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Incidents List

  1. Year Month Day Surname Forenames Location Contractor Client Depth Type of Diving Details
  2. 1959 12 22 Mielke Donald USA 1 SCUBA Aged 17, diving under ice on the Wolf River at New London with Steven Austen, aged 15, as part of an ongoing search for the body of a three year old boy who apparrently fell into the river a month earlier. Suffocated under the ice when his regulator apparently froze. He was shared regulators with his dive partner, who also nearly sufficated but was rescued by other divers. The Milwaukee Sentinel
  3. 1953 8 22 Jacob Abou Australia S/S Air “Whale Snaps Diver's Line�. PERTH, Monday. – “A whale became tangled in the lifeline of a Malay diver as he was working off 90 Mile Beach on Saturday. The line was broken and carried away by the whale but the diver, Abou Jacob, was brought to the surface on his airpipe. He was taken to Broome Hospital suffering from shock and some injuries but was later discharged, it is expected that he will resume work in about a week. Jacob is employed by Mr. L. Placanica, of Broome�. Reported in The Mercury, Hobart
  4. 1949 12 22 Whap Tom Australia “Diver Finds £3000 Pearl� Darwin, December 28.— “The largest pearl ever found off Thursday Island was recovered last week by diver Tom Whap, in the lugger ‘Galton’, owned by Burns, Philp. It is worth approximately £3000, but owing to its shape it could be worth £4000. It is pear-shaped, of perfect lustre, weighs 40 carats, and is an inch long. The diver, a full-blooded Torres Strait native, will receive 75 per cent, of the value of the pearl�. Reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner, WA.
  5. 1949 1 22 Noor Ahmat bin Mohamed Singapore Singapore Harbour Board 15 S/S Air Malaysian aged 25 diving off the harbour approach in Tanjong Pagar salvaging a truck. Had attached two lifting wires but then stopped giving signals. Another team member dived in (without gear) but could not reach 50' but noticed the diver's helmet floating free in mid water, dived again and put it on his head and went down. "I could not see the bottom as it was not clear. I felt something with my feet. It was the diver's body". The second diver suggested that "the diver might have collapsed from fatigue and then his diving gear came off". Returning a verdict of "Misadventure", the coroner said there was no evidence to show the diving helmet was faulty. Straits Times.
  6. 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
  7. 1934 4 22 Sakalvous Antanis USA S/S Air Greek, aged 45, sponge diver on the 'Demetra' out of Tarpon Springs, a few minutes into his dive signalled that he had a problem and was brought up, unconscious, taken ashore but died in hospital. No details. St Petersburg Times
  8. 1924 10 22 Gunn Morrison UK S/S Air "Diver drowned in Lyness harbour, ex petty officer Morrison Gunn of Victoria Sreeet, Kirkwal..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Derby Daily Telegraph/The British Newspaper Archive
  9. 1898 3 22 Williams Henry Cuba Merritt Wrecking Company S/S Air American, one of the divers on the tug "Chief" died Havana from chronic haemorrhage of the stomach "It was not unexpected. Mr Collins was ill before he left the United States"
  10. 1897 10 22 Kitchee Australia S. T. Brown 29 S/S Air Japanese pearl diver aged 25, working off Cape Keith from the steam lugger 'Maggie'. Fell ill on deck, was removed from his diving dress and immediately became worse, died some 12 hours later from 'diver's paralysis'. Quote “At that depth the average good diver would not expect to be paralysed� Reported in the Northern Territory Times and Gazette
  11. 1894 1 22 Nelson David UK S/S Air Yesterday afternoon a diver, named David Nelson, elderly man, residing at Kings Wear met with a singular death whilst engaged in his occupation in Dartmouth Harbour..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive
  12. 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
  13. 1744 6 22 Day John UK 40 Submarine Day was an English Carpenter/wheelwright. With the financial support of Christopher Blake, an English gambler, Day built a wooden "diving chamber" without an engine. He attached his invention to the deck of a 50 ton sloop named the Maria, which Blake had purchased for £340. The sloop's hold contained 10 tons of ballast, and two 10-ton weights were attached beneath the keel which could be released from inside the diving chamber. An additional 20 tons of ballast would be loaded on the Maria after Day had been locked inside the diving chamber. Day bet Blake that he and his boat could descend to a depth of 130 feet (40 m) and stay underwater for 12 hours. On June 22, 1774, the Maria was towed to a location north of Drakes Island (off Plymouth), Day took a candle, water and biscuits on board. The boat was equipped with a hammock for the passenger. After the boat was locked, the weights were loaded and the boat sank forever into the depths. Day had the calculation of the trim completely wrong. There is speculation whether Day died from asphyxiation, hypothermia or just drowned following catastrophic structural failure of the Maria and/or the diving chamber due to water pressure. This incident is believed to be the first recorded fatal accident involving a submarine. Wikipedia
  14. 2014 12 22 Bermudez Morfy Alex Nicaragua Alberto Woo 25m SCUBA Honduran, lobster diving from the "Lady Di III" (Licensed to sail with 25, sailed with 24 but because several 'registered' divers did not turn up, sailed with additional unlisted crew including the deceased) out of Bilwi. Navy base personnel reported that he died of DCI as "like most lobstermen, the diver was working without the necessary stops" and there was no time to transfer him ashore to the recompression chamber at the New Dawn Bilwi Hospital.Reported to be the sixth lobster diver to die in the northern caribbean in the second half of this year. elnuevodiario.com.ni
  15. 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
  16. 2016 9 22 Winters Sgt. Kerry USA Police SCUBA Aged 51, 30 year veteran of the Ulster County (NY) Sheriff's office, died in a dive training exercise at Ashokan Resevoir. No details. Reported the Daily Freeman, Police news
  17. 2017 6 22 Naung Ko Saw Myanmar An-na-wa 40m Aged 45, Salvage of a crashed Tatmadaw (Myanmar military) Y-8 (Chinese built (Shaanxi) four engine turboprop military transport plane) off Launglon Township (13 miles from Dawai). Removing nets from the tail and trying to locate the black box, at least two, possibly three successive dives with partner Ko Thant Zin Oo, surfaced and prepared to eat, Ko Saw Naung collapsed, Ko Thant Zin Oo paralysed legs/hands. 'Local villagers' took them both down to 60 feet, Ko Saw Naung recovered consciousness. Recovered to surface and both passed out, possibly 6 further attempts at in water treatment 'I recovered conscious, he did not' said Ko Thant Zin Oo. Taken ashore and given three further therapeutic treatments, Ko Thant Zin Oo recovered in hospital but Ko Saw Nauntg died. Reported in the Myanmar times
  18. 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)
  19. 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.
  20. 2012 9 21 Bridger Michael USA Walt Disney / Silver Bullet Productions SCUBA Aged 48, cleaning inside a tank on a ranch near Palmdale in the desert north of Los Angeles prior to filming on the set of the new "Lone Ranger" movie, reported that co-workers realised something was wrong and pulled him from the water at which stage he went into cardiac arrest. Initially being treated as natural causes (Heart attack). Reuters UK. Update March 2013:- Silver Bullet Productions was fined $61,445 after the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) determined that the company allowed a hazardous situation that resulted in the drowning death of a diver who was cleaning a water tank. According to Cal/OSHA's records, the 48-year-old diver was using SCUBA equipment to enhance water clarity for filming while cleaning the 100-foot-by-80-foot-by-25-foot tank with a vacuum. The regulatory agency states that the diver's "dive buddy" was absent for 10 minutes and, when he returned, he noticed that no bubbles were coming to the surface of the water. OSHA determined the accident was primarily caused by the diver working alone and not being given a prior medical examination to determine his fitness to dive. For not having a designated "person in charge" at the dive location, failing to ensure that all divers were properly trained in CPR and other life-saving measures, not keeping up with the divers' required regular medical examinations and violating basic operational procedures—all deemed "serious" violations, Silver Bullet was fined $45,000. The company was fined another $16,445 for six general violations: not providing documentation of safety and health training for all employees, not keeping records of each dive in the tank, not keeping proper records of all equipment maintenance, not maintaining a required Illness Prevention Program for hazard training, not developing a manual for diver safety and not properly maintaining the compressor for supplying air. Cause of death recorded as drowned after having a heart attack underwater. LA Times
  21. 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
  22. 2011 4 21 Catalan Hugo Amaliel Soto USA Erosion Barrier Installations 5 SCUBA Aged 23, employed out of Fort Lauderdale as one of a two man diving team surveying erosion on a man made lake at the Stoneybrook Golf and Country Club in Estero, surfaced and waved in distress but sank from sight before his partner onshore could reach him and could not be found in the murky water. His body was located 3 hours later by rescue divers. As the resue diver brought the body ashore they were followed by two snakes believed to be water moccasins (Shot and killed by shoreside deputies on alligator watch, one with a shotgun, the other an AR-15 rifle) His ditched gear was also recovered. 5 days after the death, Lee County Medical Examiner determined it was an accidental drowning. Reported in the Naples Valley News.
  23. 2010 8 21 Hussein Mahmoud Ali Egypt Paraphrased from Press Reports:- Port Suez saw a tragic accident that claimed the live of a 40 year old vessel maintenance diver when the crew of a cargo ship waiting to transit the canal started the engines. A team from the Maritime Rescue Police recovered the body which was found to be badly damaged by the effects of the large propellers. The authorities detained the Iraqi Captain and ordered his prosecution (charged with negligence at work and killing the diver). Rosaonline.net
  24. 2010 7 21 Wesley Skiles USA 21 Rebreather Aged 52, Professional underwater photographer and explorer of underwater caves in Florida, diving 3 miles off Boynton Beach, found unconscious on the seabed by colleagues, did not respond to treatment. Gainsville Sun
  25. 2009 9 21 Reeves Larry USA SCUBA A Houston Attorney's website quotes the following regarding Jones Act compensation. “A commercial diver died in such an accident in Florida last week. The diver was at work near a wreck site, about four miles east of Rodriguez Key when he fell unconscious.  He was brought onto the boat, and the other crews alerted the Coast Guard.  The CG rescue boat arrived at the scene, and personnel administered CPR, but the diver never recovered. Investigations into the accident are still going on.� However, this comment appears to link to the death of Larry Herman Reeves, a 67-year-old tourist from Maryville, Tennessee, who died while scuba diving with his wife off Key Largo, Florida. The scuba diver was pronounced dead by the US Coast Guard paramedics who arrived at the scene in response to a call by witnesses. Unless further clarified, this fatality is excluded from the 'count' of working diver fatalities, TC.
  26. 2008 11 21 Grewal Satpal Singh India ONGC Topsides Indian, aged 52, diver was working on deck of the MSV “Hal Anant� with a grinding machine, wheel disintegrated, pieces entered his left eye/scalp, medivac ashore but declared dead on arrival at hospital.
  27. 2008 11 21 Not Recorded Argentina Navy Topsides Navy tactical diver undergoing training, died in a parachute accident
  28. 2008 10 21 Stecco Frank J USA Police Surface 42 year old police diver or trainee police diver, surface exercise wearing a dry suit, lost, body recovered 4 days later. Reported as 'drowned'.
  29. 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
  30. 2008 3 21 Not Recorded USA 8 S/S Air Diver's umbilical caught in lift boat propeller, pulled in 75' before umbilical severed with the diver less than 20' from the propeller. Propeller (common hydraulics with crane) not locked out. Report on OD website
  31. 2006 3 21 Seguel Walter Rodrigo Balboa Chile Ventisqueros SCUBA Salmon fish farm, Hornopiren, Commercial diver, Source: Ecoceanos, based on data from the Dir. of Labor, Directemar, Mariscope and the Tenth and Eleventh Regions District Attorneys Offices. No details
  32. 2005 11 21 Bustamente Pedro Alvarado Chile Cultivos Marinos Chiloe SCUBA Shellfish cultivation centre, Dalcahue. Source: Ecoceanos, based on data from the Dir. of Labor, Directemar, Mariscope and the Tenth and Eleventh Regions District Attorneys Offices. No details
  33. 2005 11 21 Whitekettle John W Romania Titan American, aged 48, Underwater burning in during salvage of the 'Rostok' from the Danube (second fatality earlier, see Eke, 02/01/2005) European press reported his surname as 'Warren', suspect that his full name was John warren Whitekettle (TC)
  34. 2005 8 21 Tychansky Gerry Canada CJ Productions Rebreather Aged 43, during filming of low budget horror movie "Marina Monster" at the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club. He was pulled lifeless from the water after towing a film prop shaped like a shark. Natural causes, heart attack, coroner indicated natural causes but also concerns with equipment maintenance
  35. 2005 5 21 Not Recorded USA Subsea pipeline tie-in, crane ops, lost tips of two fingers
  36. 2005 3 21 Not Recorded USA Gulf Offshore Logistics Overboard fatality Overboard Fatality, Mustang Island, crew boat attempting to tie up to platform boat landing, crew member leaning over side to tie up, fell overboard, crushed between boat and boat landing.
  37. 2004 12 21 Not Recorded Global Industries 36" pipeline cracked resulting in pressure differential incident. Safety flash from Global industries on ADCI website and OD
  38. 2003 7 21 Rudorf Peter Iraq Subsurface Engineering 14 British, aged 25, clearing routes for vessels in the port of Umm Qasr, reported as "taken ill during diving", Inquest was held in the UK. No details.
  39. 2003 3 21 Elela Waleed Abo Egypt Maridive 15 S/S Air "Maridive MD 300" on the East Face of 'Ramadan 1, Gulf of Suez, Diver 2 Superlite floated off, Diver 1 unable to redress/give air, diver was tied off to platform, no stand-by diver dressed in, dive basket was on the surface, it took 8 minutes to recover the diver to surface. Bent hat Pin on yoke. IMCA Safety Flash 04 2003. Appears pin was unlocked prior to incident. This incident led to review of other lost helmet incidents No conclusion as to whether maintenance issue, poor dressing procedures or underlying design issue, but KM issued safety notice and secondary securing mechanism for all new helmets (plus retrofit to older helmets).
  40. 2001 2 21 Tenedorio Manuel Antonio Portugal Fireman Aged 38, Local man, fire department diver cleaning the gates of the Coura Covas Dam at Vila Nova de Cerveira (North West Portugal on the river Minho) with two others, reported as 'fell into the river', recovered from the river alive but died on the way to hospital. 'Diver', part of a 'working diving team' doing 'dive team work', but not diving. Reported as "probably not drowning, might have hit his head". Reported by publico.pt
  41. 1999 7 21 Juse Bill USA Black Dog Divers Died 9 miles inside a tunnel dry diving operation in New Deer sewage outfall, Boston, double fatality (Juse). Both divers died as a result of bad air quality that resulted from extremely poor equipment and equipment not made to be used in a tunnel environment. Over $200,000 in fines for wilful violations. Boston Globe and others
  42. 1999 7 21 Nordeen Tim USA Nowesco Died 9 miles inside a tunnel dry diving operation in New Deer sewage outfall, Boston, double fatality (Juse). Both divers died as a result of bad air quality that resulted from extremely poor equipment and equipment not made to be used in a tunnel environment. Over $200,000 in fines for wilful violations. Boston Globe and others
  43. 1997 5 21 Little Jim USA Acadiana Divers Chamber American, died during surface decompression, smoking inside the DDC, chamber fire. Reported in the press simply as:- “On Sunday, a professional diver undergoing decompression on the dive boat 'White Dove' was killed when the chamber caught fire, the Coast Guard said� Reported in the Orlando Chronicle
  44. 1993 11 21 Bisley Richard Australia "Pearl diver killed by a Tiger Shark off Roebuck bay, Broome" No othr details. Reported by PerthNow
  45. 1993 9 21 Paldhe Amar India Indian Navy Surface Swimmer Diver with the Eastern Naval Command. Had just returned to duty after a 45 day leave, was the most junior member of a 4 man team involved in a helicopter exercise off Visakhapatnam, had not been trained in jumping from a helicopter, was not provided with a life jacket or quick release belt. Family initially told an SAR could not be launched because it was high tide (it was low tide at the time), body not preserved properly. Navy report states that he died of "the combined effects of shock, haemorrhage, multiple injuries and drowning". The family contest that account referring to the post mortem which reports anti-mortem injuries to his axilla and near his ear and claim negligence by his superiors. Reported by DNA
  46. 1993 8 21 Not Recorded USA SCUBA Aged 21, off Maine, commercial diver/fisherman repairing vessel, skiff drifted away, diver drowned after attempting to swim after drifting boat
  47. 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
  48. 1984 2 21 Bowmar Dave UK Subsea Offshore 9 Chamber Experienced air diver. Aberdeen, Chamber dive, low O2, Anoxia, Double fatality (Tom Mackey). Welding trials, Initially reported as nitrox dive and that techs put CO2 on line instead of O2 during decompression, then reported to have been at the start of an air saturation at 30', but was most likely 'just' an air dive. LP air compressor was putting out too high a pressure (divers on AGA masks) and in order to adjust the pressure, the technician turned off the supply to dive control, supervisor switched to HP gas quad and then back to LP once the compressor was back on line, but divers were unconscious. Chamber surfaced, Tom Mackey dead on site, Dave Bowmar died in hospital. HP gas quad (pink but labelled “21% oxygen�) was actually virtually pure Nitrogen (gas in quad not analysed, panel O2 analysers not on line). Glasgow Herald
  49. 1984 2 21 Mackey Tom UK Subsea Offshore 9 Chamber Aged 28, Ex Glasgow shipyard welder, welding instructor for Subsea Offshore. Had just completed air diver training and was hoping to go offshore as a welder/diver. Aberdeen, Chamber dive, low O2, Anoxia, Double fatality (Dave Bowmar). Welding trials, initially reported as nitrox dive and that techs put CO2 on line instead of O2 during decompression, then reported to have been at the start of an air saturation at 30', but was most likely 'just' an air dive., LP air compressor was putting out too high a pressure (divers on AGA masks) and in order to adjust the pressure, the technician turned off the supply to dive control, supervisor switched to HP gas quad and then back to LP once the compressor was back on line, but divers were unconscious. Chamber surfaced, Tom Mackey dead on site, Dave Bowmar died in hospital. HP gas quad (pink but labelled “21% oxygen�) was actually virtually pure Nitrogen (gas in quad not analysed, panel O2 analysers not on line). Glasgow Herald
  50. 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
  51. 1978 5 21 Not Recorded USA Ship Shoal, Block 114, OCS 64, Platform SOB, Odeco. "A diver was removing a valve in the oil storage tank when a nipple on the air compressor broke, reducing his air supply. On syrfacing in the tank, diver removed his helmet and was overcome by toxic fumes and drowned". OCS Incident database
  52. 1974 10 21 Talbot Kim USA Aged 24 from Seattle, working on a sunken barge near Blaine, surface crew noticed his bubbles had ceased, pulled him to surface, resuscitation by fire crew from Blaine was unsuccessful. Spokane daily Chronicle
  53. 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
  54. 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.
  55. 1965 9 21 Not Recorded Vietnam Japanese diver killed and 11 other persons injured in an explosion during salvage operations on the Saigon River. No details. Reported in the Chicago Tribune.
  56. 1959 11 21 Gavenman Harold B USA SCUBA “Skin Diver, Hit by Boat, Falls From Copter, Dies�. Skin diving off Santa Barbara Island. one of several diving from a barge (the Villaron) in an island cove. He surfaced in front of an oncoming lobster boat and “was sucked into the propeller.� The lobster boat operator jumped in and pulled him onboard, radioed for help, and took him by boat to the barge. An Air Force helicopter made 30 attempts to secure a line to him. Once they were successful, when he was raised about 100 feet in the liter basket, the cable broke and he was dropped onto the barge and rolled off the side. Those on the barge were able to recover him, then took him by a fast power boat cruiser to Santa Catalina Island, he was then life flighted from to Newport Beach and pronounced dead on arrival at Hoag Memorial Hospital. Los Angeles Times
  57. 1959 9 21 Hart James F USA Commercial Abalone diver off the vessel 'Ray Rock' off Point Loma, treated for DCI aboard the Submarine tender USS 'Nereus' after recovering the body of partner Raymond Mathews from the seabed. Lodi News Sentinel
  58. 1959 8 21 Mathews Raymond USA Commercial Abalone diver off the vessel 'Ray Rock' off Point Loma, presumed drowned after being found on the seabed with his mask off. Second diver (Hart) treated for DCI aboard the Submarine tender USS 'Nereus'. Lodi News sentinel
  59. 1950 4 21 Borden Ralph E USA 5 S/S Air Unemployed war veteran, aged 40. Reported as :- “Four boys aged about 13 were looking for a swimming hole along the Muddy Run Creek when they came across the veteran standing by the bank with a diving suit and pump. He told them he had heard a tale from an old man about a barrel of gold bars lying under 15' of water. The boys agreed to operate the pump but after about 15 minutes got tired and pulled him up but he was dead.� . He was pronounced dead of drowning. The Evening Independent
  60. 1947 4 21 Saman Mat Malaysia Penang, Reported as "Dived to free a rope which had been entangled and he asked for the ship's engines to be restarted. A few moments later the water was red with blood". At the inquest 'the theory was advanced that he was killed by the ship's propellor when trying to free a rope' Straits Times
  61. 1944 1 21 Franklin Bernard UK S/S Air DIVER'S HEROISM. LONDON, Tuesday (A.A.P.). – “A depth charge, which fell from a seaplane in the fairway of a seaplane base was set to explode at a certain depth, and there was grave danger that as the tide rose the depth charge would explode, causing considerable damage to the base and aircraft and nearby ship ping. Bernard Franklin, who though officially a wireman is also a qualified diver, immediately went clown to search for the depth charge, which was located after 45 minutes and hoisted aboard. While he was working, the tide was rising, and any minute he might have been blown up if the charge had detonated. Franklin is awarded the British Empire Medal�. Reported in the Examiner, Launeston, Tas
  62. 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
  63. 1930 4 21 Christopher Chris USA 5 S/S Air From Brooksville, working on the salvage of the luxury steam yatch "Zalophus" (125' steam yatch owned by entrepeneur - land developer - John Ringling en route to Useppa Island's famous 'Collier inn', sank in 12' of water on the night of 4th February 1930 after a collision with an unidentified object punched a hole in the hull. John Ringling was in New York on business and it was unclear at the time just who might have been onboard, Reports in 1958 claimed that then Mayor of New York city, Jimmy Walker - aged 49 and married - was onboard with his 'friend' Betty Compton - A showgirl aged 23). The judge, Arthur R. Clark, who examined the diver's remains decided an inquest was not necessary and that death resulted from natural causes. According to witnesses, the diver had gone down to just 16' when he gave the signal to pull him up. "He was not in the water more than three minutes on the dive. As he stepped on the ladder leading from the water to a floating dock he collapsed. He was dead when fellow workers removed his helmet and sent for authorities. It was stated that the diver had been in impaired health fot the previous two or three weeks suffering from bronchial trouble but had continued to work in his efforts to complete his contract. Operations to raise the yatch were to have been started within a few days. None of the offoicials inquirig into the affair, or employees of Ringling professed to know the diver's name until a press club man supplied it together with the information that he was between 60 and 65 years old, married and had several children. A doctor declared a hemorrhage caused death, undertakers took the body to Brooksville for interment. Searasota Herald-Tribune
  64. 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
  65. 1910 4 21 Not Recorded Australia Topsides “JAPANESE DIVER'S FATE� Thursday Island, April 21. “A Japanese diver died to-day from an extraordinary accident. His lugger was changing ground and he attempted to cross the bows of another lugger, with the result that the bobstay of the other lugger caught him across the stomach while he was sitting in his diving dress on the deck-house. His spleen was split�. Reported in the Advertiser, Adelaide, SA
  66. 1906 5 21 Sajidoko Australia S/S Air Japanese, aged about 26, pearling off one of Captain Edward's luggers to the south of Melville island off Cape Gambier, drift diving, airlines snagged on an underwater obstruction and pulled apart at a coupling by the weight of the boat. The diver suffocated before he was hauled to the surface. Reported in the Northern TerritoryTtimes and Gazette
  67. 1905 1 21 Leach Charles UK S/S Air Described as a 'Shipwright diver', descended to clear potential obstructions prior to placing a caisson next to No 2 Devonport dock gates. His life line snapped, they tried pulling him up by his airline - which snapped. Second diver could not descend as his helmet would not screw down correctly, they found him another helmet but lost 25 minutes. A third diver also descended from the opposite side of the dock to aid in the search. Downed. Married with three children.. Feilding Star, Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand
  68. 1895 10 21 Not Recorded Divers and Diving. ..before the divers who could reach the treasure room beneath the three decks. Two diver lost there lives in the vain attempt, the .." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Shields Daily Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive
  69. 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
  70. 2014 10 21 Lopez Cruz Jose Joaquin E.ON Power Generation Plant. Los Barrios, Cadiz, Spain Satemar Compania De Trabajos Submarinos When diving to perform a photographic underwater inspection in a siphon inlet on the E.ON coal-fired power plant refrigeration system the diver was sucked into the inlet.
  71. 2019 6 21 Wingard Steven F. Dahowa Hydro power plant, Greenwich, USA Commercial Diver Systems SS Air GREENWICH — State Police are investigating a fatal accident that occurred Friday morning at a hydropower plant on the Batten Kill that claimed the life of a commercial diver. The incident was reported at the former Dahowa Hydro power plant off county Route 53, near the hamlet of Middle Falls. The diver, Steven F. Wingard, 25, of Falls Village, Connecticut, died while underwater in a pool below the hydro plant. State Police said Wingard was working for a company identified as Commercial Diver Systems to clean an underwater drain valve at the hydro plant when some sort of accident occurred. How he came to be injured was still under investigation Friday afternoon, State Police Senior Investigator Robert Stampfli said. Stampfli said Wingard was the only diver in the water, and was connected to a crew on land via an “umbilical” cord with an oxygen line. “There was some sort of event that caused them to pull him back up” and he was unconscious, Stampfli said. Exactly what occurred remained under investigation later Friday, Stampfli said. But there was no indication of foul play. The accident was reported just after 9:30 a.m. Easton-Greenwich Rescue Squad members and Middle Falls firefighters responded, but efforts to revive the man with CPR were unsuccessful. Dahowa Hydro sold the 10.5-megawatt plant to Gravity Renewables earlier this year, according to an article on Renewable Energy World’s website. Numerous streams and rivers in the region were running very high Friday after Thursday’s rain, and the Batten Kill was running at nearly triple its median flow for June 21 as of Friday morning. Stampfli said it was unclear whether the drain issue was related to the rain or was regularly scheduled maintenance. Julie Smith-Galvin, a spokeswoman for Gravity Renewables, said the company was trying to figure out what occurred as well. “Our thoughts are with Mr. Wingard’s family, friends and loved ones,” she said in an email. “We appreciate the work of all those involved in responding to this morning’s emergency call. We are working closely and cooperatively with local authorities to investigate what caused today’s tragedy.” https://poststar.com/news/local/updated-diver-dies-at-batten-kill-hydropower-plant/article_75176eb1-cc99-53dd-9963-cbc3657242e4.html
  72. 2020 6 21 Pybus Andrew John GOM Subsea 7 Sat Andy Pybus (born December 15th, 1960 ) British national, sat diver when lockout to the bell on board DSV Seven Pegasus Liberian flag working in USA waters at GOM suffered a cardiovascular issue and died. Under investigation
  73. 2020 9 21 Madrid Eustoquio Curacao Curacao Industrial Diving Venezuelan. Curacao, Damen Ship Repair, Pier B, (Double fatality with Orlando Andreas Medina Gonzalez), one diver drowned, the second taken ashore alive but died, initial reports indicate 'unauthorised (SCUBA) equipment. No other details. Reported by SubaQuatica Magazine: https://www.subaquaticamagazine.es/dos-buzos-mueren-en-accidente-en-damen-shiprepair-en-curazao-el-caribe/
  74. 2020 9 21 Medina González Orlando Andrés Curacao Curacao Industrial Diving Venezuelan. Curacao, Damen Ship Repair, Pier B, (Double fatality with Eustoquio Madrid), one diver drowned, the second taken ashore alive but died, initial reports indicate 'unauthorised' (SCUBA) equipment. No other details. Reported by SubaQuatica Magazine: https://www.subaquaticamagazine.es/dos-buzos-mueren-en-accidente-en-damen-shiprepair-en-curazao-el-caribe/
  75. 2012 10 20 Antifave Robert Wayne Canada SCUBA Aged 51, from Lantzville on Vancouver Island, harvesting Geoducks in Rendell Sound (Off the West coast of Haida Gwaii) Emergency services called between 11:00 and 12:00 with reports of a diver in medical distress, helicopter (en route from Comox to Smithers) diverted and coastguard vessel "Sandspit" responded, crews recovered the diver from the water, administered CPR, taken to hospital in Queen Charlotte, pronounced dead. 'Coroner investigating'. Reported in the Vancouver Sun
  76. 2011 12 20 Schock Timothy USA Police SCUBA Aged 41, Chesapeake police dive team training, taking part in a team underwater search and rescue exercise at Oak Grove Lale Park. Buoyancy vest inoperable (fault with inflation button prior to dive, during dive the inflation button fell apart so that vest flooded/would not inflate) surfaced and told his partner that he could not breath, during surface swim to shore slipped away from partner's grasp and sank, recovered by a resue diver but did not respond to emergency treatment. Had been a police officer for 16 years, in the dive team for 8, ex-marine, competitive cyclist. Investigation concluded that there was no stand-by/cover boat immediately available nor emergency responders. Accident initiated by failed buoyancy compensator and compounded by jammed weight belt release (Subsequent testing of the weight releases on the other 12 divers demonstrated that they all failed to release properly). Death ruled as an accident due to to drowning though the medical examiner stated that he had an enlarged heart that contributed to his death. Investigation also concluded equipment should have been serviced by a trained technician "Dive team members lacked the expertise". Post accident, team required to do 'buddy' checks, officers not allowed to dive if equipment is not fully functional. Chesapeake News
  77. 2011 10 20 Chandra Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 Saturation Dive team ET onboard the DSV Koosha that sank during sat diving operations in the South Pars gas field, killed during the evacuation
  78. 2011 10 20 Dabbas Rajesh Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 Saturation DSV Koosha I, built 1982 in Australia (By Carrington Slipays as the 'Lady Sonia') owned by Darya Koosh, Iranian marine contractor, POB 73, 60 survivors, 6 divers in sat plus 7 others lost when ship sank off Lavan Island in the South Pars field 15 miles off the Iranian coast during pipeline installation operations around 17:30 hours on Thursday 20th October in bad weather. Rumoured to be a 4 man portable sat system with additional chamber to make it 6 man but only a 4 man HRC. Ship was loaded with two cement silos for grouting operations. One silo broke loose in rough weather and slid across deck causing list, this caused a gas rack to follow, increasing list. Sat control van broke off and fell overboard followed by second silo, holds flooded (hatches open) including all below decks compartments. Sank in mnutes. Believed storage depth was 64 metres, sank in 70 metres water depth. DSV 'Providence' on site the morning after, they recovered the bodies from the wreck three days after the sinking. Sat system flooded. Details to be added following investigation. UK Telegraph, Iranian press, PC
  79. 2011 10 20 DSV Koosha I Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 DSV Koosha I, built 1982 in Australia (By Carrington Slipways as the 'Lady Sonia') owned by Darya Koosh, Iranian marine contractor, POB 73, 60 survivors, 6 divers in sat died plus 7 others lost when ship sank off Lavan Island in the South Pars field 15 miles off the Iranian coast during pipeline installation operations around 17:30 hours on Thursday 20th October in bad weather. Rumoured to be a 4 man portable sat system with additional chamber to make it 6 man but only a 4 man HRC. Ship was loaded with two cement silos for grouting operations. One silo broke loose in rough weather and slid across deck causing list, this caused a gas rack to follow, increasing list. Sat control van broke off and fell overboard followed by second silo breaking loose, holds flooded (hatches open) including all below decks compartments. Sank in mnutes. Believed storage depth was 64 metres, sank in 70 metres water depth. DSV 'Providence' on site the morning after, they recovered the bodies from the wreck three days after the sinking. Sat system flooded. Dive Supt., 2 supervisors, two LSTs and two ALSTs survived when the vesse sank. There were four brothers on board, the two brothers working as LSTs survived, the two brothers in saturation died with the other four divers in sat and the ET killed during the evacuation. Details to be added following investigation. UK Telegraph, Times, Iranian press, PC
  80. 2011 10 20 Gaur Ajesh Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 Saturation DSV Koosha I, built 1982 in Australia (By Carrington Slipays as the 'Lady Sonia') owned by Darya Koosh, Iranian marine contractor, POB 73, 60 survivors, 6 divers in sat plus 7 others lost when ship sank off Lavan Island in the South Pars field 15 miles off the Iranian coast during pipeline installation operations around 17:30 hours on Thursday 20th October in bad weather. Rumoured to be a 4 man portable sat system with additional chamber to make it 6 man but only a 4 man HRC. Ship was loaded with two cement silos for grouting operations. One silo broke loose in rough weather and slid across deck causing list, this caused a gas rack to follow, increasing list. Sat control van broke off and fell overboard followed by second silo, holds flooded (hatches open) including all below decks compartments. Sank in mnutes. Believed storage depth was 64 metres, sank in 70 metres water depth. DSV 'Providence' on site the morning after, they recovered the bodies from the wreck three days after the sinking. Sat system flooded. Details to be added following investigation. UK Telegraph, Iranian press, PC
  81. 2011 10 20 Kadian Dhirendra Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 Saturation One brother (Parminder) also died in this accident, two other brothers (LSTs onboard) survived.DSV Koosha I, built 1982 in Australia (By Carrington Slipays as the 'Lady Sonia') owned by Darya Koosh, Iranian marine contractor, POB 73, 60 survivors, 6 divers in sat plus 7 others lost when ship sank off Lavan Island in the South Pars field 15 miles off the Iranian coast during pipeline installation operations around 17:30 hours on Thursday 20th October in bad weather. Rumoured to be a 4 man portable sat system with additional chamber to make it 6 man but only a 4 man HRC. Ship was loaded with two cement silos for grouting operations. One silo broke loose in rough weather and slid across deck causing list, this caused a gas rack to follow, increasing list. Sat control van broke off and fell overboard followed by second silo, holds flooded (hatches open) including all below decks compartments. Sank in mnutes. Believed storage depth was 64 metres, sank in 70 metres water depth. Dulam DSV 'Providence' on site the morning after, they recovered the bodies from the wreck three days after the sinking. Sat system flooded. Details to be added following investigation. UK Telegraph, Iranian press, PC
  82. 2011 10 20 Kadian Parminder Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 Saturation One brother (Dhirendra) also died in this accident, two other brothers (LSTs onboard) survived. DSV Koosha I, built 1982 in Australia (By Carrington Slipays as the 'Lady Sonia') owned by Darya Koosh, Iranian marine contractor, POB 73, 60 survivors, 6 divers in sat plus 7 others lost when ship sank off Lavan Island in the South Pars field 15 miles off the Iranian coast during pipeline installation operations around 17:30 hours on Thursday 20th October in bad weather. Rumoured to be a 4 man portable sat system with additional chamber to make it 6 man but only a 4 man HRC. Ship was loaded with two cement silos for grouting operations. One silo broke loose in rough weather and slid across deck causing list, this caused a gas rack to follow, increasing list. Sat control van broke off and fell overboard followed by second silo, holds flooded (hatches open) including all below decks compartments. Sank in mnutes. Believed storage depth was 64 metres, sank in 70 metres water depth. Dulam DSV 'Providence' on site the morning after, they recovered the bodies from the wreck three days after the sinking. Sat system flooded. Details to be added following investigation. UK Telegraph, Iranian press, PC
  83. 2011 10 20 Padda JS Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 Saturation DSV Koosha I, built 1982 in Australia (By Carrington Slipays as the 'Lady Sonia') owned by Darya Koosh, Iranian marine contractor, POB 73, 60 survivors, 6 divers in sat plus 7 others lost when ship sank off Lavan Island in the South Pars field 15 miles off the Iranian coast during pipeline installation operations around 17:30 hours on Thursday 20th October in bad weather. Rumoured to be a 4 man portable sat system with additional chamber to make it 6 man but only a 4 man HRC. Ship was loaded with two cement silos for grouting operations. One silo broke loose in rough weather and slid across deck causing list, this caused a gas rack to follow, increasing list. Sat control van broke off and fell overboard followed by second silo, holds flooded (hatches open) including all below decks compartments. Sank in mnutes. Believed storage depth was 64 metres, sank in 70 metres water depth. DSV 'Providence' on site the morning after, they recovered the bodies from the wreck three days after the sinking. Sat system flooded. Details to be added following investigation. UK Telegraph, Iranian press, PC
  84. 2011 10 20 Sharma NK Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 Saturation DSV Koosha I, built 1982 in Australia (By Carrington Slipays as the 'Lady Sonia') owned by Darya Koosh, Iranian marine contractor, POB 73, 60 survivors, 6 divers in sat plus 7 others lost when ship sank off Lavan Island in the South Pars field 15 miles off the Iranian coast during pipeline installation operations around 17:30 hours on Thursday 20th October in bad weather. Rumoured to be a 4 man portable sat system with additional chamber to make it 6 man but only a 4 man HRC. Ship was loaded with two cement silos for grouting operations. One silo broke loose in rough weather and slid across deck causing list, this caused a gas rack to follow, increasing list. Sat control van broke off and fell overboard followed by second silo, holds flooded (hatches open) including all below decks compartments. Sank in mnutes. Believed storage depth was 64 metres, sank in 70 metres water depth. DSV 'Providence' on site the morning after, they recovered the bodies from the wreck three days after the sinking. Sat system flooded. Details to be added following investigation. UK Telegraph, Iranian press, PC
  85. 2010 12 20 Bartolome 01 Juan Spain Albaladejo Fishfarm 0 SCUBA 34 Year old diver employed by a fish farm in San Pedro del Pinatar in Murcia, initially reported that he died after accidentally shooting himself in the chest with his own harpoon. It happened shortly before 9.30 on Monday morning when an emergency call came through that the diver was seriously injured when in the water and was being transferred by boat to the local port. All attempts to revive the man, both on board the boat and after reaching port, were however unsuccessful�. 'Accident in the worplace'. Reported by Typicallyspanish.com. See second report (Bartolome 02, below)
  86. 2010 12 20 Bartolome 02 Juan Spain Albaladejo Fishfarm 0 SCUBA 34 Year old diver employed by a fish farm in San Pedro del Pinatar in Murcia, initially reported that he died after accidentally shooting himself in the chest with his own harpoon. See first report (Bartolome 01, above). 15 months after his death, following investigation "Jaula 23", two co-workers were detained in connection with firing the harpoon that killed Juan Bartolome. They were subsequently charged with negligent homicide, despite initially claiming that the accident was caused by the victim himself and reported as an accident in the workplace. The two witnesses said at first that he had died by accident when putting on his diving equipment prior to entering the water, but their statements contained contradictions and contrasted with evidence found in the boat and the diving equipment and investigators soon began to suspect the two of homicide by negligence. Forensic and reconstructive investigation concluded that the harpoon had been fired from a distance and under the surface of the sea, presumably by accident, by one of the diver's companions. The case against IHV, aged 58 from San Pedro del Pinatar and JFMN, aged 37, from Murcia is being held at the Magistrates' court in San Javier. Case ongoing (April 2012). Murciatoday.com
  87. 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.
  88. 2009 5 20 Sheffield David Anthony USA SCUBA Aged 44, volunteer member of Itawamba County dive team, searching Buttahatchie River for a missing teenager, spent two hours in the water, surfaced saying that he was unable to breath, taken onboard the boat and transferred to hospital but failed to respond to treatment, declared dead on arrival. Fatal heart attack. The body of the teenager was found three days later half a mile down river from where he disappeared. Media reports, PSD diver
  89. 2008 10 20 Lazaro Rodel Philippines Gaspar Salvage & Lighterage Part of a 20 man diving team cutting up wreck of the 'Ocean Papa' which sank off Malalison Island in Culasi, Antique, Philippines “The vessel exploded on Oct. 20 during salvage operations, injuring 2 salvage divers� “Trapped air explosion knocked divers off their feet� Hospitalised with breathing difficulties, later released. (Prob oxy/arc incident, TC)
  90. 2008 10 20 Morales Primitovo Philippines Gaspar salvage & Lighterage Part of a 20 man diving team cutting up wreck of Ocean Papa which sank off Malalison Island in Culasi, Antique, Philippines “The vessel exploded on Oct. 20 during salvage operations, injuring 2 salvage divers� “Trapped air explosion knocked divers off their feet� Hospitalised with breathing difficulties, discovered to have “diabetes and previous respiratory ailment� (Prob oxy/arc incident, TC)
  91. 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�.
  92. 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
  93. 2007 9 20 Seamec II Curacao Seamec 07:35 hours, Port of Willemstad, Curacao, Explosion/fire in dry dock, 5 welders killed, plus another 6 injured
  94. 2007 4 20 Kropidlowski Ken USA Orange County Sheriff's Department 9 SCUBA Orange County Sheriff's rescue diver rushed to a hospital with leg injuries after becoming entangled in a sunken sailboat while searching the wreckage for its missing owner. 18-year veteran of the department and a member of its dive team, he was 30-feet deep off a jetty in Newport Beach when he got tangled in debris about 11 a.m. and made an emergency ascent, "He was in extreme pain and had to be assisted onto the boat," ."He was rushed to harbor headquarters where an ambulance was waiting to take him to Hoag Hospital.He was treated for a torn ligament, his leg placed in a splint and released from the hospital on crutches, The 10-member dive team failed to find any trace of missing Phoenix boater William Eugene Ott during a two-hour search of the 30-foot sailboat.
  95. 2007 2 20 Not Recorded Norway KAJ Diving Services A diver, in his 30s, was involved in an accident at the Borregaard industries Power station (Sarpsborg), he was taken to hospital in Fredrikstad but pronounced dead. No details. Reported by NTB
  96. 2007 2 20 Sue Qing Wen Singapore Dolphin Dive & Adventure 35 SCUBA Singaporean, 35m sports diver open water training dive, surfaced, sank, swept away by current, body recovered 3 days later Tank contained 785ppm CO and 12.3ppm H2S. Open verdict.
  97. 2006 2 20 Love Derrick UK Caldive Topsides Aberdeen-based offshore operator Well Ops (UK) Ltd, formerly Cal Dive International Ltd fined a total of £110,000 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. Mr Derrick Love age 34, from Invergowrie, died after being struck by a 12m long well intervention tool weighing 370 kg (800lbs) on the offshore multi service vessel, MSV Seawell
  98. 2005 7 20 Shaw Scott USA USN Topsides Aged 29, U.S. Navy diver with 11 years decorated service was killed and another injured in a single-vehicle accident at Blackwater USA's training facility in Moyock Wednesday. The Gunner's Mate 1st Class and Aviation Structural Mechanic 3rd Class Alejandro Delapena, 23, were thrown from a Jeep as the vehicle rolled on a sharp turn after they had completed training.
  99. 2004 8 20 Rig 'Jim Cunningham' Egypt Semi Sub, Blow
  100. 2003 10 20 Patterson Paul H USA American, aged 29, Coffeen power Plant, Illinois, working on the circulating cooling water system, sucked into the cooling water inlet. One report went “A diver was killed while doing maintenance for a power plant in Illinois. The diver was preparing to do routine maintenance at an Ameren generating facility in Coffeen, Illinois, when he disappeared from a tether Monday morning. Rescue divers were called to the scene in Montgomery County, but the situation was so dangerous they were not permitted to enter the lake. Investigators believe the diver was drawn into one of the two major intakes of the power plant, where he was killed. His remains have been identified�. The power company was fined $58, 500 after admitted directing the diver to wrong intake hatch, and it was ruled an accident.
  101. 2003 3 20 Moore Steven Allan Canada Courtnakyle Fisheries Limited SCUBA Canadian, aged 40, one of a three man commercial sea urchin harvesting diving team in Nova Scotia, failed to surface, body recovered 3 days later. Company charged with failing to ensure workplace safety by allowing Mr. Moore to dive without a knife, secondary air supply, standby diver, recall system, diver buoy and life-line; failing to ensure safety equipment was available; failing to follow a code of practice; and failing to ensure the propeller on the vessel Doug's Dream was adequately guarded
  102. 2000 12 20 Thorpe Danny Australia Aged 47, abalone diver, one of a two man crew, boat overturned on the Monday, after clinging to the overturned hull for several hours, the skipper swam to shore but was swept 30 kilometres in 15 hours to a remote shore where he wae found on Wednesday. Known shark area, crewman decided to stay with the hull. Shredded remains of a life preserver found washed up later. Presumed shark attack. Skipper vowed he would never go back to sea. Philippine Daily Inquirer. NB Skipper did return to sea, only to lose another crewman to shark attack eleven years later (Peter Clarkson, February 2011)
  103. 2000 4 20 Primavera Eric Joseph USA Denizens of the Deep S/S Air American, aged 30. Inspecting pilings on the South Cargo Pier at Port Canaveral, told topsides he was in trouble, standby diver found him entangled with helmet off, drowned. Citations/$14,700, The Ledger/NAOCD/cDiver
  104. 1999 10 20 Not Recorded USA Jim Wright Marine Construction American, Incident occurred on the Isle of Bahia, Lot 80 (Inland of Lake Worth), reported as a drowning of unknown cause. Possibly a case of a sports qualified SCUBA diver doing commercial diving work. Investigation closed. Fines to be Paid, 3 Citations/$3,600 but no details. NAOCD/cDiver
  105. 1997 11 20 Carriere, RCMP Constable Joseph Francois "Frank" Canada RCMP 10 SCUBA Aged 41, Cape Breton, part of a police team carrying out a drugs search on the hull of a Danish registered bulk carrier (The "Donia Portland", beam 80', length 450') at little narrows on the Bras d'Or akes (Cape Bretn). 5 man diving eam, zodiac and spotter, on AGA masks with micom comms. Ran out of air, tried buddy sharing, got separated, lost in bad visibility, body recovered the day after. Drowned. Leaking mask, gauge 'over-reading, possible contaminated air. RCMP prosecuted and fined. Now they use S/S equipment. Halifax Chronicle. Canadian Coastguard vessel ("CCGS Constable Carriere"), launched 2013 is to be one of nine vessels named after fallen Canadian heroes.
  106. 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
  107. 1994 2 20 Copeland Dave USA 87 Went crazy, took his hat off, stand-by unable to control him
  108. 1992 11 20 Mavrostomos Theo France Comex Saturation The deepest trial saturation dive on record, in Toulon with the Hydra programme reaching 701 metres using Hydreliox. The deepest Hydreliox working dive is still Comex with a simulated pipeline intervention in the Mediterranean in 1988 with the Hydra 8 dives to 534 metres (The 'Atlantis' trials (Duke University, USA,) reached 686 metres in 1981, Comex ran a series of deep diving programmes (Physalie, Janus, Sagittaire, Hydra, etc) mostly in France and finally Aurora at the NHC in Aberdeen reaching 470 metres in 1993In September 2010). In September 2010, 4 Chinese divers were reported to have reached a storage depth of 480 metres with an excursion to 493 metres on Heliox.
  109. 1990 8 20 Rig 'West Gamma' Germany Accommodation jack-up, ran into a gale (with waves up 12 meters and winds gusting 60 knots) as it was being towed by the Normand Drott from the Norwegian sector to the German sector. The rig first lost its helideck to a large wave, then lost its tow with the Normand Drott during the storm, causing the rig to drift towards the German coast. As night fell, one of the deck lifeboats broke loose, damaging vent pipes and access hatches and causing down-flooding in the rig's hull. By 0100 hours, the rig had assumed a 10 degree list. By 0200 on 21 August, conditions deteriorated to the point where it became necessary to evacuate the crew. Evacuation by helicopter was not possible due to the damage sustained to the helideck and helicopter winching was not possible due to the high winds. The excessive movement as the rig pitched and rolled in the heavy seas also made it all but impossible to launch the lifeboats. Fortunately for the rig's crew, two Danish ESVAGT standby/rescue vessels (the Omega and the Protector) were despatched from the Danish sector to aid the evacuation. Members of the rig's crew tied themselves together in groups of 5 or 6 and jumped into the sea from the first level of the accommodation as a rescue helicopter's searchlight illuminated the scene. Four fast rescue craft belonging to the ESVAGT vessels formed a horseshoe downwind of the rig then picked up the crew. At 0307 hours on 21 August 1990, the rig sank off the coast of Helgoland, Germany, in 44m of water, with the highest point of the rig only 10m below sea level at low tide. As German authorities decided in 1993 to use this area as an emergency anchorage area, the underwater obstruction created by the West Gamma had first to be cleared. In 1994, the rig was demolished in stages. The legs were first cut then blown free of the rig with explosives. Using an underwater hydraulic jackhammer, the West Gamma's hull was then crushed until the highest point was 25m below low tide sea level. Bad weather, loss of the towline, structural failure and flooding all contributed to the eventual sinking of the West Gamma. The captain of the Normand Drott said after the event that the risk to the rig crew would have been lessened if "the UK practice of using two tugs and an auxiliary vessel had been used". ESVAGT
  110. 1987 10 20 Rig 'Bigfoot 2' USA Jack Up, Punch through (2 legs)
  111. 1986 11 20 Rig 'Dixilyn Field 83' India Jack Up, sank off Mumbai, Starboard leg punched through, capsised
  112. 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.
  113. 1986 1 20 Spicer Wayne Iran Smit Topsides Australian, DSV 'Smit Maassluis' off Kharg Island, set on fire after Exocet missile attack from Iraqi war-planes. 10 crewmen also injured out of the 34 man crew (Two other Australian and two New Zealand divers injured). No details. Reported in The Age
  114. 1983 7 20 Rig 'Penrod 52' USA Jack Up, blow out, collapsed.
  115. 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
  116. 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
  117. 1981 10 20 Lee Patrick Singapore SCUBA Aged 21, one of a team of 8 divers, he was reported missing during diving operations to clean the hull of the supply vessel 'Chinta' off Clifford Pier. Around noon they began to run low on air and indicated they were surfacing, he signalled them to carry on. When he failed to surface the other 7 dived in to look for him but not locate him. Not clear if his body was ever recovered. Straits Times
  118. 1977 8 20 Sansalone D UK Subsea Oil Services 23 SCUBA Italian, aged 29. Pipelay barge "Semac I", Working on stinger, 2 working divers plus stand-by, lost comms, continued working, Inexperienced in prevailing conditions, drowned
  119. 1976 8 20 Yore USN Thomas John "TJ" Denmark Military US Navy diver, reported as 'Lost at sea off Greenland 20th August, declared dead 30th September". No other details. Navydivers.net
  120. 1975 3 20 Cluseau Giry du Gabon Comex SCUBA Oilfield dive. Two divers, both on SCUBA, both unwell at depth and returned to the surface, one diver survived. Possible contaminated air. PC
  121. 1965 1 20 Mihulec Robert W USA Fountain Hill Emergency Diving Team SCUBA Aged 20, volunteered to search under ice for the body of a 9 year old boy who had fallen through the ice into the Lehigh River, entered the water roped together with a 19 year old companion, companion survived (treated for hypothermia), diver drowned. Gettysburg Times
  122. 1948 10 20 Nimmock Wilfred Australia 16 S/S Air “Diver disappears� CAIRNS, Wed. ‘A Torres Strait native diver, Wilfred Nimmock, 24, dived into about nine fathoms from the pearler ‘Penguin’, He surfaced 50 yards from the boat without helmet or corselet, then sank. Some of the Penguin's crew dived but found no trace of Nimmock, his diving gear, or shell bag. Reported in The Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Qld.
  123. 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.
  124. 1938 10 20 Slessor David Dunbar UK S/S Air "Diver drowned in Loch Long. Aberdeen man working on new bridge, resided at 67 Pittodrie Street, Aberdeen". "Father sees diver brought up dead, a father, at the shore end of a diver's lifeline at Dornie Bridge, ..." (Bridge was proposed as early as 1920 to improve the road west to Kyle of Lochalsh/Isle of Skye, opposed by people concerned it would ruin the views around Eilean Donan Castle a few hundred metres to the south, the Dornie bridge was eventually opened on 30th April 1940, it was replaced with a two lane structure in 1991) No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Aberdeen Journal/The British Newspaper Archive
  125. 1937 5 20 Sakamoto Keniko or Kinicho Australia Bowden Pearling Company 37 S/S Air "A Japanese lugger brought into Darwin the body of Keniko Sakamoto, aged 25, a diver who was drowned by the bursting of the air pipe when he was working at 20 fathoms. This is the tenth fatality this season amongst divers working the pearling grounds northwest of the Liverpool river". Reported in the Worker, Brisbane.
  126. 1934 9 20 Currie or Curry William Wallace Canada A M Maclean & Sons S/S Air Employed to plant dynamite underwater in the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. On a stormy day, he decided it was better to dive and get paid than wait for the weather to clear. Lightning struck his equipment on the surface, travelled down his line and ignited the 6 pounds of dynamite and blasting caps he carried. His 21 year old son, Laughlin, acting as his diving assistant, witnessed the accident. Missaiiauga.net, Montreal Gazette
  127. 1929 3 20 Lois Helen USA Topsides Photograph in the Paper showing a woman dressed in standard gear with the captions "A WOMAN DIVER. Miss Helen Lois of San Francisco, who is described as the ionly woman deep sea diver in the world. Reported in the Sydney Morning Herald
  128. 1927 11 20 Not Recorded USA S/S Air Swedish, searching for 3 bodies after a motor schooner was sunk after a collision, 4th dive, died, no details
  129. 1921 12 20 Torrance Captain william UK S/S Air "Diver drowned. Through air pipe becoming severed, William Torrance, diver, lost his life while…" "Weymouth diver's tragic end. Asphyxiated underwater through air pipe bursting. Weymouth, Wednesday. Verdict of death by asphyxiation was returned today.." "Diver suffocated. Fatal accident in Portland Harbour while diving operations were in progress from the tug..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive
  130. 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
  131. 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.
  132. 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.
  133. 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
  134. 1906 5 20 Kraming South Africa S/S Air Simonstown harbour, apparently drowned, helmet off (Siebe Gorman?). Captured in colour illustration on the front page of 'Le Petit Journal', now available as a retro-poster (allposters.com). Newspaper report dated 27th June regarding an inquest held in Simonstown into the death of a diver on the breakwater works. "Another diver named MacPhail was down at the same time, and whilst the two men were standing together MacPhail saw Kraming's helmet suddenly fly off. Kraming caught hold of MacPhail and pulled on the lifeline. Both men were drawn up to within 10 feet of the surface when the hauling stopped and MacPhail was forced to let go his hold with the result that Kraming fell to the bottom again and was drowned. It was conclusively proved that the helmet was properly ajusted when he left the boat to descend but there was no evidence to show how it became unfastened. The magistrate, in returning a verdict of 'death by drowning', commented somewhat severely on the methods prevailing at Sir John Jackson's works and expressed the opinion that an extra man should be furnished to each diver and that only reliable men should be employed on the work. It is said that such an occurrence is unparalleled in connection with diving operations". Straits Times.
  135. 1903 8 20 Santra Hiogo Australia S/S Air Diving Fatalities. BRISBANE. August 21. “A Japanese diver was killed whilst engaged in diving operations in the Missionary Passage, Thursday Island, through a pipe bursting. This makes the third fatality within a week. Reported in the Western Star and Roma Advertiser, Toowoomba, Qld FATALITIES AT THURSDAY ISLAND. The Treasurer has received a notification from the Inspector of Pearlshell Fisheries at Thursday Island, that the ‘Mabel’ had reported that a Japanese diver named Hiogo Santra was killed whilst diving in the Missionary Passage, through the pipe bursting. This makes the third fatality to Japanese divers in a week. A man from the lugger ‘Clifton’ died from paralysis at Kumusi, Missionary Passage, on 14th, and one from the lugger ‘Ivy’ from paralysis at Stephens Island on The 16th. Reported in the Brisbane Courier, Qld.
  136. 1902 8 20 Not Recorded Malta Military S/S Air "A diver's death. How a missing torpedo cost a life. A few days ago, HMS Barham (Third class cruiser launched in 1899, scrapped in 1914) was at torpedo practice outside the harbour at Malta.." . No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Angus evening Post/The British Newspaper Archive
  137. 1901 2 20 Eulogio Australia Topsides "The diving lugger 'Esme' capsised in a squall near Cairncross Island. A Philippino diver named Eulogio was drowned, but the remainder of the crew escaped. Eulogio was on deck with all his diving dress on except the helmet when the squall struck" Reported in the Brisbane Courier.
  138. 1893 10 20 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air "Two divers were brought to Thursday Island from Darnely Island paralysed, but both are expected to recover. A Manilla diver named Leon died there on October 17th, making the fourth victim during the few days. The Hon J. Douglas at Darley, is reported to have issued a notice to divers warning them against diving deeper than 20 fathoms. It is asserted that they frequently go down 30 fathoms for a few moments". Wanganui Herald, National Library of New Zealand
  139. 1893 8 20 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air Thursday Island, Sunday. "Another Manila diver has died in the hospitalfrom the effects of diving in deep water" The Argus, Melbournes, Vic.
  140. 1885 5 20 Larsen Ole Denmark S/S Air Aged 38, Salvage of the steamer 'Oresund', found dead on the wreck trapped by metal lying on his left arm. When recovered to the surface, it was discovered that his helmet had a hole in it and he is presumed to have drowned as a result of it flooding. Buried on the 25th May at the Fejo Parish Church, the day before his third child, Ole Laurits Larsen, was baptised there. Fejo archive at niwich.dk
  141. 1876 9 20 Parker George UK S/S Air "MELANCHOLY DEATH OF A DIVER" An inquest was held at the Union Tavern on Thursday before the Borough Coroner (W. H. Payne, Esq.) on the body of George Parker, a diver who died suddenlythe previous day having remained underwater for hour and a quarter. The evidence went to show that deceased was subject to heart disease and vomited nearly every time before and after he ..." No other details. Reported in the Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald/The British Newspaper Archive
  142. 1857 5 20 Barnicoat RE Edward Sgt. UK Military S/S Air "Death of a diver. A melancholy accident occurred on Wednesday morning to a colour sergeant of the Royal Engineers at Chatham named Edward Barnicoat...." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Royal Cornwall Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive
  143. 2016 2 20 Hocine Major Rebiha France Police SCUBA Aged 42, four man Noyon River brigade police dive team searching for the body of the third occupant of a car that fell into the Somme in the centre of Amiens late at night (driver - charged tested positive for alcohol and Cannabis, charged - and a woman escaped) diving near a lock gate, failed to surface, taken to hospital with cardiac arrest, died the following day.
  144. 2015 3 20 Rikkers Hernan 'Kakara' Cook Islands Cook Islands Aquarium Fish SCUBA "Paraphrased from the Cook Island News:- ""The 30-year-old Argentinian whose body was discovered over the reef outside Avarua Harbour on Saturday was an experienced diver, says one of his employers: ""Diving alone is common in the company’s line of work, which involves gathering live tropical fish for export. The man had also dived in Hawaii and Noumea and the company had received assurances from people he had worked with previously that he was an experienced diver. Diving with at least one other person is usually considered best practice, but the company’s workers dived alone as diving with another person could scare away the fish they were attempting to capture. Police confirmed yesterday that the diver had a buoyancy compensator, but they were unsure whether he had been wearing it. The Company had made the decision to try and locate the man because of the need to get out to the search area before dusk made water visibility poor. A full scale search was conducted on Saturday and his body was found. The body was recovered from the reef outside Avarua Harbour. An unsuccessful search for him had been conducted the previous evening by the owner of the company Rikkers worked for. A spokesman said it had been about eight years since the last major diving incident in the Cook Islands, where local man Noovao Noovao had a heart attack on the surface of the water. ""There was always something that could be done to help prevent an accident, although taking a buddy when diving was common practice for recreational diving, diving alone, as Rikker had done, was not unusual in the case of commercial diving work. “You don’t pay two people for a job one person can do"
  145. 2017 12 20 Not Reported Roberto Spain Grambasa SCUBA Aged 34, married with two daughters aged 3 years and 2 months. Fish Farm two miles offshore Guardamar de Segura, near Alicante, run by by Grupo Culmarex. Solo SCUBA dive in a fish cage to between 10 and 27 msw. Surfaced with mask flooded, taken ashore but declared dead by medics 'Under Investigation' www.diarioinformacion.com
  146. 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
  147. 2012 4 19 Simonini Lt. Vincent Italy Italian Navy Aged 37, Italian Navy diver working at the helicopter base at Luni (La Spezia), assisting in pool based helicopter ditching/evacuation training. Unconscious in the water, treated by medics on site but failed to respond to treatment. Reported as 'cardiac arrest'. Italian Press reports.
  148. 2012 3 19 Freigeiro Choucino Marcos Spain UCS, Algeceiras 20 SCUBA Spanish aged 28, Hull cleaning operation at the alpha anchotage in Port of Algerceiras on the container ship "Lica Maersk" (Launched 2001, 266 metres long, 37 metre beam, draft 21 metres, capacity 3,600 TEU), brush became detached, dragged the diver to seabed at 100m, body not located. Longstreath/GPS Buceo
  149. 2012 2 19 Diaz Arturo Alejandro Rivas Chile Aquachile SA Aged 33, Beticoi salmon farm, diving accident on site, medivac to Puerta Melinka where it was reported that he died of cardiac arrest due to crush injuries sustained from a large cage of fish. Reported by rin.cl/noticas
  150. 2011 10 19 Gould Joseph Patrick Gordon USA Midco Diving 38 Aged 32, From Minnesota, working on lake Sakakawea, diving on the intake of the water intake to the city of Parshall. Installing pipe/welding, reports not clear. "It appears his diving equipment became entangled", communications failed, tugged on his lines to alert surface, the stand-by diver "was unable to untangle him". The body was retrieved and taken to the North Dakota Medical Examiner's office for autopsy. No other details. Bismark Tribune, Rapid city journal etc
  151. 2011 7 19 Banaga Carlos Lucero Mexico Baja Acuafarm Aged 42, decompression incident onboard the vessel Buenaventura II 25 miles off the island of Coronado, evacuated by helicopter to the Ensenada Naval hyperbaric centre, successfully treated and discharged. Mexican Press
  152. 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
  153. 2011 4 19 Enriques Jesus "Chuy" Mexico 9 Aged 28 from Holbrox, Quintana Roo, sea cucumber harvesting 24 miles off Celustan, died underwater at about 14:00 hours. No details. Reported by Sipse.com
  154. 2011 2 19 Coliboro Carlos Isaias Melipillan Chile Aged 50, Shellfish diver onboard the 'Nortwester Matricula' working in the Falcon Estuary (36 hours sailing time from Puerta Natales). Expired certificates, no permit to be at sea, autopsy indicated that he suffocated after vomiting underwater. Reported in El Pinguino.
  155. 2011 2 19 LaClair Patrick J USA Paraphrased from press reports:- “Coast Guard officials said a 54-year-old member of the Skokomish tribe ran into trouble while out on the water with a geoduck boat in the Hood Canal, near Hazel Point The man had two spotters, who saw that he was struggling and called 911 at around 4 p.m. A Navy rescue boat pulled the man out of the water and administered CPR while heading back to shore. Central Kitsap Fire whilst Rescue and Navy paramedics tried to help the man. The Kitsap County Coroner's Office declared him dead at about 7 pm� No other details. Reported by AP, Komo News, Kitsap Sun etc.
  156. 2011 1 19 Saes Sandro Brazil 26 SCUBA Aged 42, city of Florianopolis, carrying out survey for repairs to the Hercilio Luz bridge (Longest suspension bridge in Brazil at 821 metres long, built 1922) with one other diver but appears to have been a solo dive. Dive was meant to last 20 minutes, after 35 minutes partner asked for help. As fire brigade commenced search operations, diver's body came to the surface. No response to treatment. Reported as acute respiratory failure by drowning. Equipment reported as being in order. Work was resumed a month later with a new diving contractor (North Star) using three divers and a supervisor with a DDC on site. No other details. Reported by Terra Noticias
  157. 2010 10 19 Alarcon Mario Peru Aged 48, had stopped diving 'but for financial reasons' moved from 'the slums of Lucy Villanueva' to the Island of Parachique (Province of Sechura) to work in the pearl shell extraction industry. Surfaced in a rush and complained of chest pains, died diuring the transfer to Parachique. No treatment equipment on the boat. Wife and six children. Elregionalpiura.com
  158. 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
  159. 2009 9 19 Gunderson Jerry USA Rebreather Paraphrased from press reports:- “Aged 75, started diving for golf balls in 1953, when he was 19. His passion for diving for golf balls led to the founding of a chain of seven golf-supply stores, was found dead in the centre of the lake at the Deer Creek Country Club in Deerfield Beach on Saturday. Drowned. One of his sons died while diving for golf balls in a lake 27 years ago. "I lost my brother to the water, too," said Jerry Gunderson's other son, Marc, 53 who used to dive for golf balls himself. Jerry Gunderson started retrieving, collecting and reselling golf balls soon after his first dive as a teenager. At first, it was the simple act of fishing out the golf balls in a Lake Worth course in the 1950s, washing them, and reselling them. But he went on to build a Deerfield Beach-based chain of golf-supply stores called International Golf. He sold the business a few years ago and worked as a freelance diver for smaller companies.
  160. 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.'
  161. 2007 5 19 Hopkins Ronald Australia State Emergency Services SCUBA Aged 54, volunteer who drowned on a flooded boat training exercise in the Murray River at Mildura, body recovered the following day by NSW police divers the day after. Victoria State Emergency Services were convicted and fined $75,000 and ordered to undertake a thorough and regular review of it's workplace safety practices. Quote “Failing to ensure a person other than an employee was not exposed to risk�, regarded as a significant conviction as it recognised that organisations have an obligation not just to their direct employees but also the volunteer members. Sydney Morning Herald
  162. 2005 7 19 Atanassov Atanas Middle East FDI Saturation Bulgarian, onboard the "Gulmar Falcon", End of bell run, Heart attack. Discovered to be on medication for high blood pressure.
  163. 2003 10 19 Stevns Power Nigeria Saipem Rolled over and sank during AHT operations in support of the Castoro Otto, All 11 crew died.
  164. 2003 8 19 Zinck James Canada Fish Farm SCUBA Tuna holding pond, Nova Scotia, Owner charged.
  165. 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.
  166. 2000 10 19 Reynolds David Grant Australia Cossack Pearls SCUBA Aged 31, from Queensland, was pearl diving with two other men off Onslow in October 2000 when tragedy struck. “His oxygen mask had become separated from his face and he was lying lifeless on the ocean floor�. Attempts by his co-workers to resuscitate him failed. The Perth Court of Petty Sessions found the man's employer was partly responsible for his death and imposed a $10,000 fine on the company. ABC News online
  167. 2000 9 19 Cummings Ron USA SCUBA Aged 49, highly decorated captain in the Phoenix fire department. Off duty, One of a three man team of fire-fighter with a commercial diving business, no back up, communications or stand-by, failed to surface after diving in to inspect the entrance gateway of an inlet to a 21' diameter syphon pipe running under the Aqua Fria river into a canal, part of the Central Arizona Project which delivers water from the Colorado river to the Phoenix area. Body recovered later the same day after syphon was drained. No details
  168. 2000 5 19 Harun Mohd Nor Malaysia Fire and Rescue Services SCUBA Paraphrased from the newspaper report:- “Another diver from the Fire and Rescue Services Department's scuba diving unit disappeared this morning during a search operation for a colleague who had gone missing since Monday around the waters of Pulau Lalang and Pulau Saga. The diver, identified as Mohd Nor Harun, in his 40s, is feared to have suffered a similar fate as his colleague, Idris Ahmad, 36. Idris was believed to have drowned while clearing the waters of discarded fishing nets. A police spokesman said the incident occurred about 11.30am today when the diver failed to surface for a break. His body was found by fisherman 3 days later. 40 divers were taking part in the search. Another diver became unconscious during the search and was admitted to the armed forces hospital at the Lumut naval base�. Reported in the New Straits Times
  169. 1998 8 19 Paterson Kenny UK Fathoms Ltd. 61 SCUBA Paraphrased from press reports:- “Diver sacrificed his life to save a colleague as he continued his 15-year quest for the wreck of the Finnish freighter ‘Joanna Thorden’. The freighter sank at the notorious Pentland Skerries in the Pentland Firth during a storm in 1937, reputedly carrying copper ingots (and possibly even silver bullion). Gary Connor, a director of Wick-based Fathoms Ltd, was diving with Kenny Paterson, aged 34, on August nineteenth 1998. As they searched at a depth of 200ft (nearly 40ft more than the legal limit for commercial scuba divers), Kenny Paterson suffered symptoms of the bends and Gary brought him to the surface. Gary also suffered the bends but after treatment contracted septicemia and died in hospital in April this year. The sheriff returned a formal verdict on the medical cause of death and noted Fathoms staff originally told the Health and Safety Executive it was a recreational dive and outwith their scope of inquiry�. Reported in the Scottish Daily Record & Sunday. The FAI notes that Gary Connor died at Caithness General Hospital on the April first 2000, 20 months after the accident (cerebral anoxia, spinal bend, quadaplegia leading to tetraparesis and septicaemia), that SCUBA equipment was not appropriate for the diving operation, that the HSE was falsely induced into believing it was a sports dive and therefore there was no prompt investigation. He also noted that the actions of the deceased achieved the ultimately successful rescue of his colleague.
  170. 1998 5 19 Blackmon Eugene USA Fire Brigade 9 SCUBA Aged 39, SAR diver with the fire department. Accident happened in the Little Calumet river undertaking a search for two victims, drowned. (A man described as being between 40 and 50 fell into the river, a man jumped in to give him aid, both drowned. The fire-fighter was trying to find the two victims). After an initial SCUBA search dive, due to zero visibility and the underwater current, the victim and his partner decided to change over to their underwater communication masks. Returned to the staging area, changed tanks and placed a 50 foot long, 4-inch round air float (rubber-jacketed fire hose) from shore to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter that had just arrived. The divers decided to remove their SCUBA gear and free float to the Coast Guard cutter using the 4-inch float as a guide and flotation device, determining this would be the easiest way to enter the boat since it did not have a swim platform. Wearing his weight belt, the victim began his free float to the boat, holding on to his Buoyancy Control Device (BCD), tank, and the 4-inch air float as flotation devices. The weight belt consisted of three 10-pound lead weights secured around his waist. As the victim was approaching the boat he lost grip of the flotation devices and instantly went under the water due to the 30-pound weight belt that he did not release. His partner immediately went down after him, free diving with just his wet suit which created a buoyancy problem and limited his dive depth. After two attempts to reach the victim, he surfaced and called for assistance from the Air and Sea Rescue divers. One diver from the Air and Sea Rescue team descended to the area where the victim went down and located him. As the victim was pulled close to the water surface, the victim’s partner grabbed him. The Air and Sea diver lost his grip on the victim while adjusting his own equipment, and because of the 30-pound weight belt around the victim’s waist, the victim’s partner was unable to hold on to him, and he descended for a second time. The victim was located and pulled from the water approximately 10 to 15 minutes later by the police rescue divers. The victim received immediate medical attention on shore before being loaded into the Air and Sea Rescue helicopter which transported him to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. Reported in the press and official records.
  171. 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
  172. 1997 5 19 Kassim Aminnuddin Che Singapore Aged 41, one of two experienced divers (the other diver was Salleh Kudin) killed clearing debris from the cooling inlets of the petrochemical plant at Pillau Ayer Merbau on the same afternoon. Differential Pressure incident but no details. Straits Times
  173. 1997 5 19 Kudin Salleh Singapore Aged 41, one of two experienced divers (the other diver was Aminnuddin Kassim) killed clearing debris from the cooling inlets of the petrochemical plant at Pillau Ayer Merbau on the same afternoon. Differential Pressure incident but no details. Straits Times
  174. 1996 3 19 Fahey David M USA 27 SCUBA 31 year old professional scallop harvester, ran out of air trying to carry heavy bag up embankment from depth
  175. 1993 8 19 Costain Donald R USA SCUBA Aged 52, off Maine diving in a four man team from a 36' fishing vessel, harvesting sea urchins, heavy fog, surfaced for replacement tank, disappeared, found on the seabed after 30 minutes, drowned. Bangor Daily News.
  176. 1984 8 19 Siver Ronald J USA Police 23 SCUBA American police diver, Rochester, New York. Attempting to find the body of a man who died in a boating accident, suffered unknown problems, drowned
  177. 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
  178. 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.
  179. 1970 9 19 Bielanski John USA Aged 32, professional diver from Oak Forest drowned while repairing a broken water main at the bottom of a man made lake (Lake Camelot?) No other details. Chicago Tribune.
  180. 1970 4 19 Not Recorded UK 11 S/S Air "..diver died the other day whilst six fathoms deep in the water at Southampton where some new apparatus taken from the womb...No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph/The British Newspaper Archive
  181. 1970 2 19 Palmer David USA Need a Diver Marine Services 3 SCUBA Aged 26, Florida Power Corporation dock on Weedon Island, patching the hull of the tanker “Delian Apollo� (Which had run aground in the bay and caused a pollution incident in Tampa Bay), 40 minutes into the dive, stand-by diver got no response on lifeline, went in and found the diver against the hull of the tanker and brought him to the surface. Regulator and cylinders had been ditched (later recovered from the bed of the dock in 33' of water, reported as “in good working order but low on air supply�), reported as drowned. No real explanation. Reported in the St Petersburg Times
  182. 1968 12 19 McClung Roger L USA Military SCUBA American police officer aged 32, Virginia Beach, Virginia, drowned in a diving accident
  183. 1968 12 19 Monette Robert R USA Military SCUBA American police officer aged 25, Virginia Beach, Virginia, drowned in a diving accident
  184. 1962 11 19 Hayes Darrell USA Columbia River Divers 27 SCUBA Aged 33, Undertaking repairs to the bulkhead gate guides on the Priest Rapids dam. Surfacing after the dive with partner and apparently fell out of the dive basket when changing tanks. Recovered by partner from bed of dam at 110' after 8 minutes. Pronounced dead. It was his first commercial dive.
  185. 1956 4 19 Commander Crabb, RN, GC, OBE Lionel "Buster" UK Military Rebreather British Royal Naval diver, aged 46, disappeared in Portsmouth Harbour, rumoured to be spying on the visiting Russian navy cruiser "Ordzhonikidze" that had brought Khrushchev to the UK for cold war talks. Headless body washed up on Chichester beach 14 months later assumed to be Crabb. In 2007, Eduard Koltsov, retired Russian diver claimed to have killed him and cut his head off after he caught Crabb placing a mine on the hull. MOD admitted previous underwater surveys by RN divers on visiting Russian vessels. Other memos released in 2007 indicate that MI6 recruited Crabb for a separate mission and that he was not alone.
  186. 1953 6 19 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air Report of a Japanese diver who died at sea being cremated. No details
  187. 1948 10 19 Roberts Bernard USA 36 S/S Air Aged 27, Sponge diver, 'Stricken with severe headaches after making a series of dives' on the 11th October, taken to hospital with a cerebral haemorrhage, died 9 days later at Bay Pines veteran's hospital. St Petersburg Times
  188. 1947 9 19 Fargues Maurice France Military 119 SCUBA From the French Naval Vessel 'Timing' off Toulon. Experimental dive “in connection with the planned Bathysphere dives to the Ocean floor by the Belgian Professor Picard� described as 'Frances leading deep sea diver'. Reported as diving with goggles and three Oxygen tanks on his back. Reached 300' (which set a world depth record)', signalled OK and went on down to 390'. Signals stopped and he was hauled up. A colleague dived down and found him at 200', goggles off, mouthpiece out, apparently unconscious. Hauled to the surface, still unconscious, died in hospital. “Experts“ quoted as saying that “either the lifeline swung against his mouthpiece ripping it from his mouth or Fargues was seized with what divers call 'deep sea drunkenness' Reported in the Sydney Morning Herald
  189. 1945 11 19 Hamilton George Norman Australia RAN 15 S/S Air Balmoral Naval Base (Now HMAS Penguin) in Sydney Harbour, Navy diver drowned diving on an anchor near the Balmoral Naval Base. "Reached the seabed and then failed to respond to line signals". A second diver was sent down and found him lying on the bottom, recovered to surface and taken to the navy base where a doctor said he had been dead for several minutes. Air hose had been severed by the anchor he was working on. Sydney Morning Herald
  190. 1940 9 19 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air “DEFECTIVE AIR PIPE BLAMED�. BROOME, Tuesday. “A finding that a leading diver, a young Kupanger, died at sea from asphyxia caused by the bursting of a defective air pipe, was returned by the Coroner (Mr. E. S. Reynolds) at an inquest. The Kupanger died on September 19 about 127 miles south of Broome, between Anna Plains and Wallal. The Coroner said that the air pipe, opened at a place where it had burst, showed that the canvas reinforcement was of distinctly defective manufacture�. Reported in the Daily News, Perth, WA.
  191. 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
  192. 1937 8 19 Sakai Australia “A Whale caused the death of pearl diver who was working underwater some 90 miles south of Broome says Reuters, from Perth, Western Australia. Sakai, head diver...� No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Aberdeen Journal/The British Newspaper Archive. Is this a duplicate/alternative report of the death reported August 1937 from a shark attack?
  193. 1933 4 19 Sutherland James UK S/S Air Reported as "Divers death on reaching surface, collapse while climbing ladder. A Kirkwall diver collapsed and died. No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Dundee Courier/The British Newspaper Archive. Reported two months later (in June) in the New Zealand Press as "Aged 31, Working on the Kirkwall Harbour extension (Kirkwall, Orkney Isles, Scotland). "After signalling that he had finished the job, collapsed and died at the foot of the ladder before he could be hauled up". Evening Post, Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand)
  194. 1927 9 19 Hook Australia S/S Air A huge octopus bearing in its tentacles a human body was forced to disgorge its prize after an hour’s battle 50 feet under the water of Port Townsend with a diver named Hook. Hook had been repairing a fish net when he saw the devil fish making its way along the bottom of the sound with a body in its clutches. The diver, who was armed with spike-pole, forthwith attacked the monster. For many minutes the gallant diver thrust and lunged at the monster which savagely gave battle but grimly held on its prey. Time after time, the fish warded off the spear-thrusts and tried to seize its assailant in its serpentlike arms, while the water became cloudy with the "dust" of battle. At last, concentrating his thrusts upon the creature's spider like body, the diver literally tore it to ribbons before it shrunk back, apparently mortally wounded, and the diver was able to prise its tenticle loose from the corpse. The body was later identified as that of the cook off a tugboat which sank in the harbour when four others were drowned, none of whose bodies have been recovered.' Straits times '
  195. 1925 12 19 Parsons William UK S/S Air Reported as "Death of diver during tests at Collingwood docks, Liverpool" "Divers tragic Death. Death drom misadaventure was the verdict at Liverpool. Saturday on William Parsons, Liverpool, who died after...." "Death from misadventure was the verdict at Liverpool.." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in The Post (Lanarkshire)/Aberdeen Journal/The British Newspaper Archive
  196. 1922 1 19 Rufer Alexander R USA Military S/S Air Aghed 32, diver attached to the local US Engineering corps, fatally injured whilst working on the Ohio river dam 5 (Between Rochester and Freedom, just north of Pittsbiugh, PA, striuck by a wicket being moved into place by a crane. The Pittsburgh Press
  197. 1907 4 19 Ewing James USA S/S Air Diver from Boston, setting dynamite charges during the construction of the Vaughan Bridge in south Portland. Charge went off underneath him whilst he was still in the water 'which caused his death on the operating table at a hospital two and a half hours later' Lewiston Daily Sun
  198. 1896 5 19 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air “A report from Thursday Island states that a diver of the lugger 'Elen' has died of diving paralysis, off Darnley Island, making the second death from the same cause on the same vessel within three months�. Reported in the West Australian.
  199. 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.
  200. 1888 9 19 Ker Australia S/S Air 'A pearl diver by the name of Ker was stabbed to death by a Malay at Cossack, a Northern Port' (NB Cossack is a port in Western Australia, formerly a pearling station). Reported in the Archives of the Marlborough Express courtesy of the New Zealand National Library.
  201. 1887 10 19 Cook UK "A Diver Suffocated. A diver, whose name was Cook, was engaged in diving at Devonport on Monday, near Her Majesties ship 'Cambridge'..". No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Sheffield Evening Telegraoh/The British Newspaper Archive
  202. 1862 12 19 Barrett Lucas Jamaica S/S Air English, Aged 25, The first director of Geological Survey of Jamaica. He used mollusc shells for fossil dating, Started collecting living shells underwater from the Port Royal Cays, south of Kingston Harbour. On his second dive collecting shells on a reef, closed air valve and inflated suit to surface, floated to surface some distance from his boat, dead before brought ashore. J B S Haldane suggested that this rapid ascent was the cause of death due to a pulmonary air embolism ('the bends'). A shell, now in the natural history museum in London, found on his body is one of only two known specimens of a smooth shelled micromorphic brachiopod 'Argyrotheca woodardiana'.
  203. 2016 10 19 Fassler James Calvin USA SCUBA Aged 61, cleaning the hulls of boats at the Joyner Marina, Carolina Beach, North Carolina, reported as 'drowned'. No details Reported by Star News
  204. 2016 11 19 Zambre Jaime Marcello Chile Fisherman SCUBA Aged 42, shellfish diver working the El Sauce cove, Ovalle, decompression incident, transferred to hospital in Coquimbo, suffered cardiac arrest and died. No other details. Reported by Diaria el Dia
  205. 2016 12 19 Castiglione Leticia Nerina Argentina Raul A. Negro S.R.L Salvage and Diving Company SS/Air Approx. 18:10 hs. Monday 19-Dec Commercial diver Leticia Castiglione, an Argentine. 37 years of age Diving for the Company Raul Negro. Operating in reflotamiebro on a sunken barge TAF 317. Km 1204,5 MI RP. Leaving bottom and arriving on the surface assisted by the two surface divers who with personal from the PNA used CPR. Unconscious she was transferred to land and taken to the School Hospital where they performed life saving tasks of reanimacion.amplia CORR Hs. At 20:20 The Head of Intensive Therapy reported the death of the Commercial Diver Leticia Castiglione, cause of death to be determined by the coroner. Federal Court Judgment No. 1 was given to Dr. Carlos Soto Dávila - Facebook
  206. 2015 8 19 Koratko Mathew USA Harkand/Swiber 110m Saturation American, married, two children diving off the Swiber Quetzal, Bay of Campeche, riser installation operation. Accident in the water at 14:30 local, body taken ashore to Cuidad del Carrmen, no other details, Reported in the El Sur de Campeche. Complete news blackout imposed by Harkand and Swiber, Two conflicting and unsubstantiated reports - one indicated the fatality was due to stored energy in a member being cut was the cause - it sprang and crushed the diver's chest. A second report indicated that the one piece riser being installed crushed the diver against the structure - ie a lifting incident. If the lawyers keep this incident gagged it is unlikely that any lessons will be learnt. Later rumours indicate riser swung due to topsides crew moving/changing hang-off without the knowledge of the dive crew but without confirmation that is still just speculation. No further information has been released by Swiber, or the defunct Harkand.
  207. 2015 10 19 Jonathon T USA SCUBA Aged 28, From Apollo Beach, Florida, one of a three man in-water team harvesting eel grass on a mill site cleanup at Port Gamble (Puget Sound, Washington State). The other divers surfaced but could not find their colleague, Body located in 20 feet of water 60 feet from the shore some four hours later. Kingston Community News
  208. 2021 4 19 Teigel Coliague Andres Alejanndro Chile SGM Austral/Aqua Chile SCUBA Aged 41. 'Diver dies at AquaChile salmon farming site/The diver was conducting maintenance at the site (In Aysen) when the accident occurred, Reported by Intrafish. Another diver died on the same site on 20th March 2020 (Juan Ruiz Gallardo). Initial reports said "Cause of death was suffocation by decompression sickness"
  209. 2013 1 18 DSV "Hallin Penrith" Myanmar The DSV “Hallin Penrith� sank on the 18th of January after being holed on the evening of the 17th. Hallin stated that they were convening an internal enquiry with the assistance of 3rd party experts to establish exactly what happened. Notwithstanding the fact that the inquiry is still in progress to determine the full facts, it initially appears that Penrith hit an unchartered rock while going at 10Kts offshore Myanmar. At the time of the incident Penrith was contracted to support survey work connected with pipelay work offshore Myanmar. All 42 crew and client personnel abandoned ship to the life rafts initially, and were evacuated thereafter to the clients pipelay barge. There were no injuries to personnel other than 2 minor first aid cases suffered in the initial impact. The crew are in the process of being repatriated. Penrith is fully insured and whilst extremely regrettable, this incident will not unduly impact the company financially or put anyone’s job at risk. Longstreath<br />Update: It is understood that Hallin received a full insurance settlement after the incident.
  210. 2012 10 18 Lyng Stig Erik Malaysia Fugro Topsides Norwegian, aged 53, servicing a tsunami warning metocean (Fugro Oceanor Wavescan) buoy off Sipadan from the MV Pendamar. Buoy lifted onto deck for maintenance after two years in the water. The last of 16 bolts holding an access lid was rusted so IP used an angle grinder. The internal atmoshere had been contaminated by gases from the batteries, resulting in an explosion which caused the lid to hit him causing fatal injuries. Reported by the Sun (Malaysia). IMCA SF 5/13 issued April 4th 2013. with detailed eport. NB Buoy manuals did highlight danger and required purging prior to access (Not done on this occassion). Procedures modified and explosion potential warning signs now used on the buoys (Similar to those already used by NOAA on their buoys)
  211. 2012 9 18 Lemons Chris UK Bibby 91 Saturation DPII DSV Bibby Topaz, built 2008, Kongsberg DP system, diving on the Huntington Field template, at 22:09 RBUS DP alarm activated, 22:11 loss of DP control, divers relocated to top of template, vessel starts to drift off, 22:12 Diver 1 pulled off template by tight umbilical, diver 2 umbilical snagged and parted, 22:17 vessel 240 metres East of template, manual control established, diver 2 beacon at template, 22:34, vessel back on auto DP, 22:40 vessel back at template, diver 1 left stage, bell 18 metres from template, 22:46 diver 2 recovered to bell, unconscious, 23:04 diver 2 conscious, 22:13, BLB, 23:39 BLO. Diver 2 on bailout with planned duration of 10 minutes for between 28 and 34 minutes. Survival believed to have been due to rebreather type bailout, high ppO2 in bailout mix, probably rapid onset of hypothermia/reduced breathing rate. Diver made a full recovery. DP fault not identified/publicised, investigation ongoing. Reported in the Press and Journal, Times etc
  212. 2012 8 18 Olurunwa Nigeria Storm surge hit shanty cabins at the Kuramo Beach, Victoria Island early hours of Saturday morning, "So far, only the body of the local diver earlier found on Saturday has been identified. The local diver identified simply as Olurunwa lost his life in his attempt to save the drowning victims. Reported in the Vanguard
  213. 2012 4 18 Stovall Richard USA Stovall's SCUBA and Travel 12 SCUBA Aged 77, owner of PADI diving business in Midland, collecting underwater soil samples from the bed of the O H Ivie Resevoir on behalf of the Colorado River Municipal Water District prior to a dredging company removing silt from the pipe to the pumping station. Entered the water through a concrete tower on a pumping station in the resevoir, should have been a 10 minute dive, failed to surface. Body found two days later at the inshore end of a 350' long, 8' diameter pipe in a chamber below a pump station onshore. Appears to have been a solo dive, no stand-by or back up. San Angelo Standard Times
  214. 2012 3 18 Kelley Daniel USA Sunset Beach Oyster Company 4 Aged 48, commercial geoduck harvesting off Ayock point in the Hood Canal, ill in the water and stopped responding to signals, pulled out of the water and began CPR, transported ashore and taken to Mason General hospital where he was pronounced dead. Reported as having drowned after having a heart attack. Autopsy revealed the diver 'had pre-existing conditions that may have led to the heart attack'. Toxicology testing ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning. KMAS News Radio
  215. 2011 10 18 Castellano Nerio Enrique Vielma Venezuela Cooperativa Buzos Industriales Aged 33 or 34, married, three children. Lake Maracaibo, working on a gas line station repair (Flow station BA-12, Lake Bachaquero Production Unit). Seems to have been an entanglement/dropped object/ umbilical incident, but no coherent details. "Accident under investigation", body recovered 20 minutes after the initial incident and evacuated to Zulima Pier, Lagunillas. Diver had 12 years diving experience with an established diving contractor, became unemployed and joined CBI two weeks before the accident. Diario La Region/Noticia al Dia
  216. 2011 3 18 Marin Antonio Argentina Aged 43, carrying out underwater repairs to the bow of the "Golestan" moored in the port of Quequen, recovered to deck but failed to respond to treatment. No other details. Reported by DiarioNecochea.com
  217. 2010 11 18 Nolesolo Roberto Villata Peru SCUBA Aged 38, one of two shellfish divers (Valiente Zapata Wilbert was killed) diving from the scallop boat 'Robert Alexander' off the island 'Lobos de Tierra' involved in a decompression incident. No details. Reported by GPS Diving
  218. 2010 11 18 Wilbert Valiente Zapata Peru SCUBA Aged 38, one of two shellfish divers (Roberto Villata Nolesolo was seriously injured) diving from the scallop boat 'Robert Alexander' off the island 'Lobos de Tierra' involved in a decompression incident. No details. Reported by GPS Diving
  219. 2010 10 18 Tiffin CPO Andrew Afghanistan Canadian Navy Topsides Canadian, 42-year-old father of two, naval clearance diver and explosive ordnance disposal technician. (Friend and colleague of Craig Blake - killed 3rd of May - whose coffin he escorted home). He specialized in the analysis of explosive devices, based in Kandahar, working on a seemingly disabled device when it blew apart in his hands. Severely damaged left hand, also arms injuries, medivac to Germany and then onward to Canada. The Star.com. (Included for information, a diver, but not working as a diver so not counted as a diving fatality TC)
  220. 2010 5 18 Carvalho Sgt. Andre Luiz dos Santos Brazil Navy Navy diver, Rio Naval base on the Island of Mocangue, went missing during a diving exercise, body found by SAR team three hours later. No details
  221. 2009 9 18 Chia Gerald Singapore J Diving Services 20 SCUBA Paraphrased from the news report “1st time working for company, 2nd diving assignment for firm, 3rd day on the job, Diver drowns. 21-year-old diver's body found after two days. His badly decomposed body, missing off Western Singapore for two days, bobbed to the surface on Sunday evening; air tank taken by police for probe. In between running his own scuba diving firm, known as Jet Scuba, Mr Chia did freelance work for commercial diving companies. Relatives identified him through the tattoos on his body. The body of Mr Gerald Chia Jia Jie, 21, was found near the oil rig he had been working on, still clad in dark-blue work overalls and with his gas tank and face mask still in place. A Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) boat, part of the search operations that had been under way for more than 50 hours, spotted the body at about 6pm. When Mr Chia went missing at around noon last Friday, he was on only his second assignment underwater for J Diving Services. He had started freelancing for the company only two days before that. He was carrying out installation works on the oil rig berthed in the Jurong West Anchorage at the time, 'his job was to install shackles on the rig, a relatively simple task', said the diving supervisor. 'Seasoned divers would take 15 minutes to do it, and newcomers, half an hour at the most', he added. Mr Chia had gone underwater, about 20m down, with a more experienced partner, as is the practice in the industry. The pair were supposed to surface together, but his buddy told his colleagues later that Mr Chia needed to share oxygen (it was air, simple SCUBA operation, TC) with him, although it was not clear why. Mr Chia took two breaths of air before ascending to the surface. The supervisor said Mr Chia's buddy followed him up, but lost sight of him and started searching for him without success. Friends said Mr Chia, who studied marketing at the Management Development Institute of Singapore, took up leisure diving only a few years ago, but quickly became a qualified dive instructor.� Reported in the Straits Times (Note. Reports, if accurate!! indicate basic sports SCUBA gear (half mask not full face) and only PADI qualified whilst Singapore regulations (TA/WSH) for use of SCUBA at work require minimum full face mask, life line, surface communications, locator beacon and professional qualifications, but this is only speculation pending official reports TC)
  222. 2009 5 18 Not Recorded Finland Aged 24 or 34, Bridge on a (hydro-electric?) dam at Ilomantsi in North Karelia, underwater repair works, trapped by differential pressure, body was dug out. No other details, reported in Journals Archive
  223. 2009 3 18 Not Recorded Thailand Navy 0 Royal Thai Navy SEAL, oil installation security exercise, Arthit field, Gulf of Thailand, officer was climbing ladder from sea up to installation at the end of the exercise in the field , apparently slipped and fell off into the sea, swept away, reported as missing, presumed dead.
  224. 2008 11 18 Not Recorded Greece Shellfish diver off the vessel 'Agios Dimitrios' with two other crew in the Palaiomanas Gulf, working 2 to 12 metres for two or three dives a day up to two and a half hours each (No decompression). Diver apparently recovered unconscious from the water. Vessel returned to Kalamarias Port and diver transferred to hospital where he was pronounced dead. 'Relevant Port Authorities investigating'. No details. Divers Union of Thessalonika website
  225. 2008 1 18 Hanson Ola Norway SCUBA Aged 25, from Karlskrona in Sweden, 4 man commercial scallop diving operation off a small fishing community of Froya in Southern Norway, found unconscious on the seabed attached to a scallop bag containimg 70Kg, cause of death not reported. One year old daughter, his mother said his dream was to work on the oil platforms. Reported by Dykarna.nu
  226. 2007 8 18 DSV "Orelia" UK Technip Saturation DP incident. Vessel attempted a 580m move when on DP sat diving ops set up 40 m from "Tartan A", Talisman. Heading would have taken the Orelia straight through the platform, swift action of the bridge crew saved the day and they stopped the run off 10m from the platform, divers down at the time (considering the batter of the platform the bell must have been pretty damn close) RIDDOR report submitted. DP fault found to be a switching bug buried deep in the core program software. Vessel has gone back to work with a "Don't operate this switch within 10 seconds of operating another switch" procedure prepared by the skipper. Inherent problem with the vessels DP Program which only came to light after 8 years of DP Operations (particular sequence of events which when executed within a particular time scale results in the vessel losing position). Kongsberg DP system but software by "Converteam".
  227. 2007 7 18 Whittal Robert USA Speciality diving, inshore 3 S/S Air From South Africa, Jetting, lost air pressure from topside, not wearing a bail out. Ditched his hat but fouled in his umbilical and jet hose. By the time the crew got him on deck, no pulse, not breathing, bleeding from the head. Revived with CPR, medivac-ed to hospital, initially on life support. Ongoing lawsuit.
  228. 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
  229. 1998 5 18 Johnson Grey China Oceaneering 40 Saturation Australian, "Ocean Winsertor", on contract to Hyundai Heavy Industries, Poisoned by seabed toxins (H2S, arsenic, Mercury) then circa 12 Chinese divers subsequently medivac'd. All Oceaneering divers survived, but have suffered ever since.
  230. 1998 5 18 MacPhail Alister China Oceaneering 40 Saturation Australian, "Ocean Winsertor", on contract to Hyundai Heavy Industries, Poisoned by seabed toxins (H2S, arsenic, Mercury) then circa 12 Chinese divers subsequently medivac'd. All Oceaneering divers survived, but have suffered ever since.
  231. 1998 5 18 Shord Mike China Oceaneering 40 Saturation Australian, "Ocean Winsertor", on contract to Hyundai Heavy Industries, Poisoned by seabed toxins (H2S, arsenic, Mercury) then circa 12 Chinese divers subsequently medivac'd. All Oceaneering divers survived, but have suffered ever since.
  232. 1998 5 18 Skeate Martin China Oceaneering 40 Saturation Australian, "Ocean Winsertor", on contract to Hyundai Heavy Industries, Poisoned by seabed toxins (H2S, arsenic, Mercury) then circa 12 Chinese divers subsequently medivac'd. All Oceaneering divers survived, but have suffered ever since.
  233. 1998 2 18 Not Recorded Israel Israeli Navy SCUBA One of two divers roped together conducting a mine search under an Israeli cargo vessel, the Zim Adriatic, in Haifa Bay. Reported as being “sucked into one of the ship's propellers, which had been mysteriously turned on�.
  234. 1997 3 18 Mestaz Charlie "JR" USA Yakima Fire Department SCUBA American, aged 37. One of a two man (Hauber) fire team trying to rescue two divers (Rhode/Eberle) from a 2210 long, 13 foot diameter irrigation tunnel, their lights were seen returning to the entrance but they failed to surface, they were pulled out by two stand-by divers. They had run out of air, died in hospital three days later. Qudruple fatality (Rhode, Eberle, Hauber)
  235. 1991 11 18 Goh Cpt. Chong Kiat Singapore Aged 35, Singaporean Naval Officer, went missing during a training exercise, body found by Singapore Authorities tugboat 2 km north of Pulau Bukom and recovered by the Republic of Singapore Navy. Inquiry was held in February 1994. No other details. Straits Times
  236. 1991 5 18 Worthington Chris USA Aged 22, Killed while preforming a wheel job when the engines were started and engaged. Body recovered
  237. 1990 4 18 Buckley Todd USA Puget Watermen 18 S/S Air 22 year old student at Evergreen state College, taking a gap period between semesters to earn money, had been working for 2 months on a commercial operation harvesting Sea Urchins (“Geoducks�) using surface supplied gear from a 30' fishing vessel out of Olympia. Bubbles stopped, pulled to surface not breathing, weight belt and harvesting line wrapped round airline. Flown to medical centre, transferred to hospital, died. Reported as respiratory arrest, hypothermia and decompression syndrome. Spokane Chronicle
  238. 1987 11 18 Batuecas Sgt. Francisco Javier Arroyo Spain Army Army engineer died during a training dive at the Navy diving centre in Cartagena whilst on a diving course. Reported as 'death may be due to natural causes and not an accident' by the forces spokesman, but no details. Reported in 'El Pais'
  239. 1987 9 18 Gibson Terry Australia SCUBA Aged 47, described as a professional shellfish diver, diving solo off Marino Rocks, Adelaide, disappeared. Weight belt and ripped vest were found on the seabed, presumed to be a shark attack. No other details. Reported in the Ledger.
  240. 1985 9 18 Gurley Mike USA A subcontractor to the Georgia Power Company American, aged 34, fire-fighter, 10 years experience as a fire department diver, was also a diving instructor. Incident happened at the Morgan Falls dam where he was training another fire-fighter whilst undertaking sub-contract commercial diving work at the dam. The team had been hired by the power company to repair an underwater valve and recover constuction equipment lost previously. Whilst working on a valve, his left leg got sucked into a 14 inch drain pipe trapping him. He was conscious and calling for help for 45 minutes. "Rescuers delayed using a crane to pull him free for fear of tearing or breaking his leg".The last thing he was reported as saying was "Get my wife here, right now", then he went silent. Fifteen minutes later they pulled him free using the crane - which broke his legs. Flown by helicopter to Northside Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Cause of death was not recorded as drowning but 'hyperventilation'. The fire department battalon chief was quoted as saying "Gurley was a master diver, I don't know anybody who was more qualified". Survived by his Wife and three young daughters. Atlanta Herald.
  241. 1983 8 18 LaFollette Ricky A USA Police 30 SCUBA American police diver aged 30, Louisville, Kentucky, experienced, night training exercise using new communication equipment, did not respond to calls, believed to have become disorientated in the dark and descended rather than ascended, drowned.
  242. 1980 10 18 Rig 'Maersk Endurer' Egypt Maersk Jack Up, drilling in the Gulf of Suez, blowout, derrick collapsed, 3 fatalities. Rig renamed as the 'EDC Setty'
  243. 1980 9 18 Not Recorded USA A diver testing effects of cooling water discharge from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) on marine life died Wednesday while collecting samples. No details. Los Angeles Times
  244. 1975 3 18 McDonald Norman Canada Can Dive Services 6 Chamber Described as “Working in water more than 200 feet deep off the Harmac pulp mill (owned byMacMillan Bloedel Ltd)�, required surface decompression in deck chamber, “The RCMP said a diver burned to death when a spark ignited in the pure oxygen in the decompression chamber". Victim was not named. Reported in the Windsor Star. An alternative report says that the diver was completing his surface decompression at 1.6 bara (20 fsw) following a routine mixed gas dive dive to 275'. His respirator mask was not working correctly so he switched to a second that was 'Y' connected and put it on free flow which by-passed the overboard dump and allowed the O2 inside the chamber build to an estimated 40%. The diver was wearing two sweathers for warmth. As the chamber was being vented the diver removed his wool sweater from over the synthetic one. There was a flash inside the chamber and smoke poured out of the vents and BIBS dump. It was concluded that static electrical discharge was the initiating factorThe diver died as a result of the explosion, CO poisoning and asphyxia. Sheffield and Desautels “Hyperbaric and hypobaric Chamber fires, a 73 year analysis�, Undersea Hyperbaric Medicine, 1997, 24 (3): 153-164
  245. 1974 8 18 Gumblowski Ray USA 40 Aged 42, (Shell) oil survey dive from the boat 'Robert R ' 48 miles offshore out of Bayboro Harbour, surfaced, but collapsed on deck, put in DDC but stopped breathing. Alternative report says entered DDC normally to undergo surface decompression but after 10 minutes had breathing difficulties. A second diver (Charles Hinson) was locked in to assist, but was unable to restart his breathing. Body was removed from chamber after diving specialist doctor flown out from panama city pronounced him dead. Autopsy results not reported at the time. The Evening Independent.
  246. 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
  247. 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
  248. 1971 8 18 Koh John Kay Lim Singapore Straits Diving Singaporean aged 33, diving to clean a water suction tube at the Jurong power station. Dive team "found Koh stuck to the wire netted entrance of the tube limp and lifeless". Verdict was drowning by misadventure. Straits Times
  249. 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.
  250. 1967 8 18 Not Recorded USA Military Two experienced divers died of bends on Naval mission during a deep sea diving operation. The divers died after being put into a decompressiuon chamber onboard the 'Skylark" (ASR-20, a Penguin class submarine rescue vessel, launched 1946, decommissioned and sold to Brazil in 1973). The precise location of the vessel was not revealed by the Navy. New York Times
  251. 1966 11 18 Robbie, RN PO George Uganda Military British naval diver, died at Jinja in eastern Uganda working on a new train ferry terminal when a crane lifting rock toppled over. No other details. Straits Times
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