reached Darwin late last night with the flag flying half-mast Captain Nakashiba said that 21 divers scoured the seabed for hours after Okada's disappearance; but could find no trace of the missing man. Captain Nakashiba said that his vessel was pearling on the bed off Bathurst Island on Monday when the first diver, who had been using a full diving dress came to the surface, and said that he was suffering from paralysis. After being staged, or decompressed, he was not permitted to dive again and young Okada an apprentice went down. As with many Japanese divers, he refused to wear full diving dress, using only helmet and corselet, the lower part of his body being naked. He was lowered 20 fathoms to the bottom and commenced picking up shell. Twenty minutes later he signalled to be pulled up. He too, was suffering from diver's paralysis. He was, therefore, lowered back to be staged. Shortly afterwards it was noticed that the lifeline had gone slack. It was pulled up and only the helmet and corselet appeared above the surface. Other loggers in the vicinity were signalled to the scene, and 21 divers were sent down to search for Okada; It is believed that one of the giant groupers which slide along the sea floor seized Okada and dragged, him out of his helmet. Another theory is that he was taken by a shark, although experienced divers say that sharks are too timid to attack a diver�. Reported in the Goulburn Evening Penny Post, NSW -
1938 7 7 Mohamet Yusop bin Australia V. Kepert & Co. S/S Air “DIVING FATALITY. With its flag flying half-mast, the pearling lugger ‘Don Percival’ returned to port from the pearling beds on Friday evening with the body of Yusop bin Mohamet, 24, a Malay diver who had died from diver's paralysis. The lugger, which is owned by V.R. Kepert and Co., of Darwin, was operating 50 miles south-west of Bathurst Island. On Thursday, Mohamet, who was recovering from a previous attack of paralysis was, staged and recovered sufficiently to resume his duties as second diver. He went down and got a basket of shell. When he came on deck he complained of giddiness, a symptom of paralysis. He was staged for 15 minutes. Receiving no reply to his signals the, tender brought him on deck. He was dead. At the time of his death Mohamet was diving in corselet and helmet only, which dress is most favoured by divers�. Reported in the Northern Standard, Darwin, NT -
1937 7 9 Not Recorded Australia Topsides "News reached Darwin today that the mother ship of the Japanese pearling fleet, the 'Sanyo Maru", foundered in 14 or 15 fathoms of water off the North Australian coast about 15 miles from the mouth of the Liverpool river during a terrific squall. The purser and a diver were drowned but other members of the crew managed to get ashore. The luggers in the field have ceased work and are concentrating on salvage work as the vessel carries shell worth £42,000. Reported in the Canberra Times. -
1936 7 22 Sakai K Australia Gregory & Co. 29 S/S Air "Diver Drowned. Whale Fouls Pipeline". "K. Sakai, head diver of Gregory and Co.'s pearling fleet, lost his life when he was below water 90 miles south of Broome. His air pipe was fouled buy a whale and torn out at the coupling in the diving helmet, thus allowing water to enter the diving dress. When he was hauled aboard, he was dead. Sakai and another diver were working in 16 fathoms near a place where two whales had been seen before the divers went below. One whale fouled the line of Sakai's companion but got free and then fouled Sakai's line. This is the first fatality caused by a whale among the Broome pearling fleet. Whales are numerous this season off the North West Coast". Reported in the Sydney Morning Herald -
1936 7 11 Kumanoto Tokeo Australia E. J. Hennessey 29 S/S Air “DEATH OF JAPANESE DIVER�. BRISBANE, Sunday, - Tho pearling lugger ‘Keriri’ reached Thursday Island yesterday, with the body of a Japanese diver, Tokeo Kumanoto (28), who died while working in16 fathoms of water at Whappo Reef. The cause of his death was heart and lung trouble. He evidently felt an attack coining on, and discarded his helmet in an effort to reach the surface, but the pressure of water was too great, and he was dead when he came to the top. Reported in the Advocate, Burnie, Tas. -
1936 7 8 Not Recorded Spain S/S Air Newspaper headline "Octopus Seizes Diver". "A diver working on the seabed near Tarragona was attacked by an enormous octopus. He signalled frantically to be brought to the surface and was helped into the boat with the octopus clinging to him. It was killed by a boatman'. Straits Times -
1935 7 28 Mitsui Kioshichi Australia J & T Muramata 42 S/S Air Japanese pearl diver aged 54. Lugger 'Cleve' out of Darwin, working the beds off Bathurst Island diving to 18 and 23 fathoms both morning and afternoon. On surfacing in the afternoon, complained of paralysis, was put back into gear and lowered to 120' before being brought in stages towards the surface. After 35 minutes he came to the surface by himself was hauled onboard but found to be dead. Reposted to be the third diver employed by Australian pearling companies to have died and been brought ashore in Darwin but that two others on foreign boats had also died but been taken ashore in the Dutch east Indies bring the Total to 5 fatalities in July. Reported in the Sydney morning Herald -
1935 7 17 Mastoridis Ellefteries USA S/S Air Aged 40, Greek from the Island of Symi who had arrived in the USA two years earlier, sponge diver off the vessel Astriopi that had left port 10 days ago, "died of suffocation when the oxygen apparaus became clogged". The Reverend Theo Karaphillis officiated at his funeral at St Nicholas Greek Church before his burial at the Cycadia Cemetery. He was survved by his widow and 9 year old son. St. Petersberg Times -
1935 7 12 Martin Indonesia 31 S/S Air Koepang diver out of Darwin on the lugger 'Flying Cloud' working off the Aru Islands (Indonesian waters due north of Darwin). Standing in as the second diver (who was off sick), When pulled up from decompression stop, was found to be dead. “Diving gear in perfect working order�. Inquest returned a verdict of accidental death by suffocation (Essentially blaming the diver for adjusting his air valve and shutting off his own air). Reported in 'The Age' -
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". -
1935 7 4 Sistakis Georgios USA 11 S/S Air Greek, aged about 63, ex-Mediterranean sponge diver, had been working the sponge beds off Tarpon Springs for 30 years, diving off the sponge diving boat 'Azaimis'. Break in air hose, lost air (Squeeze), recovered to surface but died. St. Petersburg Times -
1934 7 31 Bee John UK S/S Air "Diver's death, John Bee, 54, of Queens Road, Portsmouth, a diver employed in salving of the sunken german fleet in the Orkney, died from heart failure on a salvage vessel…" " collapsed and died on deck of salvage vessel 'Bertha' after emerging from air lock." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Hull Daily Mail/The British Newspaper Archive. “DIVER DIES AFTER A JOKE� Mr. John Bee, a diver, aged 54, of Portsmouth, who was employed in the salving of the sunken German fleet at Scapa Flow for ten years, died suddenly after finishing work on the sunken warship ‘Bayern’ a few weeks ago. The diver had been joking with his comrades in the salvage boat Bertha after emerging from the air lock just before his collapse. The Canberra Times -
1934 7 27 Griffen USN Fireman third class James R USA Military 30 Submarine New London Submarine Base, Escape training exercise in a 100' deep training tank, air embolism, died in a decompression chamber several hours later. Reported as lost control of lung and shot to the surface holding his breath. New York Times -
1934 7 21 Pederson Olaf South Africa 9 S/S Air Aged 42, diving in Table Bay from the 'Epaty' salvaging copper ingots from the hull of the 'Hypatia' wrecked on Whale Rock in October 1929. Had been doing salvage work in the are for the previous 10 years . Gave the signal to lower the sling for copper but no ingots when it came to surface. This was followed by erratic line signals 'similar to the emergency signal' and the deck crew began to recover the diver. "Ordinarily done by one man, this task necessitated the combined efforts of four, indicating that the diver was a deadweight and something was wrong. When the diver appeared at the surface, it was seen that the face glass of his diving suit, including the frame, had apparently been unscrewed and was missing. The water had rushed in and filled the suit and the diver was unconscious. A slight movement of the lips was the only sign of life. Artificial respiration was immediately applied but without success. No water, it is stated, emerged from the body". Straits Times -
1934 7 5 Etem Philippines Free diver The ‘Pear of Allah� or “Pearl of Lao Tsu�, the world’s largest known pearl.. Paraphrased from the book by Wilburn Cobb. “A Palawan island tribe on a conch fishing expedition, realised one of the group, Etem, was missing. Suspecting a giant octopus, they unsheathed their knives and dove down in search of their missing comrade. On the fourth dive they found Etem already dead, his left hand trapped between the shells of a giant Tridacna clam. With the aid of ropes, the men hoisted their dead comrade and his deep-sea murderer into one of the canoes. As the death needed to be fully explained to the authorities, they took the boy just as they had found him with his left hand still in the grip of the giant shell to chief who acted as the local notary public. The boy was buried, but three days later as the chief watched his men remove the meat from the shell, he saw an enormous pearl (It weighs over 14 lbs). Two years later it was given to Cobb as a gift after he saved the Chief’s son from dying of malaria. Contrary to some reports, not a Surface Supplied diver but native free diver – a factor which contributed to the tragedy. Also reported by Ocean Watch and others. -
1933 7 24 Not Recorded Australia 31 S/S Air “DIVER'S HELMET PULLED OFF�. DARWIN, Monday. – “A diver's remarkable escape from death, while working in 17 fathoms of water is reported by several pearlers from the Aru Islands. The diver signalled to the tender to take up the loaded basket and send down an empty one. As the tender was hauling up, the rope of the laden basket fouled the helmet of the diver, but the tender, considering the extra weight due only to the heavily-laden basket, continued hauling up, and pulled off the diver's helmet. The diver was soon hauled to the surface, apparently drowned, but without signs of the usual paralysis. Other boats, summoned by a distress signal, rushed to his help, and one man used resuscitation methods. After almost an hour's work the diver was revived. Next day he resumed diving as usual�. Reported in the Barrier Miner, Broken Hill, NSW -
1932 7 28 Riddle Forest USA S/S Air Aged 35 from Hebron, Kentucky, 'repairing wickets at government dam 31 on the Ohio River. Got trapped by a fouled airline for an hour then floated to the surface, dead. Physicians said no signs of drowning or suffocation and expressed the belief he died of heart disease. The Toledo News. -
1930 7 14 Meany Pat UK 9 S/S Air News Headline "Diver Fights a Sea Monster". Fishguard (Wales). A fight to the death between a diver under the sea and a monstrous black conger eel occurred here to-day. The man won with the aid of a hammer. a pick-axe. and a jack-knife. Mr. Pat Meany, a diver who is preparing the foundations of a slipway at Fishguard harbour for the use of the lifeboat, was thirty feet below the surface of the water when he saw through the window of his diving helmet a monster more than six feet long and of great girth writhing towards him. The eel attacked the diver by curling itself round his legs. The man, hampered by his heavy suit and by the pressure of the water, was in danger of being thrown on the sea bottom. “I struck the creature with all my strength on the head with a hammer." Mr. Meany told me. "It went of slowly but soon returned to the attack with its mouth open in an alarmingly ferocious manner. “I took a pick-axe and pinned the eel against the rocky side of the confined space in which I was working, and then with a long knife struck it deep under the gills. “It then wrlthed slowly away, leaving a trail of blood.� Straits Times archives -
1929 7 9 Johnstone J E Australia 1 “DIVER'S BRAVERY. When a party of men was blasting in the Yarra at Burnley, a lighted fuse attached to 10 lbs of gelignite caught on the bottom of the boat. The fuse could not be detached, and the diver, Mr. J. E Johnstone, risked his life to go below to cut the fuse. His action probably saved the lives of the men in the boat. One photograph shows the diver entering the water with the charge, and the other is of the "powder monkey� lighting the fuse which caused the trouble These photographs were taken just before the mishap�. Reported in The Argus, Melbourne, Vic. -
1928 7 24 Kakutchi K Australia S/S Air Japanese pearl diver diving off Poit Vicente from a launch with a two man surface crew. Apparently flooded suit but no details. Reported in the Los Angeles Times -
1927 7 29 Hashimoto Hijiro or Bijiro Australia 33 S/S Air "Diver Drowned. Through an air pipe bursting 80 feet from the pump, a 46 year old Japanese diver with 26 years of experience was drowned at Broome, W. A. He was working at 18 fathoms and it was ten minutes before he could be brought to the surface". Reported in the Advocate, Burnie, Tasmania. -
1926 7 13 Williams Irving USA 15 S/S Air Described as a native of Kennebunk, working near Harpswell attempting to raise the power sloop 'Bradley A' which went ashore 10 days earlier on Bold Dick, a rocky pinnacle near Ragged Island in Casco Bay with the loss of three of the four crew. Reported as drowned at work, apparently an incident involving his air lines (being tended by his brother) which parted, but no details . Reported in the New York Times -
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. -
1924 7 3 Smith Cilord USA Military S/S Air US Navy training dive a North Island torpedo base (California? TC), reported as “Hauled up, cause of death strangulation, Navy Board to Review� -
1924 7 0 Cappadona France S/S Air STINGRAY ATTACKS DIVER. Cappadona, the well-known French diver had an astonishing encounter with a stingray while repairing the Toulon-Antibes cable. The stingray has a terrific, dagger-like tail, which is poisonous. When it saw the diver it dashed at him, striking with its tail and cutting the diving suit in many places, bruising Cappadona's body, but, luckily, not cutting the skin. Otherwise, the diver would have been doomed. Cappadona had pulled out his dagger and struck the stingray between the eyes, and as he did so tugged the "haul up" signal. This saved his life, the diving suit being useless owing to the holes. He was unconscious when pulled to the surface. Cappadona states that the stingray is even more dangerous than the 50-pound devil fish. Reported in The Horsham Times, Victoria, Australia -
1912 7 11 Coem Joseph France S/S Air "Diver killed by pressure. A diver named Joseph Cem has died at Toulon from the effects of too great a…." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Dundee Courier/The British Newspaper Archive -
1909 7 12 Swee Ong Singapore Sir John Jackson S/S Air Chinese diver, working near Johnston's Pier laying the foundations for a new sea wall for the Teluk Ayer reclamation. An iron ladder used for his ascent and descent became detached and fell on him breaking his back and cutting his head. He was pulled up, his diving dress was cut off and he was taken to hospital where he died. Straits Times -
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..........) -
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 -
1907 7 4 Tacoben or Jacobean UK "Diver named Tacobean (Faulty Scan? TC) died from sudden heart failure while he was underwater exploring the wreck of the Grosvenor, old..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in The Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive -
1904 7 11 Not Recorded Australia 21 S/S Air “Diver's Terrible Fate. A diver at Boonton, New Jersey, a small village near Paterson, has met with a terrible fate. At Boonton there is a largo reservoir, and the diver was sent down for some purpose to the bottom of the great basin. He caught his foot in some manner at a depth of 70 feet under the surface, and signalled for help. As soon as possible, assistance was sent to him, and diver after diver went down, staying as long as possible in the hope of effecting his release. By Tuesday, the man had been 24 hours under water, and seven divers failed in their efforts to bring him up. Every effort was made to extricate him, and to cut away the obstruction that held his foot, but all the efforts were in vain, and late in the afternoon the signals that the diver had been making grew fainter, and finally ceased� Reported in The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate, Parmatta, NSW -
2021 7 27 Walker Staff Sgt. Micah USA Military Surface Swimmer Soldier assigned to 10th Special forces at the John F Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (SWCS) in Key West, Florida, undergoing the CDQC (Combat Diver Qualification Course) drowned during pool training. "The Staff Sergeant was a student in the Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification Course, and was participating in a conditioning exercise in the pool, which stresses the students’ cardio, respiratory and muscular endurance,” the release said. During the training event, the Soldier submerged and did not resurface. The cadre immediately entered the pool and found him unresponsive, read the release. “The Dive Medical Officer attempted to resuscitate him, and he was transported to the Lower Keys Medical Center Emergency Room where he was pronounced dead following full medical intervention". Second CDQC fatality in under a year (Staff Sgt Paul Olmstead during pre-selection 'martime assessment' 23rd September 2020) -
1899 7 17 Richardson UK "The drowning of a Tyne diver. Salvage of a steam wherry ("Borthwick"?) near Breadnell. Yesterday, the body of a South Shields diver named…" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Carlisle Patriot/Shields Daily Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive -
1898 7 18 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air "AnotherJapanese diver has lost his life diving in the deep water at Burke Island' Barrier Miner, NSW, Australia -
1897 7 7 Imoto Australia Topsides The "Torres Straits Pilot" says the lugger ‘Mamoose’, owned by Maeshiba was upset in a squall on the morning of the 7th instant, off the island of Moa, and the men on board were thrown into the water. There were six of them, all Japanese, and the diver, Imoto, was drowned. An inquiry into the matter was held before Mr. Douglas, on Thursday, The North Queensland Register, Townsville, Qld. -
1896 7 13 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air Thursday Island (Provincial Press Agency), July 13. "The lugger 'Muriel' has returned to port with the body of a Japanese diver who had died from paralysis while working in too deep water, making the second death from the same cause". Warwick Argus, Qld -
1895 7 19 Chobe Australia S/S Air "A Japanese diver named Chobe died from the effects of paralysis while diving in about 20 fathoms of water". Reported in the Evening News, sydney, NSW. -
1895 7 18 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air Thursday Island, July 18. "A Japanese diver has died as a result of working in water which was too deep" Reported in the Advertiser, Adelaide. Dual report for Chobe on July 19th? -
1892 7 9 Robinson William UK Military S/S Air "Diver dies suddenly. An able seaman named William Robinson serving onboard Her Majesty's ship "Cambridge", gunnery ship at Devon Port…. No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Leeds Timesl/The British Newspaper Archive -
1889 7 0 Not Recorded UK "The Fatality To A Shields Diver. Yesterday (18/7/1889) an inquest was held at the Police Station , Mill Dam, South Shields, before Mr. Coroner..." "Death of a diver. A fatal accident to a diver is reported from Breadnell..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Shields Daily Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive -
1885 7 16 Not Recorded UK "The Late Fatal Accident at Portsmouth Harbour. A diver went down this morning at the entrance of No 1 dock near…" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Portsmouth Evening News/The British Newspaper Archive -
1884 7 26 Moreton UK S/S Air "A diver drowned in the Firth of Forth setting up moorings for the Lord Waeden. Intelligence was received at Sheerness Dockyard on Saturday that a riggers diver….. ." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in The Lancaster Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive -
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. -
1877 7 5 Littlebody William UK Dalton Le Dale Waterworks 36 S/S Air Described as "a big stout man of about 18 stone weight", diver fron Tyne dock, diving in a pilot shaft at the Dalton Le Dale Waterworks, South Sields, (10' diamter, 312' from top to surface of water then to worksite a further 120' underwater to replace a plug). Reported as entering the water at 11:00, stopped responding to line signals some 3 hours later, could not be pulled up. Rescue diver Harry Watts, then aged 51, employed at the time by River Wear Commissioners, was recruited to help, dived at 9 o'clock in the evening and located the body head down under the working stage. Described in "Life of Harry Watts, 60 years a Sailor and Diver" by Alfred Spencer. The book, published in 1923, contains the following comment: Mr. Davis, Managing Director of Messrs. Siebe, Gorman & Co., Ltd., who kindly went through these chapters on diving with a view to correcting them, in commenting on the Dalton incident, says : - " You describe Watts as having been fully dressed before he went over the edge of the well. . . . Nowadays, we would, if at all possible, rig up a stage just above the surface of the water, where the diver would put on his heavy gear (boots, weights, and helmet), and thus be saved the labour of carrying all this deadweight. It is quite possible that Watts did carry this weight from the ground level to the water, and, in that case, all the more credit is due to him." -
1873 7 21 Not Recorded UK Tyne Commissioners "Fatal Diving Bell Accident. On Monday night a fatal accident took place.." A diver drowned in Shields Harbour on Monday owing to the diving bell capsizing." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in Staffordshire Sentinel/The British Newspaper Archive -
1858 7 23 Affer UK S/S Air "Death in a Diving Aparatus. On Friday, a mason, named Affer, employed as a diver in building the new admiralty pier at Dover, lost his life by opening a valve in his diving dress. The unfortunate man had gone down for the ...." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Sherbourne Mercury/The British Newspaper Archive -
2013 7 16 Robles Aller Fernando Spain Trabajos Especiales Maritimos 20m S/S Air Information received points to him cleaning rubbish/silt from outside dry dock gates at Armon Shipyard, Gijon, with a pump so they could open them to launch a couple of new boats, possibly a differential pressure incident. Spanish newspapers report that when his topside tender noticed a lack of bubbles and comms response he jumped in the water, in addition, there was also an Engineer supervisor and two labourers who helped in the rescue. Witnesses say that during CPR he bled from mouth and ears. An ambulance was called and attempted to resuscitate him. After an hour of attention by the EMTs, he was declared dead. -
2013 7 13 Wilkinson-Lowe Richard James Boris Germany RS Diving 20m S/S Air British, Aged 26, Riffgat Windfarm (15 km NorthWest of Borkum Island), diving from the 4 point moored vessel 'Union Beaver' (Built 1991 as the 'Salvage Chief' by Fulton Marine, Ruisbroek, Belgium, 56m long, Belgian Flag, IMO No 8918564, Owned and operated by URS Salvage and Contracting (Smit Transport, Belgium), installing 6 ton mattresses over cables, appears to have had a concrete mat dropped on him. Reported by Radio Bremen -
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 -
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” -
2016 7 14 Austin Sgt. Jason USA Paramedic SCUBA Aged 36, volunteer EMS paramedic with the Washington County-Johnson undergoing diver training at South Holiston Lake, 'working on diver certification', reported as non-work related but it was part of training to do deep diving and he was training with the team. Reported by Johnsoncitypress.com -
2016 7 22 Al Gallaf Riyadh Bahrain Aged 45, from Juffair, owned a marine and underwater services company, working for the Electricity and Water Authority near Sitra industrial area, reported as 'missing while on an urgent assignment along with a South African colleague for EWA on Friday'. No details. Reported by dt news/news of Bahrain -
2015 7 15 Seabrook Luke Canada Pauls Diving Services S/S Air Aged 39, From Dartmouth in Nova Scotia, undertaking an inspection dive on the Annapolis tidal power plant. Lost contact about 13:00, pulled from the water at 14:40. Tangled, recovered by stand-by diver. Had to battle Bay of Fundy tides (was working bay-side of gate in the causeway). CBC News -
2017 7 22 Not Reported China CNOOC '"CNOOC shuts in Lufeng fields. Diver lost life in initial effort to repair leak on Nanhai Shengkai FSO that has affected four fields in the Pearl River Mouth basin caused by a sea valve during repair work on the FSO". "Initial efforts to stop the leak claimed the life of one diver. However, no oil spill was reported and CNOOC is now studying the impact of the incident and is looking at ways to resume production". Upstreamonline (This is rumoured to have been another Differential Pressure fatality, IMCA SF under preparation) -
2017 7 23 Waqa Felix Fiji Triton Marine SCUBA Aged 43, diving 600m from the shore with two other workers 'repairing a submarine pipeline' in Vuda, near Lautoka. 'Discovered lying motionless on the seabed 10 metres from the worksite', did not respond to treatment, conveyed to Lautoka hospital, pronounced dead on arrival. Coroner recorded death due to heart attack, but no real details. Reported by the Fiji Times Online -
2016 7 15 Pereira Fredson Leal Brazil 8m S/S Air Aged 33 from Itaituba, Pomba river in Cataguases, around 11:00, working in a trench (gold prospecting, they suck a trench through the mud to get to the river bed gravel to test for gold deposits), 100kg stone dislodged and landed on his back, found pinned under the rock, mouthpiece out, drowned -
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/ -
2014 7 11 Setiawan Eko Indonesia PT Primus PLTU SCUBA Expected Delta P. Google translate gives: Two bodies of victims of divers at the Tanjung Jati B Steam Power Plant (PLTU) Jepara were successfully evacuated by Indonesian Navy divers from the Koarmatim Underwater Rescue Service (Dislambair), in the waters of Jepara, Central Java, Friday (11/02). 07). At around 10:00 WIB, the Dislambair Koarmatim Dive Team managed to evacuate the victim's body on behalf of Roni (37), a resident of RT 12 RW 1 Pesisir Village, Besuki, Situbondo, East Java. Previously, the Navy Diving Team also managed to evacuate the victim's body on behalf of Eko Setiawan (25), a resident of RT 04 RW 01 Sidowungu Village, Gresik, East Java, at 12.30 WIB. Eko Setiawan's body was found in the Manhole-5 pipe with a distance of about 30 meters. The evacuation process was very difficult, because the victim was in an underwater pipe with a diameter of 400 cm, with a depth of about 10-16 meters. When it was found the position of the two victims was at a depth of 200 meters from the door of the PLTU cooling pool. For the time being, the exact cause of the accident is not known, but it is suspected that it was caused by ocean currents. The two victims were certified divers who were sent by a third party partner, namely PT. Primus. Kadislambair Koarmatim Marine Colonel (T) Bhirawa Budijuana said, to evacuate the two victims, the Diving Team directly brought diving equipment such as Scuba Set and MK-27 from Surabaya. "This team was sent specifically on direct orders from Pangarmatim Rear Admiral TNI Sri Mohamad Darojatim to assist in the search and evacuation of Search and Rescue (SAR) at PLTU Tanjung Jati," said Kadislambair. Source: https://tni.mil.id/view-63555-dua-korban-di-pltu-tanjung-jati-jepara-berhasil-dievakuasi-penyelam-koarmatim.html -
2014 7 11 Roni Indonesia PT Primus PLTU SCUBA Expected Delta P. Google translate gives: Two bodies of victims of divers at the Tanjung Jati B Steam Power Plant (PLTU) Jepara were successfully evacuated by Indonesian Navy divers from the Koarmatim Underwater Rescue Service (Dislambair), in the waters of Jepara, Central Java, Friday (11/02). 07). At around 10:00 WIB, the Dislambair Koarmatim Dive Team managed to evacuate the victim's body on behalf of Roni (37), a resident of RT 12 RW 1 Pesisir Village, Besuki, Situbondo, East Java. Previously, the Navy Diving Team also managed to evacuate the victim's body on behalf of Eko Setiawan (25), a resident of RT 04 RW 01 Sidowungu Village, Gresik, East Java, at 12.30 WIB. Eko Setiawan's body was found in the Manhole-5 pipe with a distance of about 30 meters. The evacuation process was very difficult, because the victim was in an underwater pipe with a diameter of 400 cm, with a depth of about 10-16 meters. When it was found the position of the two victims was at a depth of 200 meters from the door of the PLTU cooling pool. For the time being, the exact cause of the accident is not known, but it is suspected that it was caused by ocean currents. The two victims were certified divers who were sent by a third party partner, namely PT. Primus. Kadislambair Koarmatim Marine Colonel (T) Bhirawa Budijuana said, to evacuate the two victims, the Diving Team directly brought diving equipment such as Scuba Set and MK-27 from Surabaya. "This team was sent specifically on direct orders from Pangarmatim Rear Admiral TNI Sri Mohamad Darojatim to assist in the search and evacuation of Search and Rescue (SAR) at PLTU Tanjung Jati," said Kadislambair. Source: https://tni.mil.id/view-63555-dua-korban-di-pltu-tanjung-jati-jepara-berhasil-dievakuasi-penyelam-koarmatim.html -
2021 7 7 Trahey Brian USA Great Lakes Engineering SCUBA Aged 49, married, two sons. Calkins Bridge dam on the Kalamazoo river/Allegan Lake in Southwest Michigan. Underwater inspection, failed to surface. Body recovered after water levels lowered and dam stopped entirely to prevent current (Suspected differential pressure entrapment). Reported by WXMI-TV. Great Lakes Engineering given maximum fine of £119,000 (No planning, lifeline or comms, repeat offender). Diver's wife was Great Lakes President.... Multiple US news outlets -
2021 7 15 Wood Jaxxyn Lee USA Bulldog Diving S/S Air "Aged 19, inspecting inlet pipes at the LG & E Mill Creek Power Plant (A 1972 coal fired power plant set in a 544 acre site on the Ohio river supplying power to Louisville, Kentucky). Initial press reports stated 2 man team, 'lost communications' and 'sucked into a pump'. Reported by 14 News, houston Chronicle and others. Later social media reports stated 4 man team (Including the diver's brother) which exceeds the minimum OSHA 3 man team, pump LOTO but adjacent pump running in next bay. Appear to have windows between bays that should have been blocked by power plant personnel (part of LOTO procedure). Diver was in water in zero visobility to confirm stoppers in place prior to commencing debris clearance, umbilical sucked through open window trapping diver. Unclear if he had a bailout but body not recovered for several hours. OSHA questioned contractor's umbilical management, LOTO verification, zero flow verification, clients LOTO and stop logs. Accident Report Detail. Accident: 137498.015 - Employee Is Killed On Dive After Being Pulled Into Pump. Report ID: 0452110 -- Event Date: 07/15/2021. On July 15, 2021, an employee performing underwater diving operations at a elect rical generating station inspecting pipes and clearing debris from a pump basin. Coworkers for the power company reported to the dive crew that the stoplog gates ""should be in place"" but they were unsure. The employee verified that LOTO was performed on the two pumps in the immediate work area and the employee entered the water to check for the presence of stoplogs and water flow. The employee mistakenly verified that stoplogs were down and that there was no water flow or cur rent present (which was incorrect). The employee then continued his work and returned to the water to make a last check of the area. During this final check, the employee's umbilical was caught in a current caused by a pump in an adjacent bay that was still in operation. The current pulled the umbilical into the pump, which in turn, pulled the employee into the pump, killing him." -
2013 6 21 Sujan Singh Chauhan UAE Mutawa Marine 17 S/S Air Indian. Aged 53. SRP/zodiac dive at dive at Das Island. During dive stopped responding to communications, floated to the surface just as the stand-by was going in, given CPR but failed to respond to treatment. Initial hospital reports indicate a heart attack. -
2013 6 19 Dotzler Robert N USA Military Surface Swimmer Navy Diver 3rd Class, aged 22, assigned to the submarine tender "Frank Cable" (AS-40, Launched 1978, designed to support Los Angeles class submarines, based in Guam from 1997 as 7th fleets mobile repair and support pltform). Initial report stated "undertaking pier side diving training at the Alpha Pier of Guam Naval Base" (Most likely actually at 'Apra' pier - the vessel's home port is Apra Harbour, Guam, TC). Described as "not diving, but observing other divers from the surface in snorkeling like role", not clear if he had diving gear on. "When the other divers surfaced, they noticed Dotzler was missing and located him at the bottom of the harbor, he was pulled from the water unconscious and later pronounced dead at Guam's Naval hospital. Reported in the Military Times -
2013 6 16 Hass Doctor Hans Austria Topsides Legendery early undersea explorer and filmaker with his wife Lotte, died at the age of 94 at home in Vienna. -
2012 6 26 Not Recorded Nigeria S/S Air Diver from Ijar described as 'senior' with 25 years of experience working for a contractor out of Port Harcourt (Rivers State). Disappeared during salvage of a sunken dredger on the Ughelli River (Delta State). Reported as having reached the position of the sunken dredger then disappeared. Appears from photos to have been a surface supplied mobile/portable set up, but no details. The dredger was run by a contractor (Owned by the Hon Friday Onodjai, former chairman of of the Ughelli North Local Government council and one time member representinf Ughelli North in the Delta State house of Assembly) working for NDDC (Niger Delta Development Company) and sank on Monday 25th near the Amekpa junction 'while executing a project to open up the river'. Search for the diver continued Thursday 28th admist confrontation with the local Otor-iwhreko community trying to stop the search operation until after ceremonies to appease their Gods for defilement of the river by the dead diver. Riot controlled by the military. It was alleged that prior to the commencement of the dredging, some employees of the owner of the dredger had made some spiritual consultations and disclosed to Hon. Onodjai that there is the need to appease the gods of the river before the commencement of the project, a suggestion Onodjai allegedly refused with a wave of the hand saying that he is a Christian and that such insinuations are mere superstitious beliefs. However, a week after the commencement of the project, the dredger sank and in an attempt to recover it, divers were brought in from Port Harcourt. It was during the rescue of the dredger that one of the divers was discovered missing after he had gone into the water but failed to come out. Another report commented that prior to this incident, there have been a series of profitable excavating activities due to the high demand of white sand for construction activities in the area (So was this a publicly funded river widening operation or commercial sand extraction?) Reported by Urhobo Times/Vanguard. -
2012 6 9 Kurida Pjero UK Topsides Croatian, aged 29, Bosun on the PSV E R Athina. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report highlighted failure by senior crew to follow formal risk assessments, inappropriate emergency response and improper planning of the use of a Fast Rescue Craft (FRC) as a painting platform. The bosun suffered severe internal chest injuries after becoming trapped between the hull and the lifting frame of the FRC whilst repairing a small area of damaged paintwork on the hull whilst at anchor two miles off Aberdeen (“possibly trying to push the FRC away from the supply ship’s hull,� as the vessels collided against each other, caused by the prevailing swell and tidal stream). With no external signs of bleeding (After the incident, he was coughing and breathing heavily, but the second officer did not see any external signs of bleeding. When he was asked about his injuries he replied that his right arm was sore and that he thought his ribs were broken), the crew underestimated the extent of his injuries and a fishing vessel was employed to take him to hospital at a speed of 8.5 knots. They also alerted the ship’s agent, rather than the coastguard, losing “valuable time,� found the report. MAIB Report -
2012 6 2 Pool Joshua Lee Eugene USA 2 S/S Air Aged 28, Commercial diver with Seattle based Global and Salvage, working the weekend on a pivate gold claim 70 miles north of Anchorage on Willow Creek, using a compressor and diving gear, dry suit (No life jacket) with 50lbs of weight (25lb chest weight with quick release, 25lbs on a non-quick release waist belt) to work a 'neck-deep eddy' behind a boulder (using a suction lift) upstream of Shirley Town Bridge. Working with one other guy (onshore) and in quickly rising water level when apparently he went short of air, stood up and lifted off his helmet, slipped on a rock, lost his helmet and 'went downstream', Incident occurred at around 16:00, body located at 18:00, possible head injury, recorded as drowned. Lived in Anchoorage, expecting his second daughter to be born in July. Alaska Dispatch -
2011 6 28 Not Recorded UK Mylor Marine Maintenance SCUBA Falmouth contractor fined £10,000 with costs of £2,000 after admitting breaching r.6(2)(a), 6(3)(a), 6(3)(b) and 6(3)(d) of the Diving at Work Regulations 1997. The prosecution arose from a spot inspection by HSE at underwater maintenance work on moorings in the St Mawes area of the Falmouth estuary during which an inspector observed breaches of the regulations. ‘The dive was being carried out without essential equipment, using only one cylinder of breathing gas, when a secondary supply is mandatory, and the diver only had a mouthpiece demand valve when a full face mask was required. There was no standby diver, a lifeline or a line for voice communications with the diver who was only qualified to carry out recreational dives, not commercial ones. The diver did not possess a valid certificate to prove his medical fitness to dive. He was diving without the benefit of a plan for the work being carried out, which should have included a risk assessment and a project plan.’ Reported in Safety News UK -
2011 6 25 Abdeen Massoud Egypt Seapro 30 S/S Air Diving off the Cosmos 1 for GPC, two man dive. LS 09:25, AB 09:27, LB 09:35, AS 09:40, divers in distress at depth. Reported as having switched air supply mid dive (HP bank to diesel compressor?). Appear not to have had medical oxygen or working DDC on vessel, nor access to onshore medical suppport so used mobile phone to call the supervisor of another diving contractor at approx 10:30, vessel with full IMCA compliant dive system and personnek in transit to July field (mid point) at 10:45. Arrived in field renezvous 11:40, Cosmos tied up alongside 11:55. 12:00 injured diver transferred and receiving oxygen (transferred ashore and on to hospital, suspected pneumothorax), Second diver declared dead on site (by doctor flown out by helicopter). Possible contaminated air but no reports or information from the contractor. Not reported in the public domain. PC -
2011 6 25 Said Egypt Seapro 30 S/S Air Diving off the Cosmos 1 for GPC, two man dive. LS 09:25, AB 09:27, LB 09:35, AS 09:40, divers in distress at depth. Reported as having switched air supply mid dive (HP bank to diesel compressor?). Appear not to have had medical oxygen or working DDC on vessel, nor access to onshore medical suppport so used mobile phone to call the supervisor of another diving contractor at approx 10:30, vessel with full IMCA compliant dive system and personnek in transit to July field (mid point) at 10:45. Arrived in field renezvous 11:40, Cosmos tied up alongside 11:55. 12:00 injured diver transferred and receiving oxygen (transferred ashore and on to hospital, suspected pneumothorax), Second diver declared dead on site (by doctor flown out by helicopter). Possible contaminated air but no reports or information from the contractor. Not reported in the public domain. PC -
2011 6 22 HSE Safety Alert UK UK HSE Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued a safety alert to remind the industry of the essential aspects of safe diving operations after two shellfish divers died in separate incidents (at Methil -Graham Mackie, 11th June 2011 - and Largo Bay in the Forth estuary - James Irvine, 24th March 2011, both fatalities still under investigation, facts surrounding the deaths have yet to be established) in inshore waters in Scotland. Its guidance makes clear that:- “The minimum team size normally required when diving for shellfish is three – a supervisor, a working diver, and a standby diver, and that additional people may be required to operate the boat and to assist in an emergency. The standby diver should be in immediate readiness to provide any assistance to the diver in the water. Those not employed by the diving contractor but who are included in the dive team must also be competent for the work they are going to do. They should be familiar with the diving contractor’s procedures, rules and the diving equipment being used� -
2011 6 21 Surasin Indonesia S/S Air Aged 54, Port of Tanjung Perak, Surabaya, scrap metal diving off Jamrud pier from a small boat with two of his children, compressor may have failed, body floated to the surface, recovered and brought ashore by the children. Surabaya News -
2011 6 19 Kruckenberg Kenny Netherlands Titan Topsides American aged 29, salvage diver. Killed on deck by a chain that parted under load during salvage operations on the wreck of the MV Vincs Gorthon. The Ministry of Waterways North Sea Division, part of the Dutch, Ministry of Waterways, awarded Titan the wreck removal project. The Vinca Gorthon lies approximately 29 kilometers off the Netherland coast at a depth of 24.5 meters in a shipping traffic lane. The vessel protruded 10 meters from the seabed and had become a danger to modern ships with a draft of 15 meters or more. The Vinca Gorthon weighed approximately 19,000 tonnes with cargo, and measured 166 meters long and 23 meters wide. The ship, which was laden with rolls of paper and tank trailers with paper pulp, was enroute from the Swedish port of Oskarshamn to Antwerp, Belgium when she sank. Sources:- Crowley and Dutch press -
2011 6 13 Herrera Victorio Argentina Almiron Y Cia SRL Aged 32, Wife and 6 year old daughter. Pipeline (sewer) blockage work for Aguas Argentinsa (Argentinian public water utility), caught in strong current which pulled him 25 metres up a 50 cm diameter pipe, current prevented rescue. Pulled out alive but died some hours later, no real details but most likely was not in full gear, no life line. Reported by Diario Cronica -
2011 6 11 Mackie Graham UK SCUBA Aged 31, commercially qualified diver, diving for scallops off Methil in Fife. Paraphrased from press reports:- The diver had gone into the sea at the start of his shift, but colleagues became alarmed when no bubbles came to the surface. Crew members on the fishing vessel ‘Rob Roy’ issued a mayday call to Forth Coastguard shortly before 2:30pm. Two divers on a nearby catamaran went down to bring the unconscious man to the surface. A spokesman for the Coastguard and Maritime Agency, which co-ordinated the rescue, said: "The unconscious diver was transferred on to the Kinghorn inshore lifeboat, which had a paramedic and oxygen on board, and was taken into Methil. When the lifeboat arrived at Methil, a decision was made to transfer the diver on to the helicopter and take him to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary." The diver died a short time later in hospital. His identity has not been released. A spokesman for Fife Constabulary said: "Fife Police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 31-year-old male, who was diving off the coast of Methil this afternoon. A report is being submitted to the procurator-fiscal’. Reported in the Scotsman. One of two scallop diving fatalities (the other was James Irvine, 24th March 2011) that led to an HSE safety alert (22nd June 2011) -
2011 6 10 Quiroz Edixon Venezuela Topsides Aged 48, Diving supervisor, Flow station 57 on the Rosa Mediano production system near the town of Simon Bolivar on lake Maracaibo. Reported that he was at the bow giving directions to secure a 2" riser to the wellhead platform when the PDVSA diving vessel went out of control (Went full ahead when the clutch control wire broke) trapping him between the vessel and a barge anchor wire. Broken ribs, internal bleeding, crush injuries. The diver was taken to the PDSVA clinic at Tia Juana but was declared dead on arrival. Reported by GPS Buceo, Longstreath. -
2011 6 7 Garrido David Mato Portugal Marcor Xove SRL SCUBA Aged 30, Acuinova Fish Farm in the town of Myra, Coimbra, Portugal. Working for a Spanish Company. Sucked up a cleaning water inlet pipe. Body recovered an hour later by firemen. Reported by GPS Buceo -
2011 6 4 Andres J. A. Spain 6 Zamakona Shipyards, Port of Santurce, Bilbao, cleaning the propellers of a Tug. Julio Da Costa was in the nozzle with his colleague, J A Andres outside, when the propellers were started. Andres was injured but blown away, Da Costa was killed when sucked into the blades. Reportd by GPS Buceo -
2011 6 4 Gallo Julio Da Costa Spain Jerez e Hijos 6 Aged 52, Zamakona Shipyard, Port of Santurce, Bilbao, cleaning the propellers of a Tug. He was in the nozzle with his colleague (J A Andres) was outside when the propellers were started. Andres was injured but blown away, da Costa was killed when sucked into the blades. Reportd by GPS Buceo -
2010 6 19 Nasca Michele Italy Aged 57, 7 o'clock in the morning, snorkel diving with his brother to collect seafood near a pier near in the town of Zapponeta (Foggia, Italian East Coast north of Bari), sucked into into the 1 metre diameter inlet of a pump 2.5 metres below sea level (grill may have been faulty) supplying salt water to the 'Margherita di Savona' natural salt drying pans. Reported as 'shredded' by the impeller which was located only 30cm from the entrance. Apparently there was a sign prohibiting swimming in the area at the head of the pier, but not on the beach either side of it. A local fisherman was reported as saying that many years ago another spear fisherman had died at the same place in the same manner. Reported by Stato quotidiano -
2010 6 10 Levican Juan Bernado Chile Aged 30, Town of Quemchi, Butachauques Island, shellfish diver. Surfaced and reported not feeling well, taken ashore by the vessel "Dona Amelia" but arrived at the Metahue medical centre dead and was then transferred to Isla Grande. No other details. GPS Buceo -
2010 6 7 Beare Lloyd USA Dryden Diving 4 S/S Air Aged 45, one of a team that had been diving at the Indian point Nuclear Power Station in Buchanan for a couple of weeks. Working on a retaining wall between the Hudson River and a discharge channel. Stopped responding to surface, pulled up but did not respond to treatment, thought to be natural causes but examiner reported cause of death was not a heart attack. Waiting on reports. NBC News -
2010 6 2 Kumar Krishan India Indian Navy Topsides Aged 26 from Patna, a Navy diver, killed whilst three others, including the pilot and co-pilot, were injured when an Indian Navy Chetak helicopter crashed near the coastal city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The helicopter, deployed at INS Dega, crashed into a stream at Ankapalle, about 50 km from Visakhapatnam, although the cause of the crash was not immediately known, a police officer at the crash site said that the helicopter was on a route familiarization mission. It hit a high-tension wire while flying low to locate a landing spot to be used in case of emergencies, spiralled out of control and plunged into the river. Fishermen and locals informed the police who rescued the four Naval personnel from the wreckage in the water and rushed them to Anakapally hospital but Kumar died as they reached the hospital. Express News Service -
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 -
2009 6 24 Logan Christopher USA 2 S/S Air American, aged 27, hired by Las Colinas Country Club to retrieve lost golf balls Employees at the club noticed that one of the men employed by the company contracted to recover the balls had not returned by closing time at 8 p.m, So someone went to look for him. Near the eighteenth green, an employee saw Logan’s breathing apparatus floating in the water and noticed that the pump that supplies the air was not running. The Irving Fire Department responded and found the diver's body submerged in the water. The Dallas County medical examiner’s office has ruled the death an accident due to drowning and the toxic effects of carbon monoxide. Wife and three year old son. Was SCUBA certified , took the part time job with a friend's golf ball retrieval business because his employer had cut his hours. -
2009 6 20 Terzuoli Joseph USA 70 Rebreather American, aged 46. Ran a wreck diving company diving from the 50' diving boat 'John Jack', took a party to dive on the WW1 wreck of the 'Texel'. Diving solo, SCUBA rebreather, apparently caught in fishing lines. Recovered by crew members. Had started diving again even though he had had a triple heart bypass in April, two months earlier. -
2009 6 16 Hassan Alabi Malaysia Fire and Rescue Department SCUBA Aged 41, working for the Setiu Fire and Rescue Department, part of a team undertaking a search for a missing person who had fallen from a boat into lake Kenyir. Entangled in the branches of a submerged tree, drowned. Body recovered by colleagues some 7 hours later. Inference is no comms/lifeline. Wife and three children awarded 25,635RM (£4,400) compensation.. -
2009 6 14 Cylinder Explosion USA Panama City Dive and Ski Centre Topsides A storage bank tank used to fill smaller scuba air cylinders exploded knocking holes in the wall and roof of a dive shop. No one was injured by the blast. A co-owner of the business said the tank was not overfilled and he did not know why it exploded with the proper amount of pressure in it." -
2009 6 8 Popov Andrei Vasilii Italy SCUBA Aged 28, Bulgarian, diving off a Spanish flagged commercial coral harvesting vessel 28 miles West of the Island of Marettimo (off Sicily). "Plunged into the sea and never resurfaced. The prosecutor's office of the Sicilian town of Trapani has ordered that an investigation is conducted into the disappearance". No details -
2009 6 5 Not Recorded Greece Aged 61, professional diver killed in the gulf of Thermaikos (Thessalonika) in an industrial accident, appears to have been crushed between floating units of some kind, body transferred ashore by Coastguard, "constrictive suffocating death". No other details. Reported by Enet.gr -
2008 6 21 Not Recorded UK Northern Divers 20 S/S Air Taken from the MAIB report 3/2009 “A diver entered the water from the Belgium registered self-propelled crane barge Norma order to replace a line marking the position of the wreck of a German submarine which had been sunk during World War One off the ‘Varne’ bank in the Dover Strait (Salvage operation to reposition the wreck as it represented a hazard to deep hulled vessels). As the diver descended to a depth of about 20m, the umbilical cord containing an air supply became entangled in the vessel’s aft Voith Schneider propeller, and the diver was dragged towards its rotating blades. The diver’s air supply was also pulled from the deck but the diver succeeded in transferring to a bottled air supply before it severed. The diver was approximately 3m from the rotating propeller when the propeller was stopped by the vessel’s chief engineer. The diver then managed to cut himself free and make his way to the surface from where he was recovered without injury. The investigation identified a number of factors which contributed to this hazardous incident, including: • control system for the vessel’s propulsion had recently been installed, and no procedures for its use had been developed and no familiarisation training had been provided. • the OOW nor the master verified that the propellers were stopped or informed the engine room that diving operations were about to take place. • procedures for diving operations in the vessel’s safety management system lacked detail and were not sufficiently robust. They placed an undue reliance on the effectiveness of procedures followed by the embarked diving contractor. • operations had not been identified as a key shipboard operation by the ship manager or by external audit. “ Full report available from MAIB -
2008 6 20 Johnstone Christopher UK RN 6 SCUBA British RN reservist, aged 42, UK Navy diver training establishment, Horsea island, fell ill during training dive (casualty recovery drill). Initial reports indicated natural causes (heart attack) but at the inquest a pathologist who specialises in diving accidents said the immediate cause of death was a rupture in the lungs, due to failure to breathe out on the ascend to the surface. “He perhaps didn't breathe the gas out at the time. That's the only possible explanation�. -
2008 6 20 Not Recorded Canada S/S Air Lake Eyrie, 4 man dive team out of Port Colborn, well head location dive, live boating Captain told tender he was going to manoeuvre the boat, tender made no umbilical adjustment, when propeller was started it severed the umbilical. Both engines shut down, diver ascended safely on bail-out. Excessive umbilical in the water -
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.' -
2008 6 12 Qadar R. N. Abdul UAE SCUBA Kenyan, married with two children Gulf-news: Quote at the time :Sharjah: “A scuba diver working on a ship at Hamriya Port was killed while checking the ship's engine. The engineer was unaware that the scuba diver was working and switched on the engine, causing the scuba diver to get caught between the propeller blades. Police were unable to find most of the body parts and gave up the search after three days. The people involved in the incident were arrested, including an engineer and two assistants, who claimed that it was an accident and that they had no intention of killing him�. The Ukrainian engineer on the supply vessel 'Orel' who started the engine was found responsible and fined £34,000 'blood money' even though he claimed that he did not know the diver was in the water and had been instructed to start the engine by the chief engineer. Xpress online Note. The Ukrainian marine engineer was prevented from leaving Sharjah until he paid about US$73,000 “diya�, blood money, and a Dh6,000 fine. “I’m very sorry for the death of the man, who I know has two children. I feel for them as I am also a father of two,� He said the accident – which took place when he started the main engine – was not solely his fault as he was ordered by the chief engineer to start it not knowing Abdul Qader was still working astern. “Due to incomplete and inaccurate information and the lack of a translator [during court hearings], all responsibility was laid on me. I am not in a position to pay the amount. I cannot get a job as I don’t have my documents. My wife in Ukraine earns just $120 (Dh440) a month. He started working for the Sharjah-based Whitesea Shipping Company and Supply LLC in March 2007. “I haven’t seen my family since then. I want nothing more than to be home with them,� In August 2009, he received help from the local Russian speaking community, and was allowed home. -
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. -
2008 6 2 Santibanez Roberto Orlando Chile Fish Farm Chilean, aged 43. Died after diving on a fish farm near Chonchi, on the island of Chiloé. After morning work, the diver went to his cottage for a nap but after lunch was found lying on his bed cyanotic, taken to hospital but died. Initially the company had claimed that the diver had died in his cabin hours after diving to 5 metres and the Navy reported that the person had not died as a result of diving. However, an investigation by the Provincial Labour Inspectorate concluded that this was a diving accident. The state agency fined the company 180 UTM (5.5 million pesos) for various breaches of the Labour Code. However, an investigation of the Provincial Labour Chiloé determined that it was an industrial accident,:- They did not have the authorization granted by the Maritime Authority for diving work at the Cucao center, the company had not established a series of mandatory measures (there was no contingency plan), the head of center had no safety training for managers of floating fish farms and the center did not have a monthly schedule of activities. The company was additionally fined because the center where the fatal accident occurred "does not have checklists before and after the teams involved in the tasks of diving and non-compliance of planning risk training (Non compliance with audit dated one month earlier). No details of the accident. Chilean press reports elcuidadano.cl -
2008 6 1 Le Sauteur Peter UK Alderney Marine Trust SCUBA Aged 55, Surveying the wreck of an Elizabethan gunship that sank in 1592 with a view to recovering two cannon. Fell ill after finishing a dive, unconscious, taken to hospital but pronounced dead. -
2008 6 1 Swisher Donald USA Fireman 4 SCUBA American, aged 51, a member of the Arlington Heights (Illinois) fire department's technical rescue, hazardous materials response, water rescue and recovery dive teams, off duty, cleaning a swimming pool, autopsy concluded that he drowned. No explanation, might have involved heavy weight belt/inlet suction -
2007 6 26 Not Recorded Russia, Sakhalin DOF Saturation New built mobile saturation system on DSV "Geosea". Bell port leaked during descent. Investigation revealed multiple problems with system, Audits not thorough or accurate. -
2007 6 4 Not Recorded Norway Technip Topsides Trainee Diving Supervisor on the DSV Wellservicer, (Possible Heart attack?), plus fire in aft engine room when alongside in Stavanger, put out by Stavanger fire brigade after 70 minutes. -
2007 6 1 Henderson Phil Malaysia Sarku Topsides Australian Diving Supervisor on the Shell Chartered DSV Sarku Clementine, passed away offshore, natural causes, (possible heart attack). -
2006 6 18 Reyes Jose Diego Barria Chile Friosur SCUBA Shellfish cultivation, Elena Island, Cisnes Commons, Aysén Regioner, Source: Ecoceanos, based on data from the Dir. of Labor, Directemar, Mariscope and the Tenth and Eleventh Regions District Attorneys Offices. No details -
2006 6 16 Blaauw André USA Superior Saturation South African, first saturation, DSV "Superior Endeavour", closing bottom door at end of bell run, bungee cord caught on bell door, released and struck him in the eye. Permanent loss of sight in one eye. -
2006 6 0 Not Recorded Canada R M Belanger Ltd A construction company pleaded guilty and was fined $25,000 in relation to an unsafe diving operation after an excavator slipped into the water off a barge at Little Current, Ontario. The company hired a diver to recover the vehicle but failed to notify the Ministry of Labour of this operation. An investigation found that the company had not ensured a two-way communication system was in place at the diving site or that workers who could fall into the channel wore life jackets. Fined for failing as an employer to ensure measures and procedures prescribed by the Ontario (Diving Operations) Regulation ere carried out at a diving operation. Additionally, a supervisor also pleaded guilty and was fined $4,000 for obstructing an inspector by providing false information during the investigation. (knowingly furnishing false information, contrary to the Occupational Health and Safety Act). -
2005 6 15 Ong Sgt. Jia Hui Singapore Army Aged 24, Army specialist, training exercise in marine counter terrorism off Changi Naval Base, discovered at around 17:40, stand-by diver sent in and 'found the diver in about 5 minutes'. He was given treatment at the medical centre before being evacuated to Changi General Hospital within half an hour of the incident but was pronounced dead around 19:00. No other details. Straits Times -
2005 6 14 Not Recorded Canada SCUBA Sports diver hired to carry out a commercial dive checking moorings, second dive, lifeline slack, no response, recovered unconscious, hospitalised but survived. No qualifications, procedures, team, stand-by etc -
2005 6 9 Cartes Pedro Vivanco Chile Cammachaca SCUBA Shellfish cultivation centre, Guaitecas, Source: Ecoceanos, based on data from the Dir. of Labor, Directemar, Mariscope and the Tenth and Eleventh Regions District Attorneys Offices. No details -
2005 6 3 Cardenas Jr Ciro USA 4 SCUBA Drowned in a drainage pipe, no lifeline or standby diver, scuba gear minus straps, he was holding or dragging his air tank along the 36-inch-wide drainage pipe when he drowned. -
2004 6 0 Not Recorded Chile Sermar Double fatality, port of Coloso operated by Minera Enscondida. No details, reported in a BHP Billiton Safety Case Study -
2003 6 28 Not Recorded USSR SCUBA Sakhalin district commercial sea cucumber harvesting (мор�кого ежа). One of the divers failed to surface . His body was found some time later. -
2002 6 25 Jelasi Cristiano Italy Tecnosub 80 SCUBA Aged 25, off the island of Capri (Thyrrenian Sea), diving in SCUBA to 80 metres, alone, off a small boat to cut ropes off a recently installed water pipeline prior to trenching operations. Died in the water -
2002 6 19 Leoni Helga Italy Marine Consulting 25 S/S Air 33 year old female NDT diver, daughter of the owner of the diving company. DSV "Palinuro II" diving on/near the Agostino B platform. No stand-by diver. Engine "mistakenly" started, Umbilical caught in propellor. -
2002 6 14 Jolliff Paul USA 15 SCUBA Firefighter, aged 37, died during the final dive of a 21 day open water SCUBA training course. Objective was to locate a cinder block by conducting sweep searches from a marker buoy and then bring it to surface using an inverted 5 gallon bucket as a lifting bag. Zero visibility, cold water. Underwater comms set only partially operational (he could hear, but not transmit). He and partner located block, as they were rigging it, he suddenly grabbed for his partner's face mask knocking him to one side, dropped his weight belt and disappeared. Second diver surfaced and raised the alarm. Stand-by diver entered the water immediately to commence sweep searches from the original marker buoy but after his 4th sweep was pulled to the surface by the crew pulling up the marker buoy in an attempt to see if the lost diver was still attached to the swim line. Buoy reset, but in a different location.. Search continued and the body was located over two hours later by sonar from a surface support boat. He was tied to the cinder block (They were using 5' long lanyards as the lifting rigging, he had gone into the water with his attached to his harness 'D' ring. It appears he attached it before releasing the second end from his harness). Death certificate recorded death as due to drowning. SCUBA cylinder was empty when recovered, some equipment breakages, but not concluded whether factors in the incident. The investigation made 3 recommendations:- 1: Fire departments should ensure that equipment checks are performed before each dive and defective equipment is repaired or replaced before the dive takes place. 2: Fire Departments should ensure that all participants in diver training have practiced the specific evolution in a controlled environment such as a swimming pool before attempting the evolution in open water.. 3: Fire departments should ensure that search-and-rescue operations establish and use reference points to conduct searches -
2001 6 22 Kin Chong Chee Singapore Aged 28, described as a 'seasoned diver', found floating face down during a tanker inspection dive off Tuas. Straits Times -
2001 6 11 Willis Emmett Clive USA SCUBA Aged 51, professional golf ball diver, 15th hole of the Westport Country club in Hickory, drowned, no details apart him only having been SCUBA certified three months prior to his death. -
2000 6 27 Winkler Steven USA SCUBA American, aged 27, from Bellingham, professional sea cucumber harvesting off the vessel “Silver sea�, Griffin Bay, off San Juan island, critically ill, intensive care in Seattle hospital after surfacing from dive -
2000 6 25 Banu Fred Australia Oceantech Pty 25 S/S Air Australian (Torres Straits Islander), professional sea cucumber (Beche de mer) harvester. Near Don Cay in the Torres Strait. Diving from tender vessel on hooker style SSBA diving system. Airline pulled tight causing separation of airline at connection. Diver found on the seabed 15 minutes late and recovered unconscious from sea floor. Outboard unable to be started. Drowned. Prosecution (Inappropriate and poorly maintained SSBA equipment. No emergency air source. No current medical. No depth indicator used. No O2 resuscitation equipment). Workplace Health and Safety, Queensland. -
2000 6 24 Climer Michael USA Caldive Topsides American, diver/tender, topsides work removing a helideck, killed in a fall of 30', no details. cDiver -
2000 6 9 Not Recorded Canada Sports diver Big Tub Harbour Resort, Ontario, man killed by exploding cylinder at a diving club. No details. The Record -
2000 6 2 Not Recorded USA Police 0 Police officer, injured on the same dive during which Sgt Alane Soffregen died -
2000 6 2 Soffregen Sgt Alane USA Police 0 Female American police marine unit diver, aged 50, drowned during a training exercise 1 mile off Chicago waterfront. -
1998 6 0 Rig 'Mr Bice' USA During a rig move encountered bad weather 15 miles southwest of Grand Isle, suffered structural failure and flooding which caused the capsize and eventual sinking of the rig. In 1998, Bisso began the salvage of the rig, attempting to right and re-float the rig. A sequence of hurricanes, beginning with Hurricane Earl in September 1998, disrupted operations and caused severe damage to rig with the hull buckling and shearing off from the port bow and jacking towers, and embedding the port side in the seabed mud. Due to the damage, attempts to salvage the rig intact were abandoned and the rig was cut into 9 sections then transported away by barge. Marine Link -
1997 6 25 Cousteau Jacques-Yves France Explorer Legendery diver, inventor (with Emile Gagnan invented the first open circuit SCUBA demand valve in 1942-1943) , ecologist and subsea explorer, died aged 87 at his home in Paris -
1997 6 20 Not Recorded USA Fireman SCUBA A veteran firefighter died Friday following a routine scuba practice dive in Lake Michigan, fire officials said. [The diver], 46, a firefighter for 17 years and an experienced member of the Air-Sea Rescue Unit, was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital shortly before 5 p.m. according to fire department spokesman Patrick Howe. That was about an hour after [the diver] went out on a routine practice dive with [another team member] about 25 feet off Meigs Field, where the water temperature was 62 degrees. ``[The team member] noticed his partner was moving rapidly to the surface,'' said Howe. The member followed [the victim] to the surface, where the victim removed his mask. Other firefighters brought [him] to shore and administered CPR, Howe said. At that time, the victim did not have a pulse and was not breathing, Howe said. Paramedics were subsequently called and administered advanced life-saving techniques before transporting the victim to the hospital, Howe said. [The team member] also was admitted to the hospital as a procedural step and was listed in good condition. An investigation into the cause of [the diver’s] death was underway. ``We don't know if it was an equipment failure, or a heart problem, or what,'' Howe said, adding that the divers were wearing the proper equipment. ``We can't speculate right now.'' An autopsy will be conducted Saturday. Fire officials also said they would examine the scuba equipment being used by [the diver] for any potential malfunctions. [The diver] is survived by a wife and two daughters, ages 13 and 16. Chicago Tribune -
1997 6 19 Not Recorded USA Police 18 SCUBA Quote:- “Two Milford police divers were injured, one critically, in a diving accident during routine training drills in Long Island Sound, authorities said. The officers, ages 34 and 41, apparently became entangled in debris around noon on Wednesday, said a police spokesman. One was submerged at least eight minutes and had no pulse when fellow divers pulled him from the water. He was in critical condition at Norwalk Hospital early this morning. The other officer freed himself, and surfaced to get help, but came up too quickly and suffered from decompression sickness, commonly called the bends. He was in serious condition early this morning also at Norwalk Hospital. Both divers were among eight officers performing routine training about two miles off the mouth of Milford harbor. Police said the divers were training in murky water about 60-feet deep. Visibility was less than a foot. ``This is the first mishap the dive team has ever experienced,'' the spokesman said. The team has been in action at least 25 years. Both men have been dive team members more than five years News Times regional News -
1992 6 0 Howard Kenneth W USA SCUBA Aged 34, professional tropical fish 'catching' for the aquarium trade. No details -
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 -
1989 6 5 Lamm William USA Sports diver SCUBA American, aged 45, spear fishing and then sucked into the inlet of a 16 foot diameter inlet pipe. 4 minutes and 1650 feet later later he surfaced inside a canal inside the Saint Lucie nuclear power plant run by Florida Power and Light. Completely unscathed. Ocala Star Banner. -
1988 6 0 Decker Keith USA Need-A-Diver 3 Aged 23, IMC Fertiliser Inc Clear Springs Phoshate Mine, pond lock gate ajar, 10� gap, diver sent in to take photos but loose lifeline, no grill, his lines were pulled through the gap, pulling him through also. His body was recovered two days later by police divers 461' feet up the 1,000' tunnel.. Equipped with lifeline and communications, quote:- 'Before he was sucked in, he was able to tell workers that 'something had caught him by the leg and was pulling him in�. St Petersburg Times. -
1987 6 28 Penner Robert Steven Canada Day's Aquatic Services Aged 21, One of three divers hired by Halton regional District, reported as drowned whilst working in an underwater pipe, but no details. Toronto Star -
1987 6 21 Fortin Richard USA Police Assigned as police diver, rescued four people from an overturned boat, attached a towline, sank from view and drowned -
1987 6 0 Not Recorded USA Police SCUBA American police officer aged 45 died while searching the Detroit River for victims of a boat that had capsized. It was later alleged that the malfunction of a valve on a dry suit was a contributing factor to his death. -
1986 6 16 Hill Billy Ray USA Valley liners and Equipment 12 S/S Air Aged 29, from Tulsa, Okla, died in an explosion during a ship salvage operation. Mississippi River, sunken corn barge, cutting plate with oxy/acetylene, Coastguard quote “possibly a pocket of methane given off by the fermenting corn�. After explosion was found inside the wreck with downline still secured to barge. Possibly drowned when mask separated from helmet. -
1985 6 15 Stethem Robert Dean Lebanon USN Topsides Aged 24, US Navy construction diver with the Seabees. TWA Flight 847 was on its way from Athens to Rome when it was hijacked by Shiite Muslims sympathetic to the Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran’s leader at the time. The US Navy Seabee team was returning to the U.S. after a training mission in Egypt. When the plane landed in Beirut, Navy diver Robert Stethem was shot and killed, his body dumped on the tarmac.The Commander and five Navy divers were held captive for 17 days in Beirut, Lebanon. -
1985 6 14 Not Recorded USA South Marsh, Block 41, OCS0G 1192, Platform A, Chevron. "A diver was installing a caisson centraliser when his thumb was caught and severed between the conductor and centraliser". OCS Incidents 1956-1990, page 270 -
1985 6 0 Rig 'Dixilyn Field 82' Indian Ocean Jack Up, sank during towing (caught in a storm). -
1983 6 26 Oselton Robert P Canada Wijsmuler Salvage Saturation British, aged 37 or 38 from Portsmouth, third diver to die in a week during salvage operations on the Ocean Ranger (Sank in a storm Feb 15th 1982 with a loss of 84 persons), diving from the salvage barge 'Ocean Servant 2' thought to be a dropped object, but no details, salvage operations were suspended for an investigation. Spokane Chronicle/Ottawa Citizen -
1983 6 21 Yeo Sgt. Soon Seng Singapore Commando Surface Swimmer Aged 22, First Commando Battalion, diver training circuit swimming exercise with 7 other trainees on 13th June. Surfaced in distress before sinking from sight, found unconcious in the sea and taken to Toa Payoh Hospital where he died 8 days later of bronchial pneumonia. Coroner recorded a verdict of death by misadventure. Straits Times -
1983 6 20 Bouhuis Meinbert J Canada Wijsmuler Salvage Saturation Aged 22 from Vlaardinger, one of two (The other was Jan Podt) Dutch divers who died in underwater explosions either cutting into a compartment (oxy/arc??) or using ramset guns during salvage operations on the Ocean Ranger (Sank in a storm February 15th 1982) off the barge 'Ocean Servant 2', no details. After a third diver was killed less than a week later, salvage operations were suspended for an investigation. Spokane Chronicle/Ottawa Citizen -
1983 6 20 Podt Jan H Canada Wijsmuler Salvage Saturation Aged 31 from Holten, one of two (The other was Meinbert J Bouwhuis) Dutch divers who died in underwater explosions either cutting into a compartment (oxy/arc??) or using ramset guns during salvage operations on the Ocean Ranger (Sank in a storm February 15th 1982) off the barge 'Ocean Servant 2', no details. After a third diver was killed less than a week later, salvage operations were suspended for an investigation. Spokane Chronicle/Ottawa Citizen -
1983 6 2 Wallace R M UK Mobell Marine 16 SCUBA British, aged 30. Diving from inflatable, body recovered with SCUBA mouthpiece out of mouth, drowned -
1982 6 25 McCarty Michael USA 14 SCUBA "Navy SCUBA diver died Friday afternoon 45 feet under the waters of Long Beach Harbour under the World War II Battleship 'New …. ?" Reported as a 'valve malfunction'. Los Angeles Times -
1982 6 17 Not Recorded USA S/S Air A commercial deep sea diver died after his air hose became wrapped around his neck while diving near San Clemente Island. Los Angeles Times -
1980 6 15 Rig 'Bohai 3" China Jack up, blow out, caught fire and burned. 70 fatalities -
1980 6 14 Not Recorded USA 27 S/S Air NP 311, Block 197, Cost Well MODU 'Dan Prince', Well No 1, Arco. "The MV 'Ranger' was engaged in sand bagging operations at the drilling rig 'Dan Prince'. The diver went into the water at 18:00 hours to set sandbags around the legs of the drilling rig on the bottom at 88 feet. He came up at 18:43 and passed out after breaking the surface. The diver was brought up on deck where members of the dive crew removed his gear and immediately began CPR treatment. The medic from the 'Dan Prince' came onboard at 18:56. The medic and casualty were put in the DDC at 19:03 hours. A doctor and his assistants entered the chamber at 20:11 hours and remained until the victim was pronounced dead at 20:32 hours. Cause of death was subsequently determined to be decompression sickness. OCS Incidents database 1956 to 1990, page 305 -
1979 6 3 Rig 'SF 135' Mexico PEMEX Three leg semi-submersible. Drilling on IXTOC 1, blow out, major oil release, rig sank. Diver Allan Andersion died on the 15th August during attempts to shut in the well. Well was finally capped 23/3/1980 -
1975 6 14 Turner George W Norway Comex 46 SCUBA British, aged 37. Pipelay barge "Choctaw 1", meant to be doing a survey at max depth of 50m, seabed was 69m, slipped lifeline. Two divers entered water on SCUBA, supervisor returns to surface violently ill, puking, stand-by (also in SCUBA) entered water but also returned to surface violently ill and puking, second standby jumped on band mask, narked but located diver's body on seabed. Official report states 'food poisoning' though nobody else who ate in the galley reported any symptoms.................Bad gas??? -
1975 6 6 Gage Rick USA Treasure Salvors Inc Operation to recover gold from the wreck of the Spanish galleon 'Nuestra Senora Atocha', sank in a hurricane in 1622 some 12 miles off the Marquesa Islands. Salvage vessel 'North wind', a 60' converted tug rolled over and sank before dawn as the crew slept whilst anchored overnight on site. 13 crew saved, Captain and his wife plus one diver, aged 21, drowned. Daily News. -
1974 6 12 Doigne Colin Australia Yarra Harbour Trust 9 S/S Air Aged 37, former Royal Navy Diver, One of a team of three divers undertaking routine maintenance to beacon marking the entrance to the mouth of the Yarra River, choppy water, his air hose got entangled with his support vessel propeller. Reported as dead before he could be recovered to the surface. Survived by his wife and two daughters aged 12 years and 4 months. The Age. -
1974 6 0 Not Recorded USA Military “Southbury man dies after Navy Diving accident�, The Hartford Courant� paper, Conn. USA -
1973 6 18 Link Clayton USA Johnson-Sea Link 107 Submarine Aged 31, son of the mini submarine's inventor, Edwin Link. Trapped on the wreck of a sunken destroyer, the two men in the rear compartment (Link and Stover) died (asphyxiation), two in the forward compartment survived -
1973 6 18 Stover Albert USA Johnson-Sea Link 107 Submarine Aged 51, mini sub pilot. Trapped on the wreck of a sunken destroyer, the two men in the rear compartment (Link and Stover) died (asphyxiation), two in the forward compartment survived -
1973 6 7 Fraid Gary W USA Military Surface swimmer American police officer, Kenosha Police Department, WI, drowned during a surface swim training exercise with the department team. Milwaukee Sentinel -
1970 6 21 Wojcik, RAN CD Bogdan Kazimierz Vietnam Military In May 1966 Clearance Diving Team 1 spent a short period in Vietnam working with US Navy Divers. Clearance Diving Team 3 was deployed from February 1967 until May 1971 for clearing rivers and shipping channels of mines and booby traps. The team also carried out salvage work and trawler searches to protect and secure South Vietnamese ports from sabotage. Over this period there were 7573 ship searches, 153 major diving tasks, 78 explosive devices removed from ships, 352 tons heavy ordnance destroyed, 42,000 items of unsafe ammunition destroyed, 68 special operations including canal barricades, search and destroy missions plus reconnaissance and ambush missions in three fire zones. Casualties were one clearance diver killed and one clearance diver wounded on active service. -
1969 6 15 Guagenti Nicholas L USA SCUBA Aged 25, diving for golf balls, Hawrthorne Hills Country Club, died in the water, no details -
1968 6 18 Cooper Derek UK Topsides Aged about 30, married with one son, one of a team of divers working on the demolition of Blackpool's North Pier for the previous 6 weeks, had already detonated over 40 charges, set a gelignite charge 30' above water, called for every one to get clear and take cover and then set the charge off. He was standing 20 yards away, was hit by a piece of flying metal and fell 30' into the sea. The Glasgow Herald. -
1966 6 11 Davidson Russell UKCS North Sea Diving Services SCUBA Aged 28, diving from the vessel 'North Shore" at the site of the "Sea Gem" (BP West Sole, capsised and sank 27th December 1965 with the loss of 13 lives), diving with a partner. Both called to the surface but he failed to come up, his partner went back down and found him unresponsive on the seabed and brought him up. No other details. The Glasgow Herald -
1964 6 30 Rig 'C. P. Baker' USA Catarmaran Drillship built I 1962 from two world war II (1945) US Navy hulls, drilling block 273 in the Eugene Island area, hit shallow gas, blowout, 22 fatalities -
1961 6 15 Missa Roy Australia 62 S/S Air Aged 36, Torres Strait Islander, diving in the Darnley Deeps, 150 miles off the island, got into difficulties at depth, apparently ditched his helmet, surfaced, paralysed from the waist down, died in hospital. “He also received damage to the brain from water pressure after removing his diving helmet to help himself surface� Reported in The Age. -
1961 6 2 Ward James UK Kirkaldy Corporation 6 S/S Air Diving from a tug near the dock gates in Kirkaldy Harbour, alarm raised when tugman could not get response on lifeline. A team of divers from HMS Safeguard, Rosyth, raced to the harbour and located the diver trapped by his left arm under the sluice gates and by water pressure. In addition to his lifeline, a further two ropes were tied to him and the sluice gates lifted until he could be pulled clear. On deck, he was cut out of his suit and a doctor attepted CPR, but he failed to respond. Evening Times. His widow was awarded £3,487 and 10 shillings. The jury assessed the damages at £4,650 but held that the deceased was 25% to blame for the accident that led to his death. Unknown to the diver the sluice gates had been left partially open. As soon as he approached the bottom of the gate he was caught in the current of water passing through thr sluice and asphyxiatyed. The Corporation denied responsibilty and claimed Ward stumbled and fell. The Glasgow Herald -
1958 6 24 Mott Leonard K Canada Seaboard Marine Divers SCUBA Aged 26. Following the collapse of the new Second Narrows bridge being constructed over Burrard inlet with a loss of 18 lives on the 17th, a commercial diver died two days later during body recovery operations. He had come to the surface to change cylinders, wearing a heavy weight belt, slipped and went down, drowned. Reported in the press on the occasion of the 50 anniversary ceremony in 2008 (CTV.ca). "Mott, formerly of Nelson, BC., worked as a stand-in for actor Peter Lorre in the movie 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. Wife and two children. Calgary Herald -
1957 6 25 Iwanoto Satehel Australia Japanese, diving off the pearling lugger 'Hakucho Maru' out of Darwin. Reported as dying of diver's paralysis. Buried at Piper's Head on Melville Island alongside the bodies of two other diver who died in 1955 and 1953. “Modern equipment and methods now used prevent the fearful loss of life experienced off Broome and in territory waters before the war�. Reported in The Age. -
1953 6 19 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air Report of a Japanese diver who died at sea being cremated. No details -
1952 6 11 Borradaile Lt-Cmmdr Edward L Canada Military Explosion Aged 42, Royal Canadian Navy diver and mine disposal officer working on a wartime mine reported by fishermen on the beach of Boilla Island, 70 miles from Prince Rupert, BC. He was killed by the explosion, his assistant, PO D Ross, aged 30, suffered a serious leg injury. Ottawa Citizen -
1949 6 4 Huerta Chief Machinist's Mate Ignacio L. USA Military 150 Chamber Aged 28, described as a veteran Navy diver with the diving experimental unit at the Naval Gun Factory in Washington DC., Blown down to a pressure equivalent to 490' in a wet pot, reported dizzy and was brought out. He recovered and returned to the chamber, but passed out. Water had got inside his breathing circuit/helmet and got into contact with his air purifier, and he had "burns about the neck". Treated at Bethesda Naval Hospital but died. "Officers said the lye burns caused death" (Sodium Hydroxide/caustic soda, burns to the throat). The Milwaukee Journal. -
1944 6 6 Not Recorded France Military From the Obituary of Lt Cmdr Robbie Robinson:- “As a member of a landing craft obstruction clearance unit, Petty Officer Robinson had the task of opening a path through the booby-trapped obstacles on the beaches below the high water mark. This meant defusing improvised and unfamiliar deadly explosives on the shore and underwater while being sniped at and sprayed with machine-gun fire. The unexpectedly heavy surf made his task all the more tiring, but after opening an initial path his team had cleared a gap in the enemy defences 1,000yds by 400yds by the end of the first day. Eventually, he helped to clear more than 2,500 obstacles. Two other naval divers were killed during these operations and 10 injured. Robinson himself was knocked out when six feet underwater by an explosion that left him paralysed for several hours. A Royal Engineer working close by was killed outright, but Robinson was saved by a specially designed Kapok jacket under his diving suit. Although he was left with back trouble ever after, he returned to work on the beaches and harbour of Cherbourg a couple of days later�. Reported in the Telegraph (UK). -
1943 6 24 Moore Louise USA WOMAN DIVER. Louise Moore, 21-year-old Jacksonville (USA) girl, has a war job that is probably unique for a woman-that of a diver engaged in the work of salvaging sunken ships. "There is nothing to worry about in deep-sea diving if the diver is careful," she explained. "And it certainly is a thrilling occupation!� Her first salvage dive, at Cocoa, Fla., was a two-hour Inspection of a sunken freighter. "That would have been just routine work," she said, 'except that four huge tiger sharks insisted on sticking around and watching me. They kept circling around me the entire time until I neared the surface. At times they were so close I could have put out my hand and touched them-but I didn't." The feminine diver said they made no move to attack her and she was confident they wouldn't. Other sharks and other fish, big and little, watch her as she goes about her job of salvaging. She began professional diving at the age of 15. Prior to the war, however, her experience was limited to inspection work and the recovering of lost articles. She prefers salvaging to all types of diving. Miss Moore believes that she and her sister, Mrs. Fannie Peterson, 23, also of Jacksonville, are the only working professional divers in the United States. Their father worked at that profession for for many years, and two older brothers, Warren and William, have many diving years to their credit. A younger brother, Stanley, worked with Louise in Cocoa, Fla., in the recent salvage of a large British freighter that was sank off the coast after being torpedoed by a Nazi submarine. Reported in The Northern Miner, Charters Towers, Qld. -
1943 6 11 Isnor Oswald Canada Article relating to the award of a George Medal and two posthumous commendations for brave conduct to Canadian civilians. "Commendation - Oswald Isnor of Halifax, chief diver on a salvage ship, who was killed while helping to salvage a "very large and valuable cargo of rubber tires" from a grounded ship'. Reported in the Edmonton Journal in June 1943 -
1943 6 6 Novak Philip John USA Military American navy diver aged 24, died after a torpedo severed his lifeline, diving operations off Gould island, near Newport -
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 -
1941 6 20 Leba Ratoe Australia V. J. Clarke S/S Air Described as a Koepang diver aged about 30, working off the lugger 'Donna Matilda' west of Bathurst Island, had been in around 15 minutes when they brought him to the surface, 'staging' him for 10 minutes. He was sick when he surfaced so the crew put him back in to 10 fathoms and left him there for two hours. When they brought him up his head had shrunk down through the neck of the divers suit. "He was dead". Reported in the Northern Standard, Darwin, NT. -
1940 6 19 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air "Diver Injured. Diver Jackson, employed by the Timms Bridge Construction Co pty Ltd., Queen's Domain, was injured yesterday while at work below the water at the main abutment of the Hobart Bridge. The accident occurred about midday, and it is understood Jackson received a knock which caused slight concussion. It is expected he will be able to resume work in a few days". Reported in the Mercury, Hobart, Tas -
1939 6 1 HMS Thetis UK Military 45 Submarine The “Thetis� arrived in Liverpool in May 1939, sea trials started on 1st June in Liverpool Bay with a tug in attendance. 59 crew, 2 caterers plus an additional 44 men aboard, bringing the complement up to 103. The boat began a dive but refused to go down. After other attempts and making some adjustments, with no other vessels in sight, the Captain ordered some of the Torpedo Tubes to be flooded. This action was not entirely successful, and suspecting that one tube had failed to flood, a valve on the tube hatch was opened to check for water. Nothing came out, and assuming the outer tube door had jammed, the hatch was opened. The valve was faulty, it was fouled with paint, and rush of water began to flood the compartment. The Torpedo room crew retreated to the next compartment and closed the hatch but it failed to work and the men from both sections retreated into the next chamber and the hatch closed. With two bow sections flooded and at a steep angle, they blew all the boats ballast tanks. The submarines bow struck the bottom, 150 feet below, leaving 18 feet of the stern above the surface. The nearest escape hatch, was just 20 feet below the surface, but following standard practice, it was not used until the vessel had been located. But the surface tug had lost track of the Submarine and it took over 17 hours for the Destroyer " Brazen " to find them, but with an emergency supply of air for just 24 hours, the extra men on board used it up at twice the rate. With rescue vessels on hand, 8 men evacuated (four drowned) before the hatches failed and the stern flooded forcing the tugs to cast off. Thetis sank with her remaining 95 men trapped onboard. Bad weather followed, making any attempt at salvage impossible. Salvage stated on 24th August (a navy diver, PO Henry Perdue, died during the operation 24/8/1939). The Submarine was recovered and refitted as the “Thunderbolt�, but suffered heavy damage during a depth charge attack in the Mediterranean and sank in over 3,000 feet of water. The only Submarine to sink twice, she cost the lives of 152 Officers and men in total. UK press and navy archives -
1938 6 28 Samarkos Manuel USA S/S Air Diver off the sponge vessel 'Elini' owned and operated by his brother, suffered appendicitis whilst diving, brought ashore and taken to hospital, but did not survive the operation. St Petersburg Times -
1936 6 14 Wakino Yasujiro Japan S/S Air Akashi diver, had spent 20 hours a day in the water off Higashidecho, Kobe, for 14 days in an attempt to treat decompression illness. "…making good progress so much so that the doctor allowed him a little rice and beef on June 13. On the following day he was able to walk. While in the water the same afternoon, however, he complained of feeling bad again. He was again taken out of the water. By the evening he was unconscious, and he finally died". Straits Times -
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 -
1934 6 15 Ota Shigara Australia 18 S/S Air Aged 25, master of the lugger 'Torenia', pearl diving in the Torres Straits. He dived for 25 minures in 10 fathoms, sent up a bag of shell, but then his air line became trapped in rocks, he ditched his gear and surfaced without helmet and corselette, complaining of feeling weary and sick. Another diver, Tomoza Conokawa from a nearby lugger, was called to help as the crew believed he was suffereing from divers's paralysis and took Ota below for two hours. When they surfaced Ota was still ill, fell asleep and died. Later, a doctor concluded he was given incorrect treatment and had actually died from heart failure. The Sydney Morning Herald. -
1934 6 15 Rogall Fred USA Frederick Snare Corporation Aged 45, "Bends attack fatal to Diver". Died at the Greene County Memorial Hospital, no details. New York Times -
1931 6 16 Not Recorded Italy S/S Air "Diver drowned locating wartime submarine" "Milan, June 16, A diver attempting to verify the reported location of an Australian submarine lost in war time at Porto Recanati (South of Ancona, Italian Adriatic Coast), he located the vessel but was suffocated on his third descent". Reported in the Townsville Daily Bulletin, Queensland. -
1930 6 9 Marumoto Sanzo Australia 38 S/S Air Japanese diver, pearling west of Booby Island (Near Thursday Island), "Air pipe burst in 21 fathoms" The Advocate, Tasmania. “Japanese Diver Drowned. His airpipe bursting in 21 fathoms of water on Sunday, west of Booby Island, in Thursday Island waters, a Japanese diver, Sanzo Marumoto, was drowned. There were no suspicious circumstances. advice to this effect has been received by the Cairns police authorities�. Reported in the Cairns Post, Qld. -
1929 6 0 Not Recorded UK S/S Air "Scapa diver's death. From our own correspondent, Kirkwall, Thursday 20th June, 1929, Today Sheriff Brown and a jury held fatal accident inquiry into the circumstances attending..." "Diver who was working on the salvaged Kaiser." (Scuttled 21st June 1918, raised in March 1929, moved and broken up in Rosyth in 1930). No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Aberdeen Journal/The British Newspaper Archive -
1927 6 7 Not Recorded Italy Military S/S Air "..Diver suffocated, arrest follows tragedy of torpedo search, Rome Tuesday. An under sea tragedy is reported in a message from Fiume today...." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Bristol Mercury/The British Newspaper Archive -
1923 6 1 Doe Arnold R USA S/S Air Superintendent of bridges of the state highway department, inspecting the East Haddam Bridge, 'died about 2:30 o'clock this afternoon from an internal haemorrhage' -
1921 6 17 Godfrey Damon S Canada 8 S/S Air Sault Ste Marie, city on the St Marys River, Diver's lines tangled, unable to signal surface, lost helmet seal, gradual flooding of suit, drowned. Reported in the New York Times -
1915 6 9 Shaw Gilbert UK Military "Gorton diver drowned. Word has been received in Manchester of the death of armourer and diver Gilbert Shaw of HMS Espiegl.." e (A Cadmus class Sloop launched in 1900, sold in 1923). No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Manchester Evening News/The British Newspaper Archive -
1914 6 21 Cossoboom Canada Quebec Salvage Company 40 S/S Air American, From New York, working on the wreck of the “Empress of Ireland� (Sank in the St Lawrence Seaway after a collision with the loss of around 800 persons) recovering bodies, lost contact with surface, was recovered unconscious to the schooner “Josephine� by a Royal Navy diver from the Cruiser Essex, failed to respond to treatment, died 30 minutes later. It appears he dropped from the superstructure (80' water depth) to the seabed (130' water depth) and was squeezed. Reported in the New York Times -
1914 6 20 Not Recorded France Military “DIVERS NARROW ESCAPE. Buried torpedo nearly kills and then saves him. While a diver was engaged today in recovering a torpedo buried in the mud of the harbour (Cherbourg), the mechanism suddenly started, and the propeller severed the air pipe of the diving apparatus. The diver, with great presence of mind, clung to the torpedo, which bore him to the surface. He was dragged into the boat by his astonished comrades, in an almost asphyxiated condition. After an hour or two he was revived.� New York Times -
1914 6 20 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air "Diver Dies from Paralysis". Darwin, 23rd June, "A Japanese diver died from paralysis about midnight on Saturday onboard a lugger in Shoal Bay. He had just previously made three descents, on the last occasion being in the water for 15 minutes". The Bendigo Advertiser, Vic. -
1913 6 20 Not Recorded Australia Francis and Co. 9 S/S Air "A Diver Drowned in full dress". "Perth, Friday, The Marine underwriters Assiociation, Perth, have received a wire from Broome to the effect that Francis and Co.'s lugger "Myrtle Olga' had capsised and sunk off Tapper's Inlet in 5 fathoms of water. The diver, it was further stated, was drowned whilst in full dress" Reported in the Bunbury Herald. -
1912 6 4 Not Recorded France S/S Air "While a diver was engaged in submarine work in the harbour at Toulon on June 4 he was attacked by a giant octopus weighing 135 lbs. The octopus wrapped its tentacles, 25 ft. in length, around the diver, and when the latter was hauled to surface he was unconscious. The diver could not be released until the octopus had been stabbed to death". Straits Times. Another reports states:- DIVER AND OCTOPUS. A Naval Diver at Toulon, in France, was suddenly attacked the other day by a giant octopus while under water in the harbour. He gave the hoisting signal and was hauled to the surface together with the octopus whose tentacles, said to be 25’ long, were wrapped round him. The diver was unconscious. The octopus held fast to the diver until it was stabbed to death. It weighed 135 lbs and the suckers on its tentacles were as big as five shilling pieces. Reported in the Evening News, Sydney. -
1911 6 10 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air "A Pearling Tragedy. Four of the crew Drowned. The pearling lugger 'Neptune', carrying a crew five Japanese and one Manila man capsised while pearling off Melville Island this week and four of the crew were drowned including the Japanese diver who was below in his diving dress at the time of the accident. The 'Neptune', which was owned by Captain Edwards, is supposed to have been carrying too much sail at the time. The pearling season to date has been exceeedingly disappointing, (unreadable) water conditions prevailing throughout. Reported in the Advertiser, Adelaide. -
1909 6 14 Not Recorded "One of two divers salving the Russian drowned yesterday.." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser/The British Newspaper Archive -
1908 6 0 Not Recorded UK S/S Air "Divers death underwater, fails to answer signal. Caledonian canal fatality. The authorities at Fort william have been appraised of a peculiar fatality which..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Dundee Courier/The British Newspaper Archive -
1905 6 4 Hayes Daniel USA S/S Air American, town of Keokuk in Iowa, clearing lake drainage pipe, sucked under the refuse and against a boulder, he and tangled hose trapped by differential pressure at around 15:00 hours on the 3rd of June. Rescued by two government works divers 24 hours later and pulled to the surface "unconscious and almost dying" -
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. -
2021 6 16 Rueda Ruiz Eduardo Santos Colombia Gecelca SCUBA Aged 46, diving with his 18 year old son cleaning seawater intake pipes at the Gecelca plant near Mingueo, Northern Columbia. Appears to have been a differential pressure incident, Eduardo pushed son away but was seen pinned on the grill, son surfaced for a rescue rope but on return father had disappeared. Body found 7 kilometres away by coastguard personnel 48 hours later. reported by elheraldo.co and others. -
2021 6 8 Baenziger Robert (Bob) USA SCUBA Aged 54, repairing a broken cable at the bottom of a million gallon anaerobic digester (Methane producer) on a farm in Stockton, Iowa. On comms line, allegedly told his fiancee he was taking his helmet off, she pulled on the line and retrieved his helmet minus the diver. Digester normally operates at 99 to 105 degrees but appears to have been at 120 degrees F (49 degrees C) and had to be cooled with 100,000 gallons of cold water before rescue divers could recover the body 22 hours later. Diver was not in contaminated water gear nor had air back up). As the diver was self employed and working solo he was exempt from OSHA inspections and as the farm has less than 10 employees they are also outwith the worker safety agency remit, so no investigation to take place. Reported by the Gazette (Iowa) -
1903 6 23 Antisevitch France S/S Air "Death of a diver, Marseilles. While divers were at work on the steamer 'Liban" this morning, one of them, name Antisevitch…" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Derby Daily Telegraph/The British Newspaper Archive -
1901 6 14 Anderson Martin USA Rodgers Salvage 18 S/S Air American, reported as asphyxiated, heavy bleeding from eyes nose, probably nicked hose, lost air, squeeze, differential pressure. -
1897 6 5 Jurson A UK S/S Air "Diver's death underwater. A diver named Jutson of Ramsgate, who was engaged for a considerable time on Saturday in operations in…" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Hull Daily Mail/The British Newspaper Archive -
1896 6 15 Ralno Peter Australia S/S Air "Thursday Island, June 15, Peter Ralno, a diver, was drowned today through the air pipe becoming fouled on the bottom". Reported in the Chronicle, Adelaide -
1893 6 22 Kavanagh Lebanon Military "The lost battleship" (Collision between HMS Camperdown and HMS Victoria which sank in 13 minutes near Tripoli with the loss of 358 crew. Appears that divers were involved in trying to close watertight doors on the Camperdown - which survived the collision. "Diver Kavanagh was drowned while engaged in cutting off the dress (Loaded with lead) of…" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Coventry Evening Telegraph/The British Newspaper Archive -
1893 6 2 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air "Death of Another Diver". Thursday Island, Monday (In a paper dated Monday 5th June). It is reported that another diver, a native of Manilla, died Friday night through working deep water off Darnley Island. He belonged to Kell's Station. Several cases of paralysis have also occurred. Evening News, Sydney, NSW. May be a double report of one of the other fatalities?