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Incidents List

  1. Year Month Day Surname Forenames Location Contractor Client Depth Type of Diving Details
  2. 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'
  3. 1968 8 0 Rig 'Little Bob' USA Coral Drilling Rig Disaster Jack Up, drilling off Louisiana, fire.
  4. 1974 11 0 Rig 'Liberacion' South America Jack Up, caugt in a storm, grounded, sank
  5. 1990 5 30 Rig 'Keyes Marine 303' USA Jack Up, Blow out
  6. 1988 2 22 Rig 'Keyes Marine 302' USA Jack Up, Punch through, legs bent/collaopsed, total loss.
  7. 1983 9 1 Rig 'Key Biscayne' Australia Esso, Key International Had completed a well in the Arafura Sea, 180 miles northeast of Darwin, Australia, moving to stack the rig in Cockburn Sound near Fremantle towed by the Atlas Van Diemen and the Lady Sonia with the Argus Guard as stand-by vessel. On Wednesday 24 August 1983, both tow lines parted and were reconnected by the early hours of Thursday 25 Aug. The rig then rounded the NW Cape and passed Shark Bay, experiencing slight seas but no problems. On Sunday 28 Aug, the weather began to worsen with force 6-7 winds, rough seas and 6-7m swells. On the evening of the Sunday 28 Aug, both tow lines were again lost. The rig was pitching and rolling heavily with the sea constantly washing over the main deck, causing damage to the rig from smaller cargo items which were washed around the main deck. There was some suspicion that sections of the deck plating had been fractured causing leaks, and water taken onboard during the bad weather was pumped out. By Monday 29 Aug, both tow lines were reconnected and the tow resumed in more moderate weather. By midnight of 31 Aug, gale force conditions sprang up with high winds, rough seas and 6m swells buffeting the rig. At 0644 hours on Thurs 01 September, the Lady Sonia tow line parted and the Atlas Van Diemen attempted to hold rig into the wind, although both vessels were being driven easterly towards the shore. The rig appeared to be pitching more to the stern than the bow with the sea continually washing over the main deck, indicating that some flooding of the aft tanks may have occurred. On the morning of 01 Sep, it became obvious that the rig was settling to the stern and the rig reported water overflowing from the aft pump room into the port-side sack room. The worsening situation led to the decision to evacuate non-essential personnel and a MAYDAY was sent at 0930 hours on 01 Sep. By this time, a charter helicopter had arrived on scene but the pilot could not land due to the excessive pitching of the rig. Two defence force choppers were despatched and were able to winch off eight crew, after which there was a lull in the weather and the charter chopper managed to lift off another ten. By 1230 hours, only ten essential crew were left aboard. Through the day, the rig began settling to the stern and listing to starboard, with heavy seas washing over deck. The bow was observed lifting clear of the sea, with the rig pitching 10 degrees forward, 25 degrees back and rolling 15 degrees to each side. The rig's Manual of Operations specified that the rig's pitch or roll should not exceed 5 degrees. After a number of unsuccessful attempts to re-attach the towline, all line-throwing rockets had been used and conditions on the deck became too hazardous for work. Ten nautical miles off Ledge Point, the rig's port anchor was let go to help hold the rig. The remaining crew were then evacuated at 1620 hours, with the intention of returning the following day. At 1730 hours, the rig anchor parted. At 1845 hours, the Atlas Van Diemen towline parted. The Argus Guard then turned to starboard to clear the rig. After the turn, the rig was no longer visible and radar contact had been lost. The rig had capsized in 41m of water, landing inverted on the seabed with two of its legs bent or broken under the rig. The third leg lay broken off away from the rig. The attitude of the rig on the seabed indicated that it had tipped over backwards. Loss of directional control and gale force conditions were cited as the main factors in the accident. Loss of watertight integrity and flooding through possible hull fractures caused by excessive leg oscillation experienced as the rig pitched and rolled were also named as contributory factors. Reported by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. The wreck is now a well known SCUBA diving site.
  8. 2004 8 20 Rig 'Jim Cunningham' Egypt Semi Sub, Blow
  9. 1996 4 0 Rig 'Jalapa' USA Jack Up, sank in a storm (Structural failure)
  10. 1989 11 8 Rig 'Interocean II' UK Whilst on tow to a new location in the Southern North Sea ran into a gale with 85 mph winds and 25 foot seas. Lost one of its towlines, the coast guard was notified and two helicopters were scrambled from Bristow's North Denes base in Norfolk to extract 43 of the rig's 51 crew. The first chopper reached the rig 30 minutes later to find the rig pitching and rolling, with the helideck tilted at 10 degrees. In driving rain, with the rig heaving up to 25 feet, the first 10 crew were airlifted and flown to a neighbouring platform. The second chopper arrived to find the rig corkscrewing in heavy seas, resulting in the need for the pilot to reverse his chopper onto the helideck. After two more extractions, only 11 men were left on board, of which eight were expecting to remain behind as a skeleton crew. The first chopper returned for the last extraction but was unable to find the rig as the final towline had parted, allowing the rig to drift away. It became obvious that this would be the last landing attempted and the remaining crew were advised to abandon the rig due to the increasingly difficult conditions. The last 11 men had to crawl across the helideck before the chopper departed. Several minutes later, the Interocean II capsized and sank as a result of structural failure and flooding. Helicopter pilots all received the Queen's Award for Gallantry for the courage shown during the rescue. Reported in the Times
  11. 2005 9 28 Rig 'High Island III" USA Global Santa Fe Like the Adriatic VII, the High Island was evacuated before Rita and was also broken off its legs before being set adrift. It sustained major damage, including the loss of its derrick was found run aground in a self-created trench in shallow waters off the Louisiana coast. The High Island has gone on to share a similar fate as the Adriatic VII. Its derrick was not salvaged and is now an underwater obstruction. The legs of the rig were salvaged in October 2006 by Smit. The hull of the rig was towed back to Port Arthur shipyard, Texas and sat alongside Adriatic VII. By September 2006, GSF had decided to dispose of the High Island III and was evaluating whether to sell the remains or declare the rig a constructive total loss for insurance purposes. Oil Rig Disastersi
  12. 2005 9 28 Rig 'Hercules 25' USA Jack Up, Derrick fell onto rig, Hurricane Rita damage
  13. 1980 0 0 Rig 'Harvey Ward' Jack Up, caught in a mudslide, total loss
  14. 2005 0 0 Rig 'Gulfwind' Chile Jack Up incident off Chile, no details
  15. 1988 0 0 Rig 'Glomar Labrador I' Jack Up, collision with a merchant ship
  16. 2001 5 9 Rig 'Glomar Baltic I' USA, GOM Jack Up, Blow out
  17. 1998 7 0 Rig 'Glomar Arctic IV' Rig Disaster Semi Sub, explosion, 2 fatalities
  18. 1985 1 0 Rig 'Glomar Arctic II' UK Semi Sub, explosion in pump room, 2 fatalities
  19. 1974 10 9 Rig 'Gemini' Jack Up, punch through, collapsed
  20. 1976 1 0 Rig 'Gatto Selvatico' AGIP Jack Up, sank
  21. 1989 4 0 Rig 'Five Sisters' USA Jack Up, sank in a storm
  22. 1969 3 1 Rig 'Estrellita' USA Jack Up, caught in a storm, grounded, sank
  23. 2004 9 15 Rig 'Ensco 64' USA Ensco The Ensco 64 was drilling the Main Pass 280 #5 well. As the rig was lying directly in Ivan's path, the Ensco 64 was secured and evacuated prior to the storm, which included laying down drillpipe from the derrick, setting a storm packer and skidding the drilling package back in. As a result of Hurricane Ivan, the Ensco 64's main hull was sheared off its legs before being set adrift with the remains of two legs hanging below. The third leg was completely lost and the derrick and drillfloor were toppled onto the upper hull. The rig was eventually found 40 miles south of its pre-Ivan location. The rig was stacked in Brownsville, Texas until April 2005, when it was declared a constructive total loss for insurance purposes. In July 2005, Ensco sold the rig to Blake Drilling & Workover Co., who planned to renovate the rig and rename it "Blake Champion" Oil Rig Disasters
  24. 2001 3 1 Rig 'Ensco 51' USA Jack Up, Eugene Island 273, blowout when setting casing, fire
  25. 1969 0 0 Rig 'Elefante' Venezuela Jack Up, Lake Maracaibo, caught fire.
  26. 1968 4 28 Rig 'Dresser 2' USA Jack Up, Overturned and sank (Seabed soil failure)
  27. 1977 9 0 Rig 'Dolphin Titan 143' Jack Up, sank during towing, salvaged but retired.
  28. 1968 3 13 Rig 'Dixilyn Julie Ann' USA Jack Up, sank during rig move/towing (caught in a storm).
  29. 1986 11 20 Rig 'Dixilyn Field 83' India Jack Up, sank off Mumbai, Starboard leg punched through, capsised
  30. 1985 6 0 Rig 'Dixilyn Field 82' Indian Ocean Jack Up, sank during towing (caught in a storm).
  31. 1980 8 9 Rig 'Dixilyn Field 81' USA Jack Up, Sunk on location by hurricane 'Allen'
  32. 1980 0 0 Rig 'Dixilyn 150' Jack Up, Sank, no details
  33. 1957 0 0 Rig 'Deepwater II' USA, GOM Jack Up, caught in a hurricane, sank
  34. 1976 3 1 Rig 'Deep Sea Driller' Norway Semi Sub, drifted and grounded in a storm, 6 fatalities.
  35. 1991 8 15 Rig 'DB 29' South China Sea McDermott Vessel sunk McDermott DB 29, sank when caught in typhoon 'Fred' in the South China Sea, POB 195, Total 22 fatalities, dive team in sat, 4 divers died. Reported that McDermott changed their policy after this incident and have always used mobilised an HRC with every system.
  36. 1980 10 22 Rig 'Dan Prince' USA Jack Up, sank during rig move/towing (caught in a storm).
  37. 1969 11 25 Rig 'Constellation' UK Jack Up, sank during rig move/towing (caught in a storm).
  38. 1983 0 0 Rig 'Cerveza' Blowout
  39. 1964 6 30 Rig 'C. P. Baker' USA Catarmaran Drillship built I 1962 from two world war II (1945) US Navy hulls, drilling block 273 in the Eugene Island area, hit shallow gas, blowout, 22 fatalities
  40. 1981 0 0 Rig 'Bohai 6' China Jack Up, no details
  41. 1980 6 15 Rig 'Bohai 3" China Jack up, blow out, caught fire and burned. 70 fatalities
  42. 1979 11 25 Rig 'Bohai 2' China Ocean Oil Company Jack Up, sank during rig move/towing (caught in a storm), 72 fatalities out of a POB of 74
  43. 1986 0 0 Rig 'Bob Buschman' Jack Up, sank
  44. 1992 9 29 Rig 'Blake IV' Rig Disaster Jack Up, Blow out, caught fire
  45. 1987 10 20 Rig 'Bigfoot 2' USA Jack Up, Punch through (2 legs)
  46. 1982 0 0 Rig 'Banzala' Angola Jack Up, blowout (Shallow gas?) sank
  47. 1976 0 0 Rig 'Baku 2' Caspian Jack Up, sank after capsising (Punch through)
  48. 2002 9 30 Rig 'Arabdrill 19' Saudi Arabia Jack Up, leg punch through, blowout, caught fire, destroyed rig and a production platform in theKhafji field, 3 fatalities.
  49. 1975 9 0 Rig 'AMDP-1' UAE Jack Up, sank during rig move/towing
  50. 1984 0 0 Rig 'Ali Baba' Semi Sub, broke moorings, went adrift and then went aground.
  51. 1980 3 27 Rig 'Alexander Kielland' Norway Phillips Pentagon semi submersible, Ekofisk Field, flotel at Eddas. Sructural failure, capsised (alternative story that the rig was deliberately sabotaged with explosives), 123 fatalities. No divers onboard
  52. 2000 4 15 Rig 'Al Mariyah' UAE Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Co. Jack up. Located over wellhead platform 94 (Umm Shaif field), skidding derrick, collapsed (failed jacking system). POB 68, 4 fatalities. After lay up was rebuilt by Arab Contractors Bahrain (2006) for NDC
  53. 1989 4 28 Rig 'Al Baz' Nigeria Sante Fe Jack Up, blow out, caught fire, burned and sank, 5 fatalities
  54. 2005 9 28 Rig 'Adriatic VII' USA Global Santa Fe Evacuated before Rita hit, the Adriatic VII was broken from its legs and set adrift. It was found beached approximately 118 NM from its pre-storm location, in shallow waters off the Louisiana coast. It suffered severe damage, including the loss of its derrick, rig floor package and helideck. After the hurricane, the derrick and other rig debris were not salvaged and were marked by the USCG as an underwater obstruction. The hull of the rig was towed back to the Port Arthur shipyard in Texas for inspection. By September 2006, GSF had decided to dispose of the damaged rig and the Adriatic VII was sold to a third party for approximately $30 million. The legs of the rig were subsequently salvaged by Smit in June 2007. Oil Rig Disasters
  55. 2004 8 10 Rig 'Adriatic IV' Egypt Jack Up drilling in the Med. Blowout. Subsequent fire destroyed the rig and the Temsah platform
  56. 1993 2 0 Rig 'Actina' Vietnam Semi Submersible. Blow out
  57. 1983 9 9 Rig '60 Years of Azerbaijan' Azerbaijan Jack up, drilling in the Caspian Sea, Recorded as seabed failure due to volcanic action (shallow gas/punch through?). 5 fatalities
  58. 1904 4 15 Ride John USA S/S Air The diver who blocked the valve and eventually recovered the body of William Hoar working upstream of it in the water flow.
  59. 1932 7 28 Riddle Forest USA S/S Air Aged 35 from Hebron, Kentucky, 'repairing wickets at government dam 31 on the Ohio River. Got trapped by a fouled airline for an hour then floated to the surface, dead. Physicians said no signs of drowning or suffocation and expressed the belief he died of heart disease. The Toledo News.
  60. 1978 0 0 Riddett Richard 'Dick" Taiwan Samson Ocean Systems Working for Samson Ocean Sustems out of Singapore, reported as having died on a rig offshore Taiwan. No other deails. Old Divers Noticeboard
  61. 1976 0 0 Riddett Richard 'Dick' Asia Ocean Systems? (tbc) 61 S/S Air Australian, diving off one of the Diamand M rigs (Dragon or General?). Stopped responding to signals, brought to surface and pronounced dead. Details needed. OK Dude/Longstreath.
  62. 1942 12 31 Rickwood, RN M Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  63. 1898 3 29 Richmond? Edwin Arthur UK S/S Air "Fatality to Dock Board Diver. Mr. Samson, City Coroner held inquest today into the death of Edwin Arthur Ruthrrtmd (Assumed to be scanning error, actually Richmond" TC), aged 39, diver..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Liverpool Echo/The British Newspaper Archive
  64. 1899 7 17 Richardson UK "The drowning of a Tyne diver. Salvage of a steam wherry ("Borthwick"?) near Breadnell. Yesterday, the body of a South Shields diver named…" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Carlisle Patriot/Shields Daily Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive
  65. 1996 10 8 Richards Jessica Anna Australia Australian Institute of Marine Sciences 10 SCUBA British, aged 19. Volunteer scientific diver, check out dive on Davies Reef, 55 miles NE Townsville. Separated from group near end of dive, low on air, surfaced and screamed for help, some delay in rescue due to fouled anchor on tender. Cerebral arterial gas embolism (CAGE). Investigation concluded inadequate system of competence and experience assessment. Workplace Health and Safety, Queensland.
  66. 1993 9 7 Rice Matthew USA 9 SCUBA Aged 24, off Maine, sports diver and student gathering sea urchins, first salt water dive, tender lost sight of bubbles, found on seabed 20 minutes later, drowned, boat owner cited for violations of commercial diving standards.
  67. 2009 7 28 Ricciarelli Louis USA 6 S/S Air American, aged 56, diving off Quonset point from the 25'.commercial fishing vessel 'Chelsea Ann' for Qhahogs (clams). Diving solo, no crew. Alerted as 'not returned' by his wife, boat located with diving hose over the side. Divers recovered him from the seabed, deceased. “Equipment failure/lost gas� but no details. Reported in the Providence Journal
  68. 2003 3 24 Riani Avishai Israel Ardag Fish Farm SCUBA Aged 42, dive team leader at the Ardag Fish Farm in Eilat where had worked for the previous 10 years. Around 9 o'clock in the evening in a storm, 20 -25 knot winds, 3 metre seas, went with one other diver went out to repair a seawater inlet pie (supplying fresh seawater to land based fish breeding tanks). Onshore team noticed his body floating on the surface and pulled him ashore but were unable to revive him. No obvious injuries, no details.
  69. 2012 4 27 Rhodes Randy R USA 4 SCUBA Aged 55, from Indiana, clearing zebra mussels from a water intake at a private residence on Keuka Lake, reported as surfacing and calling for help before sinking under the water about 18:15 hours, body recovered from 13' of water, 80' from the shore by rescuers who were on site within 5 minutes of receiving an emergency call at 18:20. Alive when pulled from the water but declared dead in hspital two hours later. Not counted in the 'working diver' fatality count as this appears to be a local resident clearing his own or a neighbour's water pipe on a Friday evening. Appears to have been a solo SCUBA diver. Sadly this death will not be remembered for the circumstances of the death but a very public argument between the New York State SCUBA team who claim to have rescued the unconscious diver and Wayne Fire Department Cold Water Response team who say they located the diver and Steuben County Dive Team volunteer members who say they then brought the diver to the surface. Steuben Courier
  70. 1997 3 15 Rhode Marty USA Roza Irrigation district 30 SCUBA America, aged 33, employed to remove cars from 2210 feet long, 13 foot diameter irrigation canal tunnel "syphon", trapped by flowing water, ran out of air, drowned. Two man team, no stand-by divers/equipment. Two firemen died trying to rescues them, quadruple fatality (Eberle, Hauber, Mestaz)
  71. 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
  72. 2013 2 26 Reyher, USN Navt Diver First Class James USA USN Aged 28 from Caldwell, Ohio, assigned to Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 2 at the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Died in a double fatality incident (with Ryan Harris) at at the US Army UNDEX Test Facility (UTF) 'super pond' at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. The UTF is 1070 feet long, 150 feet deep. One of the divers was pronounced dead at the scene while the second was taken to an area hospital where he was also pronounced dead. A spokesman for the Aberdeen Proving Ground said Tuesday's deaths are not believed to be connected to the earlier incident (George Lazaro killed 30th January 2013 during maitenance activities). But officials said that the test facility has been closed for all diving operations until investigations into the recent deaths are done. No details but autopsy results confirmed 'drowning'. Reported as the only deaths since the facility opened in 1995. Associated Press
  73. 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
  74. 1942 12 31 Revethan B Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  75. 2010 1 4 Renou Simon Italy Fireman 1 Paraphrased from Italian Press Reports:- “ROME - a diver was trapped underwater while working on the maintenance at the dam Castel Jubilee to the north of the capital, where he was working to unlock one of the four sluices which had been raised to drain the high water from recent heavy rains and had not closed completely His diving partner immediately gave the alarm and have started relief operations. 
Attempts to rescue the diver were made difficult by the water pressure that passes through the slot of the lock, pinning him against t. e wall. Initial rescue attempt failed and a rescue diver from the fire brigade went in with a rescue rope which he secured to the cylinder harness and the diver was successfully pulled to the surface (Hospitalised with hypothermia, but recovered). As the working diver was recovered, the fireman disappeared from sight (the torrent was rising) in a cascade of logs/debris. He was eventually recovered by pulling on his surface line. Might have been sucked into a suction pump that was put into operation to lower the water level or simply hit by debris. “Something had ripped off the mask and his face was cyanotic and blood was pouring from his nose." working diver might have had surface supply (he had comms and a lifeline, Fireman appears to have been on a lifeline but might have been on SCUBA gear. Reported in 'La Repubblica'
  76. 2009 9 5 Renner Robert “Robbie� USA J. H. Reid SCUBA Aged 42. Paraphrased from initial press reports:- “State police have recovered the body of a SCUBA diver who disappeared while looking for some missing construction equipment in a Monmouth County river. Robert Renner was part of a (Dock builder) crew that's constructing a 65-foot fixed span bridge to replace the aging Highlands-Sea Bright Bridge, but was off duty when he entered the Shrewsbury River on Saturday. He was trying to recover a jack that had fallen from the bridge earlier in the week. Diving solo from a 20' flat bottomed boat, went in with a downline tied to his arm. The rope came loose and he failed to resurface, the two people who were with him in a boat notified authorities shortly before noon. His body was recovered about six hours later. Officials say the area where Renner was diving is filled with debris and known for swift currents, and rescuers had to wait a few hours until they could safely enter the water. The cause of death was not immediately known.� Reported in the Star Ledger, NJ.com.. (OK, Not strictly “at work� so not included in the 'count', a weekend dive, unasked, just trying to do his boss a favour, but included here as a tragic example of why we have commercial standards. TC)
  77. 1975 3 12 Rene Pierre Canada 50 Aged 32 from Montreal, "Four specialists in underwater medicine tried unsuccessfully to save the life of a diver who became ill while working in the Port of Quebec. Police said that he became ill while inspecting the outlet of a sewage conduit in the middle of the St Lawrence River". Edmonton Journal
  78. 1939 2 18 Rene Emile Canada S/S Air Aged 63 from Vancouver, working on the Fraser river at Kanaka Landing (5 miles South of Lytton, B C) to recover a sunken barge owned by the Fraser Alluvial Gold Mining Company. At noon, the crew pulled on his lines but no response and he could not be pulled up, lines fouled. Rescue diver, Bert Walsh, was deployed and freed him, brought to the surface but dead. Reported that the diving gear was still in good working order and the suit dry. "A veteran of undersea adventures in the Americas, the Antipodes and the South Seas, had lived in Vancouver but moved to Venice, California, were his wife still lives, had returned to Vancouver to salvage the barge". The Vancouver Sun
  79. 2004 2 0 Remeze or Remese Floriant France Trtavaux Ocean 3 S/S Air French, (Surname could be Remeze or Remese), French Canal (L'Eecluse' de Bollene - the Rhone). Drilling concrete underwater with a big machine. His umbilical caught by the machine. Did not or could not open his bail out (possibility of contaminated air supply).
  80. 2014 8 14 Relique Jesus Spain Aged 43, from Cadiz, married with 2 children, commercial diver for over 10 years, working at the port of Motril in Granada (Extending and deepening), appears to have been a three man team, the incident ocurred just after 8 in the evening, he was seen on the surface, unconcious, treated but was declared deceased at 10:30pm. No details. The Seaside Gazette
  81. 2007 10 6 Reinaldos Pedro Alejandro Dominguez Chile Osvaldo Galindo SCUBA Aged 40. Diving at the Quiquel Cultivation Center in Dalcuahue province, - Suffered a diving accident that left him unable to walk several years earlier, continued in the business, working as a middleman between area divers and farmed salmon companies. After he was unable to contract divers for a job, he suited up and took to the water himself. Chiloé Provincial Labor Inspector Víctor Inostroza quoted as saying “The fact that the worker who died was handicapped just shows that there’s no one at the salmon farm worried about security. This diver was absolutely illegal. He didn’t have a diving permit. His equipment was in poor condition. There was no contingency plan and the diver wasn’t trained,�. Allegedly, this death brings to 50 the number of Chilean salmon industry divers who have perished in just the past two years though the same article quotes the diver's union as saying 15 divers had died in the previous 18 months
  82. 2003 1 14 Regnolio Simone Italy Fireman and Adriatica Subsea Services 10 SCUBA Italian, 33 years old. River Tiber near Rome, Castel Giubileo, power plant water intake partially blocked, S/S Air diver trapped by differential pressure, No appointed supervisor or stand-by, Fire brigade attended, rescue diver in SCUBA on lifeline, he drowned, trapped diver managed to free himself. Fire brigade supv on site, Fire brigade diving team leader (not on site) and director of diving contractor (not on site) prosecuted. La Republica.it
  83. 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.
  84. 1954 10 11 Reed Jerry B USA 4 S/S Air Aged 32, Captain of the Ohio River boat 'Martha Green',working at an underwater sluice on a backwater at the Indiana-Kentucky Electric Company plant at Evansville. He had hired a man to handle the surface equipment - who knew nothing about diving equipment - whilst he was diving, the equipment broke down, his air was cut off and he drowned. The News-Sentinel
  85. 2008 4 25 Rebolledo Andres Nelson Bustamente Chile Cultivos Marinos Chiloe 40 Chilean, aged 29, Salmon farm in central Butachauques, reported as DCI, died in hospital (inference is SCUBA and no DDC, to be confirmed) "Third diver to die in the industry this year. Reported that there have been 54 fatalities in the salmon industry since 2005. Ecoceane
  86. 2012 8 5 Reardon Jim USA Fireman SCUBA Aged 51 from Pierz, videoptaping in Lake Seven near Frazee undertaking a pre-drill survey for a future dive exercise for firefighters who were due to train there. Reported as having separated from his dive partner, he was found near the dock 20 minutes later but could not be revived. "No drugs or alcohol was involved, all his diving gear was intact and operational". Autopsy concluded that he "Died of natural causes". Bismark Tribune
  87. 1997 5 22 Rayment David William Canada Working at Ganges Harbour on Saltsprint Island (Between Vancouver Island and the mainland), died, trapped underwater, pinned against the broken wharf he was working on by his collapsed crane. Awarded the Medal of Bravery for his part in trying to save people trapped under an overturned boat in 1993. His best friend said:- "It's ironic he was killed in the same situation, by being trapped underwater".
  88. 1990 7 5 Ratif Ishak bin Abdul Singapore Reported as drowned during a scanning operation off Pulau Ayer Chawan, found unconscious by a colleague. No other details. Straits Times
  89. 2016 11 10 Rathore Dipakbhai Shivkumar India Atlanta Diving and Engineering Services PVT Ltd SS/Air Airlifting at Sutrapada, Gujarat State for Client Gujrat Heavy Chef Ltd. Details unclear and no official report available. Facebook and email.
  90. 1949 8 26 Rasmussen Hans Kristian Krogh Denmark Military Aged 45, Danish Navy diver (First grade Torpedo quarter-master) reported as having died in a diving accident in Aarhus Bay. Reported in navalhistory.dk
  91. 1891 12 1 Rasmassen or Rosmossan Peter Australia Neil Anderson Topsides "Two divers (double fatality with Christian Smith) were drowned at the pearl fishing grounds near Nadoo Island last Tuesday. "The Dingy in which they left the lugger was subsequently found at sea, bottom upwards".The Advertiser, Adelaide.
  92. 1985 11 17 Rao Mathew J USA Caldwell Diving Company 6 S/S Air Removing silt from a dockside water when his air supply was accidentally cut off, 'His air hose got sucked into the intake of the ejection pump, cutting off his air supply,'' NY Times
  93. 1989 11 4 Randy Thailand Oceaneering Philippino diver, died when the Seacrest sank in Typhoon Gay. Reported by Longstreath/PC
  94. 1998 9 9 Randolph Jamison Lee USA Aged 24, reported as a commercial diver having died on a boat offshore Louisiana. No details. Lexington Herald-Leader
  95. 2002 8 9 Ramsey Gary USA Army Corps of Engineers S/S Air Apparent DP, Dam 52 on the Ohio river, . Died after being trapped inside a temporary dam for nearly 50 minutes while caulking cracks near a water intake valve, (may have been surfaced rapidly and suffered embolism) Recovered with no pulse. Lexington Herald Leader
  96. 1896 6 15 Ralno Peter Australia S/S Air "Thursday Island, June 15, Peter Ralno, a diver, was drowned today through the air pipe becoming fouled on the bottom". Reported in the Chronicle, Adelaide
  97. 2010 11 13 Rain Javier Gueichapiren Chile SCUBA Shellfish diver working on the 'Westhoff' 20 miles south of Puerto Melinka Weste, disappeared. Search by Navy personnel located his body on the North coast of Puerto Llancos two days later. www.armada.cl
  98. 1997 0 0 Ragot Philippe France Recreational diving organisation 9 SCUBA French diver inspecting the upstream side of a leaking valve. Got sucked in and killed.- No safety plan, victim the director of the dive organisation, recreational diving instructor - Court decided the manager of the dam was guilty
  99. 2009 11 30 Quntana Nenito Philippines CJMS Diving Services Topsides Dive team working at the gas powered power plant in Limay. Paraphrased from press reports:- “A diver died while a colleague is in critical condition after they entered a nine-meter chlorination tank inside the power plant in Alangan, Limay, Bataan, last Monday. The newly designated police chief reported that Peter Jao, a diving expert of the CJMS Diving Services, did not reach the hospital alive. He suffered broken ribs and skull. The police report stated that the cause of the falling incident was due to a foul odor that the victim inhaled while climbing the ladder on his way out of the chlorination tank. As Jao fell into the cemented flooring of the chlorination tank, his companion identified as Nenito Quintana, also a diver, went down the tank and tried to rescue him. Quintana was assisted by other employees using a crane. As Quintana was climbing the ladder on his way out, he also fell. Rescuers rushed Quintana into the St. Michael Hospital in Orion town. Investigation showed that the two victims proceeded to the chlorination tank at around 9 a.m. Monday to open the water intake valve from the sea. After opening the valve, Jao climbed the ladder but fell after he allegedly inhaled a poisonous substance inside�. Reported in the Manila Bulletin. NB. The power plant uses LPG from the local refinery which reported a death and two unconscious at the sour water treatment plant in September and a vessel chief officer and two seamen injured when a loading hose parted in August (Manila Times)
  100. 2011 6 10 Quiroz Edixon Venezuela Topsides Aged 48, Diving supervisor, Flow station 57 on the Rosa Mediano production system near the town of Simon Bolivar on lake Maracaibo. Reported that he was at the bow giving directions to secure a 2" riser to the wellhead platform when the PDVSA diving vessel went out of control (Went full ahead when the clutch control wire broke) trapping him between the vessel and a barge anchor wire. Broken ribs, internal bleeding, crush injuries. The diver was taken to the PDSVA clinic at Tia Juana but was declared dead on arrival. Reported by GPS Buceo, Longstreath.
  101. 2013 8 6 Quiroga Sergio Daniel Uruguay Belfi-Techint or Stora Enso 7m Unknown Tuesday August 6th 2013 - Uruguay. Quiroga, Sergio Daniel, 2nd Corporal, aged 40, married, three children, Uruguayan Navy Diver with 21 years in the military, 16 as a diver, subcontracted to work for Belfi-Techint (working for main contractor Montes del Plata or for a Swedish company Stora Enso - conflicting reports or maybe just one of those multi-national organisations), on construction of a new dock in Puerto de Conchilllas (region of Colonia, 240 kilometres NW of Montevideo) , depth 7 metres, lifting/shackle operation, lines entangled, trapped underwater, drowned (not clear if S/S air or SCUBA plus communication line).
  102. 2008 6 12 Qadar R. N. Abdul UAE SCUBA Kenyan, married with two children Gulf-news: Quote at the time :Sharjah: “A scuba diver working on a ship at Hamriya Port was killed while checking the ship's engine. The engineer was unaware that the scuba diver was working and switched on the engine, causing the scuba diver to get caught between the propeller blades. Police were unable to find most of the body parts and gave up the search after three days. The people involved in the incident were arrested, including an engineer and two assistants, who claimed that it was an accident and that they had no intention of killing him�. The Ukrainian engineer on the supply vessel 'Orel' who started the engine was found responsible and fined £34,000 'blood money' even though he claimed that he did not know the diver was in the water and had been instructed to start the engine by the chief engineer. Xpress online Note. The Ukrainian marine engineer was prevented from leaving Sharjah until he paid about US$73,000 “diya�, blood money, and a Dh6,000 fine. “I’m very sorry for the death of the man, who I know has two children. I feel for them as I am also a father of two,� He said the accident – which took place when he started the main engine – was not solely his fault as he was ordered by the chief engineer to start it not knowing Abdul Qader was still working astern. “Due to incomplete and inaccurate information and the lack of a translator [during court hearings], all responsibility was laid on me. I am not in a position to pay the amount. I cannot get a job as I don’t have my documents. My wife in Ukraine earns just $120 (Dh440) a month. He started working for the Sharjah-based Whitesea Shipping Company and Supply LLC in March 2007. “I haven’t seen my family since then. I want nothing more than to be home with them,� In August 2009, he received help from the local Russian speaking community, and was allowed home.
  103. 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
  104. 1913 2 28 Putris John Australia S/S Air "South Australia, Two Divers Drowned, Failure of air pumps". "Adelaide, Friday, two divers naned Stevenson and Putris were today drowned at the Wallaroo Jetty Works owing to the failure of thc pumps which supplied air to them". The two men had only been in the water about three minutes when the tender noticed he was not receiving any signals.. Stevenson was brought up and was just breathing but expired immediately, Putris was hauled up dead. Reported in the North Western Advocate and Emu Bay Times.
  105. 1939 8 23 Purdue, RN PO Henry Otho UK Military 45 S/S Air Aged 33, Reported as 'dying of the bends' during the salvage of the "Thetis" (Sank during sea trials in Liverpool Bay on the 1st June 1939 with the loss of 99 personnel). Because of the war, at the time, the entire tragedy was largely hidden from the public.Left surface at 06:33, On bottom 06:35 (At the stern to examine the propeller), returned to surface at 07:15, put into chamber for surface decompression. Surfacing had bbeen delayed by around 5 minutes when was fouled on a grapnel on his downline. Reported that he was unconscious when in the decompression chamber. The medics further reported that his lungs wrre congested (Diseased) and this had prevented him decompressing properly, cause of death listed as Asphyxia due to lack of oxygen during decompression owing to the diseased condition of the lungs. Thetis Families Association, navy archives, Glasgow Herald
  106. 2005 8 7 Priz AS-28 USSR RN 191 Minisub Russian “Priz� class submarine rescue vehicle with 7 crew trapped on seabed insubmarine hydrophone cables off Kamchatka (AS-28 was a 13 metre long submarine rescue unit designed to carry a rescue crew of 4 to transfer personnel from a sunken submarine on 6 hour missions. It was being used with a 7 man crew to carry out repairs to the submarine listening system and was carrying enough compressed air to last them 72 hours). Cut free after 4,500 mile air freight/rescue mission by UK based DSRV crew using Scorpio 45, Royal Navy Submarine Rescue Service, to cut them free, the mission was completed just as the air ran out (they were down to the last cylinder of air), all 7 crew OK. Described in a book, "72 hours", by Frank Pope
  107. 2007 8 7 Primeau Christopher N USA Associated Underwater Services, Spokane 40 S/S Air American aged 35. Cherry Point Refinery, Bellingham (North of Puget sound). Sheriff's report "Primeau was checking for rocks/underwater cables, his job was to signal when 24-foot-tall steel pilings weighing up to nine tons could be lowered into the water, when crews could start driving the pilings and when they should stop once they'd been driven in to the appropriate depth. Depth about 140 feet, he signalled for crews to begin driving a piling, within 13 seconds, Primeau screamed, "All stop! All stop!" Camera and light on his helmet went dead, no comms. Hammer may have disconnected causing the piling to fall over. OSHA fines of $21,650.
  108. 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
  109. 1942 12 31 Pridham, RN P Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  110. 1942 11 9 Preston Arthur Edward Australia Chamber “Clothes Burn Under Water� SYDNEY, Tuesday. “In addition to severe burns from which he died 33-year-old diver Arthur Edward Preston was suffering also from severe cramps of muscles when he was raised from the bed of the Hawkesbury River yesterday. Cramps were due to emergency steps taken to raise him from the deep pressure of the water. Preston, who lived in Campbell Street, Gosford, had been lowered in an airlock diving chamber when it is believed smouldering embers from his pipe set fire to his clothes. Before he could be raised his clothing had been burned off and his body was scarred from head to knees. It was not until workmates saw smoke arising that they suspected that something alarming had happened�. Reported in the Daily News, Perth, WA
  111. 1978 11 26 Prangley Tony UK Northern Divers 116 Saturation British, aged 28. Beryl Alpha, DSV "Star Canopus", DP incident inside anchor pattern, lost bell, double fatality (Ward), hypothermia/drowning
  112. 1999 7 15 Pottberg Brian USA Fire Brigade SCUBA Aged 25, Member of Lee's Summit fire department. Described as a routine training exercise in Lakewood lake (Acting as the centre point for a second diver to swim increasing circular search pattern), “On July 15, 1999, one male fire fighter/paramedic/rescue diver (the victim) drowned while taking part in a drill. The victim, one of four rescue divers and a boat driver participating in a training drill, was assigned the "Pivot Diver" position. During the drill, a Safety Diver was to remain at the surface. The Pivot Diver (the victim), was to enter the water, follow the anchor line to the bottom, set up with a 50-foot length of rope, then signal the Pattern Diver (whose duty is to swim in a circular pattern searching for a rescue/recovery target) to descend and proceed with the drill. The crew on the surface observed air bubbles as the victim descended. Approximately 2 minutes later the rope bag surfaced while the bubbles continued. It appeared to the crew on the surface that the victim was searching for the rope bag because the air bubbles appeared to be moving back and forth. The Lead Diver instructed the Pattern Diver to descend and retrieve the victim. The Lead Diver also started to knock on the bottom of the rescue boat with a dive knife in hopes of signaling the victim to return to the surface. When the Pattern Diver surfaced, he reported the victim could not be found. The Lead Diver then instructed the Boat Driver to radio for emergency assistance and implement the department’s Incident Command System (ICS). The Lead Diver also directed the Safety Diver to initiate rescue of the victim. When the Safety Diver surfaced without the victim, the Lead Diver instructed the Safety Diver to assume the role of Pivot Diver. The Lead Diver assumed the role of Pattern Diver. Both the Safety Diver and Lead Diver dove below the surface to initiate a rescue of the victim. The victim was found during the search and brought to the surface approximately 11 minutes after the Boat Driver initially requested emergency assistance. When the victim was brought to the surface, the air regulator was not in his mouth and he was noticeably cyanotic and unresponsive. The victim received immediate medical attention on the Rescue Boat and while en route to a regional trauma center, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. The cause of death was listed as drowning. NIOSH report.
  113. 2014 2 7 Porter Bruce New Zealand The Dive Spot 1m SCUBA Report in Maritime New Zealand dated 10 June 2015 “Whangarei diving company and co-director/skipper fined $75,000 after the death of diver. Reparations of $80,000 are also to be paid. The diver died after being struck by a propeller while on a diving trip to the Poor Knights Islands. Maritime New Zealand prosecuted the company and Mr Barnes under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure that no action or inaction at work caused harm to any person. The incident occurred after the anchor of the vessel “Pacific Hideaway” became snagged on the third dive of the trip. The diver was asked to dive down to unsnag the anchor, but a crewman on board the vessel then freed the anchor using the winch. The skipper believed Mr Porter understood there was no need to dive, but due to a miscommunication the diver entered the water and was struck by the propeller when the vessel’s engines were put into gear. Maritime New Zealand Deputy Director Lindsay Sturt said the tragic incident was entirely avoidable. The risk from propellers was not included in the vessel’s hazard register, nor was it mentioned in the briefing for divers on the day of the accident. In addition, the company did not have a clear system of communicating with divers about their entry into the water, nor did it have a clear policy that passenger divers were never asked to dive to free anchors. “Propeller strike is one of the key risks for those operating a dive operation and that risk must be managed through effective safety processes,” he said. “The consequences of having divers in the water when propellers are turning can be catastrophic, as they were in this case. Those operating commercial charter dive operations have an absolute responsibility to ensure they are operating safely. "That includes ensuring that recreational divers are fully briefed before they enter the water and that good communication is maintained at all times”
  114. 2014 7 7 Porter Bruce New Zealand The Dive Spot 1m SCUBA Report in Maritime New Zealand dated 10 June 2015 “Whangarei diving company and co-director/skipper fined $75,000 after the death of diver. Reparations of $80,000 are also to be paid. The diver died after being struck by a propeller while on a diving trip to the Poor Knights Islands. Maritime New Zealand prosecuted the company and Mr Barnes under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure that no action or inaction at work caused harm to any person. The incident occurred after the anchor of the vessel “Pacific Hideaway” became snagged on the third dive of the trip. The diver was asked to dive down to unsnag the anchor, but a crewman on board the vessel then freed the anchor using the winch. The skipper believed Mr Porter understood there was no need to dive, but due to a miscommunication the diver entered the water and was struck by the propeller when the vessel’s engines were put into gear. Maritime New Zealand Deputy Director Lindsay Sturt said the tragic incident was entirely avoidable. The risk from propellers was not included in the vessel’s hazard register, nor was it mentioned in the briefing for divers on the day of the accident. In addition, the company did not have a clear system of communicating with divers about their entry into the water, nor did it have a clear policy that passenger divers were never asked to dive to free anchors. “Propeller strike is one of the key risks for those operating a dive operation and that risk must be managed through effective safety processes,” he said. “The consequences of having divers in the water when propellers are turning can be catastrophic, as they were in this case. Those operating commercial charter dive operations have an absolute responsibility to ensure they are operating safely. "That includes ensuring that recreational divers are fully briefed before they enter the water and that good communication is maintained at all times”
  115. 2009 6 8 Popov Andrei Vasilii Italy SCUBA Aged 28, Bulgarian, diving off a Spanish flagged commercial coral harvesting vessel 28 miles West of the Island of Marettimo (off Sicily). "Plunged into the sea and never resurfaced. The prosecutor's office of the Sicilian town of Trapani has ordered that an investigation is conducted into the disappearance". No details
  116. 2000 7 14 Poore Tommy USA SCUBA American, vesssel husbandry work on a vessel in the Houston Shipping channel, reported missing, body recovered two days l;ater. No commercial qualifications. NAOCD/cDiver
  117. 2012 6 2 Pool Joshua Lee Eugene USA 2 S/S Air Aged 28, Commercial diver with Seattle based Global and Salvage, working the weekend on a pivate gold claim 70 miles north of Anchorage on Willow Creek, using a compressor and diving gear, dry suit (No life jacket) with 50lbs of weight (25lb chest weight with quick release, 25lbs on a non-quick release waist belt) to work a 'neck-deep eddy' behind a boulder (using a suction lift) upstream of Shirley Town Bridge. Working with one other guy (onshore) and in quickly rising water level when apparently he went short of air, stood up and lifted off his helmet, slipped on a rock, lost his helmet and 'went downstream', Incident occurred at around 16:00, body located at 18:00, possible head injury, recorded as drowned. Lived in Anchoorage, expecting his second daughter to be born in July. Alaska Dispatch
  118. 1996 12 4 Polibuda Matan Israel Navy SCUBA OC Navy has appointed an inquiry committee to determine the cause of the mysterious deaths in a routine training exercise of two IDF frogmen, whose bodies were found yesterday in Haifa Bay 16 hours after they went missing. The two, First-Sgt. Matan Polibuda, 20, from Mevasseret Zion and First-Sgt. Yair Engel, 19, from Kibbutz Ramat Rahel, were veterans of dozens of dives. They were approaching promotion to they were 16 months in the unit and approaching their graduation into the elite Shayetet 13 underwater commando battalion
  119. 2008 0 0 Pol Carlos Spain 60 S/S Air ack hammer. He was on air as his breathing gas (at 60 m).  Due to the nature of the operation, the visibility was badly disturbed and to counteract this, the company had requested that the diver place a 10�-12� diameter flexi hose airlift in close proximity to his working position, to clear away suspended particles. This was secured by the diver using rope and was made hot at the surface.  There was no information as to whether the diver had a flow control valve at his side?  At some point the securing knot became detached, which caused the hose to drift out of position, coming into contact with the back of the divers head as he worked. The intense suction caused his band-mask to become dislodged and also trapped him at the base of the airlift, resulting in him drowning. Apparently several days prior to this particular incident there was a similar situation where the hose had dislodged and had trapped the working divers arm.  On that occasion topside managed to switch off the airlift and the diver managed to free himself - though he did require hospital treatment to his badly damaged arm. Furthers details may be coming. PC
  120. 2017 4 15 Pohanka-Kalama Lori Ann USA SAR Volunteer SAR diver with the Morgan's Point Resort Police (North of Austin, Texas), in a creek at fort Hood searching for a man who disappeared during flash flooding, 'Got into trouble', pulled from the water by team members and taken to White Hospital in Temple but died the following morning. KXAN (Austin)
  121. 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
  122. 2009 8 3 Plateau Rasul Turkey Aged 40, Salvage diving operation on the wreck of the Ro-Ro ferry 'Hayak N' (Sank 300 metres off Bandirma as it left port en route to Istanbul on the14th September 2008 with the loss of 5 truck drivers), killed in an underwater explosion during cutting sheet metal, second diver (Tamer Kasikcilar) was injured and taken to hospital. Reported in Netgazete.com
  123. 2008 6 9 Plaian Catalin Romania Military Paraphrased from reports:- “A military diver aged 36 died on Monday morning at Constanta County Emergency Hospital. Fleet Command in Constanta said they could not yet provide details of the circumstances in which he was injured. He said that he was in training at sea and the ship returned to port. The injured diver brought to shore and taken by ambulance to Hospital but could not be saved. Doctors said the diver has died after a cardio-respiratory arrest and that he had a severe acute head trauma. 

Health professionals say that the first information received shows that the diver was submerged in water and was injured in collision between two boats. Reported in Realitatea.net. Alternate press reports:- “Divers torn to pieces by a propeller. A military diver aged 36 died and three others were injured yesterday morning during a training exercise at sea outside the port of Constanta. It seems that the tragedy took place after an inflatable boat did not respond to commands and simply passed over a similar one, in which there were many divers. He was married, had a 2 year old daughter and had served under the banner of the Romanian Navy for almost 10 years�. Reported by Libertatea Romania.
  124. 2011 4 26 Pizanias N Greece Topsides Aged 29, commercial diver/diving school instructor. Throwing dynamite sticks at an Easter clrebration, expolded in his hand, hospitalised in Kalymnos, transferred to Athens but lost his hand and permanently blinded in one eye. Two other men died in similar Easter celebration incidents on Rhodes. Reported by Kalymniansvoice.gr
  125. 1988 7 6 Piper Alpha UK Occidental 167 of the 226 personnel onboard died in fire/explosions. Survivors included the entire night shift air diving team.
  126. 1996 3 4 Pilkington Brian USA 9 S/S Air Contaminated air, drowned Data to add, TC
  127. 2007 11 17 Pie-Chun Sun Taipei 30 S/S Air Aged 33, diving off the commercial fishing vessel 'Hsinlienfa 168' off Turtle Island. Two divers died and two injured. Authorities stated they would prosecute (occupational negligent manslaughter) the vessel operator, Tu Chuen-yi, for improper operation of the vessel and allowing the propeller to cut all four airlines leaving the divers at depth with no air supplies. None of the divers had licences, no standby or safety equipment.
  128. 1997 8 0 Pickering Stephen UK SCUBA Aged 41, disappeared while salvaging cargo from a wreck off the Dorset Coast. His remains were recovered by a Dutch trawler in 2009, he was cremated in May of 2010 and his ashes laid to rest in the North Sea. Inquest held in September 2010 was told that a combination of heavy equipment and distress contributed to the death of the experienced diver on a salvage expedition on a sunken First World War ship carrying precious metals off the Dorset coast 13 years previously. “He was diving with new, heavier gas cylinders and ignored advice from fellow divers to ditch his weight belt before entering the water to make him lighter, the inquest heard. According to one colleague, Mr Pickering preferred to dive while weighed down heavily to enable him to work better in the depths of the sea. One of the four-strong team on the salvage vessel Marja said Mr Pickering appeared distressed after losing his mask when he jumped into the sea. After returning to the surface, they threw him a replacement, but despite falling a short distance from Mr Pickering, he made no attempt to grab it. They then threw a piece of rope into the water in the hope that he would reach for it. "He tried to grab for it and that's the last I saw of him." The pathologist said a cause of death could not be determined. "This would appear to be a combination of the loss of the dive mask coupled with the excess weight, which would have ended up with someone who has a degree of hypoxia through over exertion which has precipitated his collapse under the water." Dorset Police found nothing suspicious about the circumstances of the death: “The statements from the men, plus the disclosure of the new, heavier cylinders and the buoyancy problems Mr Pickering experienced, led to the conclusion that his death was an accident. Recording a verdict of accidental death, the coroner said: "I am satisfied with the accounts given by the experienced divers. "I will, on the evidence I have heard, rule out any suspicious circumstances." Yorkshire Post
  129. 1977 0 0 Pickering Mike UK S/S Air Civil engineering, Nigg dry dock gate, differential pressure, sucked up pipe, drowned
  130. 2005 3 15 Picallo Sgt. Justo Jesus Indonesia Spanish Navy SCUBA 36 year old Naval officer, part of tsunami relief force, conducting a routine hull cleaning and inspection dive on the MS “Galicia� off Band Aceh. No details
  131. 1982 10 29 Phillips Derek UK Wharton Williams Taylor 15 S/S Air British, aged 24. ex RN ship's diver working off the DSV "Shearwater Aquamarine". Shallow DP diving, diver was undertaking a seabed survey, DP failure (active drive off), diver was dragged off the job and then apparently ditched his helmet (KB17), body lost, recovered 9 months later� As reported by a fellow diver “He was my room mate on the Polar Queen. The story goes he was diving from a basket when the Aquamarine ran off DP. Derek thought, or so we think he thought, that his umbilical was in the prop. He removed all his equipment and drowned. In the months before the fatality we had a near miss on the Polar Queen when another diver’s umbilical was caught in the prop. This diver removed his gear and was saved. However he was in a basket with spare air and had help. The feeling is that Derek was trying the same technique however he was on the bottom, on his own, with a hot water suit and not wearing fins. The result was inevitable�
  132. 1977 7 10 Petrecz Paul F USA Harmonville Volunteer Fire Department 15 SCUBA Aged 29, Montgomery County volunteer fire-fighter/diver, one of a team of 30 searching Muddy Run Lake for the body of a 22 year old who drowned whilst swimming. 'Tangled in a guideline and ran out of air' Reported as a veteran diver by fire officials. Beaver County Times
  133. 2003 1 25 Peterson Kevin USA SCUBA Sports divers. Two men died while ice diving in a Lowden quarry, drowned, apparently after their tanks ran out of air as they searched for an opening in the ice. An investigator for the Cedar County medical examiner's office, said Thursday that Kevin Petersen, 31, and Tracy Humphreys, 30, were dropped off at Wendling Quarry Saturday. Their bodies were found Sunday morning, authorities said, with their air tanks empty. One man had PADI advanced open water and rescue level diver's certification but police could find no diver certification record for the other. The two had trespassed to dive in the quarry, which prohibits diving, authorities said. Authorities tested the rental equipment used by them and found the gear was working properly. The only problem was a hole in one pressure hose that would not likely have been the primary cause of the accident. Restrictors on either end of the hose prevent it from leaking air too quickly. Investigators found a rope tied to a tree hanging down into the water, but not tied to the divers. Quote:- "That would have been totally useless if they weren't tied to it, if you could find a rope in the water, you could see the hole anyway." Reported in the Cedar Rapids Gazette
  134. 1975 10 17 Peterson Barry USA SCUBA Aged 21, sports diver, drowned when he was sucked into the 2,600 foot long cooling water inlet pipe of Southern California Edison power plant. An Edison spokesman commented that he could have surfaced safely in the holding tank 'but police stated he probably didn't realise that'. (On the other hand, it is entirely probable he drowned somewhere inside the half mile long pipe? TC) Google News Archive. Edison settled out of court in 1979 ($100,000).
  135. 1893 8 3 Peter Australia S/S Air "A man named Peter, who was known as the most adept diver on the coast, has been drowned in diving dress, whilst engaged in shelling. His life line coiled around a projecting rock and, the boat drifting before he could get it free, the air air pipe broke. The deceased was under 40 minutes before the accident was discovered. Reported in the West Australian, Perth.
  136. 2009 5 1 Pesce and Martinizi Vincenza USA 8 Topsides Ocean Hyperbaric Neurologic Centre, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida, 62 year old Italian woman with her 4 year old grandson, Francesco, undergoing hyperbaric oxygen treatment in a one man 'clam shell' chamber (Built by Vickers, 1967). they had flown over from Italy to get hyperbaric oxygen treatment (not available in Italy) for the boy who had cerebral palsy 100% O2 at 1.75 atm. 20 minutes into treatment, internal chamber fire. Decompressed in 90 seconds, 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 90% of their bodies, the woman died the following day, the boy died 6 weeks later. Ignition source may have been an internal speaker (no matches or electronic equipment inside the chamber)
  137. 1974 4 17 Perry Dennis USA Military 6 SCUBA Aged 27, married with two children. Oil tanker 'Imperial Sarnia' en route to Montreal with 45,000 bbls of crude ran ashore on Whaleback Shoal, estimate 2,000 bbls spill, pollution along several miles of the coastline. Diver was one of three coastguard divers installing lines around the hull in 20' of water, sank to the bottom and disappeared. Ottawa citizen.
  138. 1954 7 29 Perkins RN PO John Singapore 5 Aged 35. Reported as drowned at the Seletar Naval Base (HMS Cossack?), Singapore, during diving exercises the day after seaman Charles Larkin died in a shark attack during a contraband search in Singapore harbour. The exercise was to remove mines from ship's hulls, his lifeline got entangled in the propeller shaft. Stand-by diver found him with his mask off, not breathing when recovered to deck, did not respond to treatment. Coroner recorded a verdict of misadventure. Straits Times
  139. 2008 8 7 Perines Bernardo Garcia Chile Pesquara San Jose Aged 37, recovering a capsised boat at a fish farm
  140. 2010 12 9 Perez David Venezuela Alianza Servicios Marinos del Lago 7 S/S Air Diving Contractor working for Petrolos de Venezuela. Reported as “Died whilst inspecting oil pipelines in Lake Maracaibo at 12:05 hours�. Reported by La Verdad. Another report indicates that neither the diver nor supervisor had no training certifcates and that the diver got entangled in a downline to the pipeline, lost his helmet and drowned (Longstreath)
  141. 2016 7 15 Pereira Fredson Leal Brazil 8m S/S Air Aged 33 from Itaituba, Pomba river in Cataguases, around 11:00, working in a trench (gold prospecting, they suck a trench through the mud to get to the river bed gravel to test for gold deposits), 100kg stone dislodged and landed on his back, found pinned under the rock, mouthpiece out, drowned
  142. 2009 12 17 Peralta Juan Chile Fisherman Topsides Nine miles north of the town of Iquique (Punta Colorada), three man shellfish diving crew in a small (home-made) boat that sailed without authorisation (Port Captain was anticipating storms), vessel overturned in the rough seas, two divers made it ashore - one with a broken arm and were later rescued by helicopter - but the the diver's assistant was swept out to sea and drowned. Body recovered some hours later. Latercera.com
  143. 1954 9 17 Pepper Frank USA Merritt Chapman and Scott 45 Aged 46, working on installing one of six support piers for the Mackinac Straits Bridge, died in the decompression chamber. No details. Windsor Daily Star.
  144. 1987 6 28 Penner Robert Steven Canada Day's Aquatic Services Aged 21, One of three divers hired by Halton regional District, reported as drowned whilst working in an underwater pipe, but no details. Toronto Star
  145. 2011 3 10 Pendleton Vance Wayne Canada 14 SCUBA Aged 56, experienced diver and owner of a dive shop. Diving for Sea Urchins of l'Etete, New Brunswick, failed to surface, located on the seabed 'initial information is pointing towards drowning' but coroner to confirm cause of death, Worksafe and RCMP to determine whether the diver was working at the time. He was diving with 4 other commercial divers on a commercial harvesting operation. Lost sight of the group, they surfaced, at first nor concerned because he had a bigger air tank. When he failed to surface after 10 - 15 minutes, they went back in to look for him. He was found and brought to the surface but failed to respond to treatment. Reported in the Telegraph-Journal, Brunswick
  146. 1891 11 3 Pelkey Oliver USA 55 S/S Air Diving from the wrecking tug "Emerald" working out of Alpena (Thunder Bay, Lake Huron) searching for the wreck of the "Pewabic" - Lost August 1865 after a collision with her sister vesssel 'Meteor' with the loss of 125 lives, carrying copper (mostly salvaged during the first world war) - They found the wreck, returned to the site and diver entered the water. 20 minutes into the dive his signals stopped. "Six stalwart men were unable to pull him up and as a last resort the Captain ordered the lines made fast to the boat and the tug started ahead. Something finally parted and it was found that his body was yet attached to the lines. A hole in his armour near the hips indicated that water had rushed in and smothered him" New York Times
  147. 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
  148. 1983 3 16 Pedersen Jarle Norway 7 Norwegian, aged 29, Seaway Falcon, umbilical drawn into stern thruster.
  149. 0 0 0 Peck John W American, commercial diver, died in an accident, no details
  150. 1915 0 0 Pearl divers Australia S/S Air In total, more than 800 divers and their support crews lost their lives because of cyclones between 1882 and 1935. In only 3 years, 1912 to 1915, 93 divers died from the bends. These were boom years for the industry, but the price in human terms was very high.'
  151. 2008 1 26 Paz Julio Spain Spanish Navy Spanish, training dive at the Spanish Naval Diving training establishment, Caratagena, diving from the Neptuno, training dive, one other injured (Cortina), both given hyperbaric treatment in Santa Maria del Rosell naval hospital, one fatality (Casanova).
  152. 2020 10 27 Paxton Alex USA Georgia Power S/S Air "Aged 31, Oliver Dam near Columbus, reported as drowning, 'had to be rescued and transported to Piedmont columbus regional Emergency Room, pronounced dead', possibly Differential Pressure but no details, reported by WTVM OSHA summary stated t 2:30 p.m. on October 27, 2020, Employee #1, Coworkers #1 and #2, and their supervisor, divers employed by a civil engineering construction company, were engaged in a diving operation at a lake dam. They were assigned to conduct inspections and repairs to several gates and chains. During a solitary dive with an umbilical supplying breathing gas and video, Employee #1 climbed down a long ladder to the water's surface. He then descended into the water, sliding down the chain with his right hand while feeling the side of the dam face with his left hand to guide his way down. At a depth of approximately 15 to 20 feet, his left hand came into contact with a 10-inch hole in the dam's face that led into a Penstock Pipe. Differential pressure caused the employee's left arm to be sucked into the pipe up to his shoulder. He cried out and then went silent and unresponsive. The dive supervisor attempted several times to communicate with Employee #1 but received no response. The supervisor instructed Coworker #1, the backup diver, to go into the water. Coworker #1, after reaching Employee #1, reported that Employee #1 remained unresponsive with no signs of breathing. Coworker #1 was unable to free him from the pipe. Several dam employees were called to the scene, and one of the dam operators closed a valve which released the diver from the pipe. Coworker #1 brought Employee #1 to the water's surface, where he was attached to the emergency retrieval system, removed from the water, and placed on the main deck where emergency medical technicians were standing by. Employee #1 was transported to the hospital, where he was declared dead. The subsequent investigation reported that mechanical asphyxiation may have been the cause of death. At no time had Employee #1 lost air. OSHA concluded contractor complacency, lack of knowledge of site, lack of risk assessment, no LOTO, did not verify valve closed, ineffective use of flowmeter, client complacency, lack of knowledge of own systems (Did not know which valve to close), flawed LOTO procedures (Logbook showed valve closed but it was not)"
  153. 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.
  154. 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.
  155. 1940 9 24 Passaris Emanuel USA S/S Air Greek, aged 60, sponge fishing out of Tampa in the Gulf of Perry, no details
  156. 1971 3 26 Pasquier Jean Pierre Italy Comex SCUBA Oilfield dive. Breathing 50/50 during decompression stops, hyperoxia, drowned. PC
  157. 1993 1 8 Pashkosky Vladimir Singapore Russian, aged 37, diving from a barge working off Jurong, one o'clock in the morning, failed to surface. No other details. Straits Times
  158. 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
  159. 1990 10 4 Parks Michael USA SCUBA From Baltimore, surveying extent of zebra mussels in a 130' long pipe at the Monroe County Water Authority pumping station on Lake Ontario. Body was pulled out some two hours after he lost contact with the surface. "He got trapped and we couldn't get him out". No other details. The Evening News
  160. 2008 12 6 Parker Jonathon Canada 14 Canadian, aged 21. One of a two man commercial diving team working with a crew to refloat a fishing boat that sank in the Northumberland Strait in September about three kilometres off the coast of Pointe-Sapin. "He was struck or squeezed under the boat� Times & Transcript
  161. 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
  162. 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
  163. 2011 5 15 Palma Miguel Angel Cupul Mexico 15 SCUBA Aged 60, 25 miles offshore from Merida (Yucatan penninsula) collecting sea cucumber, rescued alive and taken ashore for treatment but died. Causes reported as cerebral anoxia/acute decompression illness. Reported by Sipse.com
  164. 1996 1 0 Palin Carl UAE 18 S/S Air Apparently surfaced normally but lost consciousness, into zodiac, transferred to DDC (13 minute surface interval), at 60' no response, down to 165', partially regained consciousness, behavioural issues, sedated with valium, doctor locked in, gradual decompression, mated to a sat system two days later at 60', cardiac arrest, resuscitated but no brain stem, activity then suffered another cardiac arrest.
  165. 1992 0 0 Palin Carl UAE CCC 0 Died in the DDC (Brain aneurysm)
  166. 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
  167. 1950 7 1 Palazzi Angelo Italy Chamber "Two deep sea divers were burned to death in a decompression chamber at Bari, Italy. The two divers had just entered the chamber when the fire broke out. By the time attendant had got the doors open, the two men were dead" The Milwaukee Journal
  168. 2010 9 27 Paillacar Victor Javier Chile Fisherman SCUBA Aged 24, scallop diver from the 'Luisa' 30 minutes transit out of Puerta Natales, brought ashore dead after what was described as a 'decompression problem'. No other details. Reported by Polar Radio
  169. 2013 3 13 Pahit Glenn Philippines Omega Steel & Marine Services SCUBA Aged 27, Double fatality (with Glenn Pahit, also aged 27). Salvage operation on the vessel 'B and E Uno' (en route from Iligan City to Pier 4 in Cebu city carrying 23,000 bags of cement) which ran aground before capsising on July 1st 2012 less than a mile from the coast off Canjulao (Lapu-Lapu city). After 5 months of salvage operations the vessel was refloated in early December but then sank again two days later. The owner of the salvage company said that they had suspended ongoing salvage operations the previous week (waiting on a salvage vessel to lift some components prior to bringing the vessel ashore) and left the two divers guarding the wreck. They were reported missing on Wednesday the 13th, Alger Sumaylo's body was located inside the wreck at low rtide (partially submerged but trapped under the hull) by other salvage contractor divers on the morning of the 14th, they called the coastguard who sent a team who recovered both bodies later that day. Initial reports said that when recovered, both divers "were in complete diving gear" and it was reported that the bodies were already decomposing. The owner surmised that the two divers "had decided to dive to retrieve scrap meta whilst everybody was away". Foul play was ruled out as the divers belongings were intact. Later reports said that the coastguard had asked Soco (Scene Of Crime Operations) to check where the bodies were located as they were not discounting foul play. It was then alleged that the divers did not have permission to dive and might not have been in diving gear, though it appears that both bodies showed significantly decomposition and it is not clear when they died. Reported in the Sun Star
  170. 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
  171. 2006 1 2 P J.C.G Spain Aged 31, resident of Beacon, port expansion in Castellon '"Died of suffocation and heart arrest"
  172. 1952 0 0 Owen, RN, DSM Norman Warden UK British Rail S/S Air Holyhead, pier demolition using a hundred ton crane, sent in to unsnag wire, trapped two fingers of his right hand between pile and crane wire. "Unable to reach his exhaust valve to adjust the pressure in his suit or speak to the surface. With no chance of cutting the heavy wire, Owen reached for his diver's knife with his left hand and began to saw off his fingers, but as the blood billowed up past him he could not cut through the bone. In desperation Owen signalled to be pulled to the surface and two of his fingers "came away like pegs from a cribbage boar". He collected his tools and surfaced, where the men in the tender complained about his late arrival at the surface. Owen was rowed ashore and walked to the hospital 500 yards away: He remembered being told not to drip blood on the floor".
  173. 1970 1 29 Othman Cpl bin Shafie Singapore Marine diver SCUBA Marine corporal, aged 34, one of a three man team aiding investigators into a double murder (mutilated bodies dumped in a car into the pool) in an 80' deep 4 acre pool on Bidor-Tiluk Anson Road. Colleagues noticed that his bubbles had stopped and went in to recover him but he was already dead. Wife and three young children. Straits Times
  174. 1950 5 7 Otari Keichi Japan Topsides Hiroshima. Diver aged 48, found a Torpedo. He hit it with a hammer and it exploded killing him and 7 others. No real details. Reported in the New York Times.
  175. 1934 6 15 Ota Shigara Australia 18 S/S Air Aged 25, master of the lugger 'Torenia', pearl diving in the Torres Straits. He dived for 25 minures in 10 fathoms, sent up a bag of shell, but then his air line became trapped in rocks, he ditched his gear and surfaced without helmet and corselette, complaining of feeling weary and sick. Another diver, Tomoza Conokawa from a nearby lugger, was called to help as the crew believed he was suffereing from divers's paralysis and took Ota below for two hours. When they surfaced Ota was still ill, fell asleep and died. Later, a doctor concluded he was given incorrect treatment and had actually died from heart failure. The Sydney Morning Herald.
  176. 1983 6 26 Oselton Robert P Canada Wijsmuler Salvage Saturation British, aged 37 or 38 from Portsmouth, third diver to die in a week during salvage operations on the Ocean Ranger (Sank in a storm Feb 15th 1982 with a loss of 84 persons), diving from the salvage barge 'Ocean Servant 2' thought to be a dropped object, but no details, salvage operations were suspended for an investigation. Spokane Chronicle/Ottawa Citizen
  177. 2009 5 17 Osburn Steven Dale USA 18 SCUBA Aged 58, member of Santa Cruz Underwater Recovery team, routine training dive in Patagonia lake, lost contact with team, located after 8 minutes, unconscious, brought to surface, failed to respond to treatment.
  178. 2017 1 25 Ortega Agustin Spain Balizamientos y Obras Hidraulicas de Mazarron. Sociedad Limitada Rebreather Aged 37, married, two children diving off Mazarron, working on the underwater pipelines associated with the Valdelentisco desalination plant near El Mojon diving from the vessel 'Ten de Todo'. Taken out of the water unconscious, brought ashore and taken to hospital in Mazarron where he was in cardiac arrest, did not respond to treatment. Reported in la Voz de Almeria. No other details. RB Faral Accident Database reported this as a commercial dive on a recreational rebreather.
  179. 2010 5 27 Orellana Luis Alberto Romero Chile 7 SCUBA Iquique, Chile. Shellfish diver with 30 years diving experience, Luis Alberto Romero Orellana, died yesterday at 11 am in a diving accident. At the time of the incident Luis Alberto was doing scrap recovery work for a fishing company. His teammates gave notice of the accident via mobile to the Maritime authorities, the patrol vessel "Defender" and a rescue RIB/divers of Harbor Master recovered the diver's body. Diving solo, no stand-by. Reported by gspbuceo
  180. 1958 7 0 Oppey John UK "Extraordinary Death of a Diver. An inquest was held at Dover on Friday (14th July 1958) on the body of John Oppy, a diver employed at the Admiralty Pier works...." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Birmigham Daily Post/The British Newspaper Archive
  181. 2005 6 15 Ong Sgt. Jia Hui Singapore Army Aged 24, Army specialist, training exercise in marine counter terrorism off Changi Naval Base, discovered at around 17:40, stand-by diver sent in and 'found the diver in about 5 minutes'. He was given treatment at the medical centre before being evacuated to Changi General Hospital within half an hour of the incident but was pronounced dead around 19:00. No other details. Straits Times
  182. 1989 8 9 Ong Swee Kheng Singapore Commercial Diving Servces Aged 33, clearing debris from a coffer dam at the Senoko Power Station, pulled out of the water when he failed to respond to tugs on his lifeline. "Might have got entangled in a net used to sift the debris". No other details. Straits Times
  183. 1980 9 25 Ong Ah Lam Singapore SCUBA Aged 53, diver on a fishing vessel (His first trip) which left Singapore on the 16th September, dropped anchor in rough weather but could not lift it when conditions improved on the 24th September. Diver cleared the anchor (depth was not specified at the inquiry) after a 4 hour dive but then complained of stomach pains, weakness in his legs and being unable to urinate. Died the following day 'of acute decompression sickness' whilst en route to Singapore. Coroner recorded a verdict of death by misadventure. Straits Times
  184. 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
  185. 1897 0 0 Olson Peter USA Baltimore Wrecking Company Chamber Salvage operation recovering the cargo of the sunken steamer 'Pewabic' in Thunder Bay off Milwaukee. Working from a bell with partner George Campbell. Both men drowned when one of the glass ports failed
  186. 1988 5 24 Olsen Alan Nigeria Comex SCUBA First dive on an SBM. Competition between the divers ("The best diver is the first in the water"), pillar valve not fully opened and flow restricted, became short of air, made a rapid ascent in the well of a crude oil filled buoy but swam into a cross beam and lost his mouthpiece. Drowned. PC
  187. 1897 2 25 Olsen Albert M USA Baltimore Wrecking Company S/S Air “A driver in the employ of the Baltimore Wrecking Company, died suddenly yesterday while he was under water in a diving suit in the channel of the Patapsco river, off Sparrow's Point. "Heart disease is supposed to have caused his death� (Quote from his employer......)
  188. 1925 9 24 Okuna Nizo Australia S/S Air Japanese pearl diver aged 33 or 35. “Drowned on the sea bottom�. "Was drowned while pearling near Broome owing to his air pipe snapping on a reef" The Wyalong Advocate and Mining, Agricultural and Pastoral Gazette, NSW, Australia. “JAPANESE DIVER DROWNED� PERTH, Wednesday.— “A Japanese diver named Nizo Okuna, about 35 years, was drowned on the bottom while engaged in pearling 80 miles from Broome in consequence of the snapping of the air pipe attached to his diving suit. Okuna’s line fouled a reef in a heavy sea and broke and then his air pipe went. The diver, later, floated to the surface dead. Another diver saved his life by rising before the reef was encountered�. Reported in The Register, Adelaide
  189. 1938 7 13 Okada Australia 37 S/S Air “JAPANESE DIVER IS SEIZED UNDER SEA. Dragged By Groper or Shark From Helmet in 20 Fathoms� DARWIN, Tuesday: “Dragged out of his helmet and corselet by a giant groper or shark, a Japanese diver named Okada, 25, was killed on the sea-floor more than 120 feet below the surface, near Bathurst Island. When the Japanese lugger ‘Zuiyo’ reached Darwin late last night with the flag flying half-mast Captain Nakashiba said that 21 divers scoured the seabed for hours after Okada's disappearance; but could find no trace of the missing man. Captain Nakashiba said that his vessel was pearling on the bed off Bathurst Island on Monday when the first diver, who had been using a full diving dress came to the surface, and said that he was suffering from paralysis. After being staged, or decompressed, he was not permitted to dive again and young Okada an apprentice went down. As with many Japanese divers, he refused to wear full diving dress, using only helmet and corselet, the lower part of his body being naked. He was lowered 20 fathoms to the bottom and commenced picking up shell. Twenty minutes later he signalled to be pulled up. He too, was suffering from diver's paralysis. He was, therefore, lowered back to be staged. Shortly afterwards it was noticed that the lifeline had gone slack. It was pulled up and only the helmet and corselet appeared above the surface. Other loggers in the vicinity were signalled to the scene, and 21 divers were sent down to search for Okada; It is believed that one of the giant groupers which slide along the sea floor seized Okada and dragged, him out of his helmet. Another theory is that he was taken by a shark, although experienced divers say that sharks are too timid to attack a diver�. Reported in the Goulburn Evening Penny Post, NSW
  190. 2010 4 8 Ojeda Rodrigo Argentina 30 Apparently the 32 year old diver was killed during construction of the Maldonado tunnel in Buenos Aries, possibly a decompression incident. All we know is that city mayor went into print in August saying he found it 'serious' that they had “failed to inform the company�, that the urban development minister and director of works “have concealed the death of a worker on the site that is the most important of his administration�. No other details. Reported in Diario Cronica and Partido de la Cuidad
  191. 2005 1 6 Ohryn Thomas USA Fred Devine diving and salvage 3 S/S Air Salvaging a fishing vessel off California, crushed between FV and derrick, air supply cut off plus crushing injuries.
  192. 2011 1 17 Oglu Murad Kara Georgia Kuzeyin Marine SCUBA Paraphrased from press reports:- “Two Turkish scuba divers were been killed (Double fatality, Erkan Karsky) in an underwater explosion working on the salvage of the sunken Ukrainian ship '�Skaldovski� that sank in 2008 during a storm outside the Georgian Black Sea oil-export port of Kulevi. Preliminary probe indicated that the explosion could have been caused by hydrogen accumulated inside the ship The two divers were supposed to use a welder to fix the ship. Representatives from Georgia Petroleum, the owners and operators of the terminal, ruled out the possibility that the leak-out of oil products had caused the underwater explosion saying that the reservoirs on the vessel were emptied.
This has been the second similar incident in Kulevi for recent months. In December 2010, a 25-year old diver was badly injured when working underwater.
  193. 1900 3 5 Obashi Seihachi Australia S/S Air "The Under Secretary to the Treasury has been informed that the lugger ‘Nautilus’, which arrived at Thursday Island on the 10th, reports that a Japanese diver named Seihachi Obashi was drowned near Darnley on the 5th instant through the air-pipe breaking while he was diving". The Brisbane Courier, Qld
  194. 1980 10 29 O'Sullivan Dermott Norway Oceaneering Diving from the "Sedco Phillips SS", Ekofisk, back injury
  195. 2012 5 3 O'Malley Steven Germany SubC Partner 2 British, Aged 48. Diving on the Alpha Ventus windfarm (28 miles north of Borkum in about 30 metres water depth) from a Danish DSV, body taken ashore in Esbjerg. Reported as becoming unresponsive/ill in the water, recovered to deck but failed to respond to treatment. Initial reports indicated a possible heart attack. Reported in the Scotsman plus German Press
  196. 1928 12 6 O'Hara Fumio Australia Topsides Japanese Diver's Death. The death of Fumio O'Hara, a Japanese diver, at Broome on Thursday was reported to the Commissioner of Police (Mr. R. Connell) yesterday by Inspector Leen. O'Hara disappeared from his boarding house in the morning and four hours later his body was found on a derelict lugger on the beach. The stomach had been ripped open, evidently with a razor found near by. O'Hara had been under medical treatment. Inspector Leen stated, and had been suffering from mental depression. The inspector said he thought it was a case of suicide. The West Australian
  197. 1978 0 0 O'Grady Rodney USA Taylor Diving, Brown and Root 266 Went up the inlet of the jet sledge system on a 'Root and Scoot' jet barge (They never shut down the pumps completely because "it took too long to re prime then"). Another report, Paraphrased and (much sanitized TC) appeared on the 'Offshore Diver' website: “He was doing a routine ditch check when they ran up the RPMs on the impeller below deck. Bid blenders is what they are. They created the suction so all the jetted mud would go up to the barge via an approx. 14" hose and to the impeller, then shot overboard. I heard tell it was one of the newer guys that had just got on the barge that season. Paying no attention....he rev'ed up the impellers right when Rodney was checking if there was water under the pipe. Just a short yell, that was all. The steel stingers on either side of the pipe were oval-ish shaped, and again, about 14-16" wide. Well, poor Rodney, who was a regular on the 266 went right up the stinger to the heavy (like weatherford) walled hose and into the impeller, where he was ground to fish food and pumped overboard. The barge crew stopped all activity and had a closed door meeting, no divers. (Deleted, TC). The couple of tenders and the one barge diver left where called in. That's why they called us...to search the sea floor for Rodney, what was left of Rodney. That's where I leave it. Rodney wore a Miller, they are pretty tough. The casket was small. Use your imagination. We should have been allowed to Keel haul the dumb yokel that killed him. But he was gone already. I never went back there. Used to like going there as a tender as they dove us on ditch checks a good bit, even to 180' on air. I should count my lucky stars. Long to short: (Allegedly) big cover up. (Deleted) Two years later I was in sat on the Phillips SS only about 10k from the Byford Dolfin when the guys were killed. I remember the LST calling in and having us shut the hatch to the bell (it was overhead, we'd just leave it down!) and set-up the hatches to the living areas so that if the bell blew off due to some numb-skull opening the trunk they would slam shut. Open and inch or two was cool for gas circulation. So, that's where lock out tag out came from and where bell interlocks came from, I like to think so Rodney did not die horribly for absolutely nothing�
  198. 2005 12 1 O'Conner Billy Ireland SCUBA Irish, aged 51, searching the wreck of the FV “Rising Sun� (Sank 29/11/2005) for the body of Skipper on behalf of his family, after dive, at 6 metre stop, disappeared. Body recovered some days later by Navy/Guarda dive team. Drowned. Reported by RTE news
  199. 1950 3 17 Nunn J Australia Topsides “Shark Dynamited At Glenelg. While waiting to be lowered from a pontoon during diving operations at Glenelg on Thursday, a Harbors Board diver blasted with dynamite and killed an 11-ft. shark close to the pontoon. The diver, Mr. J. Nunn, of Solvay road, Osborne, was about to have his headpiece fitted at the edge of the pontoon when the shark, attracted by a string of fish hanging over the side, swam alongside. Retreating to a safe distance on the pontoon, Mr. Nunn and the crew loaded one of the fish with dynamite, hooked it to an electric cord, and threw it to the shark. After nosing the bait for 15 minutes, the shark grabbed it and dived for the bottom. The exploding charge blew shreds of its head over a wide area and the carcass sank in 14 feet of water. Efforts lasting more than an hour to retrieve the carcass, which could be seen on the bottom, were unsuccessful. Fresh efforts will be made today�. Reported in The Advertiser, Adelaide, SA
  200. 2007 10 1 Nuestro Eddie Middle East Global subtec Diver fatality, Philippino, approx 60 years old. At 20' stop, difficulty breathing, chest pains, St/By jumped, diver brought to surface and decompressed in DDC. Possible heart attack.
  201. 1912 0 0 Nowry RN Australia S/S Air In 1912, twelve ex-Royal Navy divers and tenders were brought from England to take over the diving from the Asians, whose presence conflicted with the “White Australia� policy in force at the time. William Webber, perhaps one of the world’s most famous divers, headed the group. Before the season was over, Webber, the most reliable of all divers, was dead. Another was paralysed, one had suffered partial paralysis, and all had withdrawn from the pearling fleet. The Japanese and Malay divers, and their employers, were jubilant. The Navy divers felt bitter and betrayed. At the subsequent Royal Commission, one of the Navy divers stated that they had been sabotaged, and that they were often taken to areas where the shells were depleted. That may have been true, but the Asian diver had to raise eight times as much shell as the Englishman, for the same wage. Nowry, the second in charge of the Royal Navy divers, recalled “We did well around the Banks group, but at depths I had never reached before, about 170 foot (51 m). I had a good shift and was back on deck, with the next run not being due for another 2 hours. My arms and shoulders began to ache with intense pain such as I had never experienced before. I went down 50 foot (15 m) or so and hung on by shot line. Gradually the pains left me, as the Malay skipper said they would. But I had diver’s paralysis and could not walk. Six months in hospital and I was back on my feet again, feet that could not get me back to civilisation quick enough.� He subsequently died from decompression sickness in Victoria, testing out a new diving suit. Rubicon Research Repository
  202. 2001 7 25 Novichenko A USSR Stavropolsky region, Aged 41, During the repair work at the Sengeleevsky Water reservoir dam. Sucked in a wall break by the water flow. No details. Undersea Review
  203. 1980 4 16 Novello Sam A Turkey USN Topsides Enlisted in the United States Navy at the outbreak of the Second World War. After seeing heavy action aboard a destroyer in the Pacific Theater, he continued his naval service as a salvage diver, achieving the rank of Master Chief Boatswain's Mate. In the mid-1960s he began a 15 year partnership with the Turkish Navy, helping establish a professional school for Turkish naval divers after which he was assigned to the American Embassy in Istanbul as a senior naval representative. He and his driver were shot by terrorists as he drove to work (One was killed in the subsequent police chase, the other two caught, tried and executed later). Washington Star and naval records. Included here as a he was a career professional diver 'at work'
  204. 1943 6 6 Novak Philip John USA Military American navy diver aged 24, died after a torpedo severed his lifeline, diving operations off Gould island, near Newport
  205. 2016 6 13 Not Reported USA Cleaning the hull of a boat at the Fort Myers Marina, found floating in the Marina at Edison Ford an hour later, initial reports indicate that he may have been electrocuted from faulty wiring from the boats supply hooked up to the shoreside mains supply. No other details. Reported by news-press. com
  206. 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)
  207. 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
  208. 2018 1 5 Not Reported Mandy France Police SCUBA Policewoman aged 27 from Nice, joined the 'Fluv' (Parisienne 'Brigade Fluviale', the elite river police set up in 1900 to guard the Seine for the great exhibition) in 2016, passed her open water qualification three weeks before the incident. Joint diving exercise with the fire brigade at the ile de Cite (Notre Dame), Seine in flood (+3 metres, went to +4.1 m over the weekend, 25 kph, 7 degrees, zero vis), aborted first dive, on second attempt went in and lifeline failed (not attached properly? Parted?). Disappeared (May have had 40 kg of equipment/weight), had not been located three weeks later. French press
  209. 2016 12 23 Not Reported Spain SCUBA Aged 40, cable entangled in propeller of fish farm support boat in Puerto Calero (Lanzarotte, Canary Islands), went in to clear it, surfaced, went back down and 'suffered a series of fatal cuts' with the boat's propeller. Reported by La Voz de Lanzarote
  210. 2021 3 1 Not Reported Sweden Dawab Sverige AB Topsides Aged 41, one of a three man inspection diving team at Torshamnspiren bridge (Gothenburg), on deck, as the 11 metre boat 'Vesta' approached the bridge and the coxswain switched from ahead to astern, a control cable broke resulting in vessel going full ahed. Diver was crushed between vessel superstructure and bridge. Reorted by byggnadsarbetaren.se
  211. 2009 12 6 Not Relevant James Edward USA SCUBA or snorkel James Edward XXXX, aged 61, who was found dead at Swami's Beach in Encinitas in December, drowned in the ocean while under the influence of methamphetamine, the Medical Examiner's Office said Friday. Along with "acute methamphetamine intoxication," cardiovascular disease was a contributing factor to the drowning, the medical examiner said. A surfer found XXXX's body facedown in the sand about 7:40 a.m. on Dec. 9, "clad in a full wet suit and flippers and obviously dead," the medical examiner's report said. His brother told reporters at the time that James XXXX had gone lobster diving late Dec. 6 or early Dec. 7 before a rainstorm hit the county. San Diego Union-Tribune
  212. 2010 3 17 Not Released Australia Tasmanian Seafoods Aged 45, diving for trepang (sea cucumber) off the Cobourg Peninsula when the crocodile struck. Working from a Tasmanian Seafoods boat with a group of divers in Knocker Bay, about 112 miles north-east of Darwin. The saltwater crocodile, which police said was believed to be anywhere from 6 feet, 5 inches to 9 feet, 8 inches long, and managed to escape. It bit him on the head, neck, shoulders and arms, the Northern Territory News reported. A district Ranger said the man's diving companions rescued him and took him to the Black Point ranger station “Another person on the boat... dragged him out of the water," he said. "He'd got bitten a few times by the croc. He's just been in the wrong place at the wrong time." The man was flown by helicopter to Royal Darwin Hospital. He is in a stable condition and doctors say he won't need significant surgery. Saltwater crocodiles are considered extremely dangerous, and although rare, most attacks by adult 'salties' are fatal given the animals' strength and size. Tasmanian Seafoods Darwin manager visited him and said he was recovering. "He's going all right," he said. “He was an experienced diver who had requested anonymity�. Sky News on-line
  213. 2012 10 30 Not Recorded Tonga SCUBA Diving illegally for sea cucumber on Tungua in the outlying Ha'apai islands, 'symptoms were consistent with decompression sickness'. SCUBA diving for sea cucumbers is illegal under the Tonga Fisheries Act. Two other free-diving sea cucumber fishrermen died in the previous seven days, one off the Northern coast of 'Atata island - leg caught in nylon line - the other from Patangata was found dead on the reef by other fishermen returning from Pangaimotu island. Reported by Matangi Tonga Online
  214. 2012 9 12 Not Recorded USA Ocean Corps, Houston Two trainees, one aged 18 or 28, the other 34, reported as 'hospitalised in a critical condition'. The accident occurred at around 10:00 or 11:00 hours, commercial diver training (Inspection/NDT training) in a tank, recovered from the tank, one unconscious, the other conscious, transferred by 'LifeFlight' helicopter to hospital. Apparently "Diving in the indoor tank on SCUBA on their first day of unsupervised diving. The instructor was helping another student when other students noticed something was wrong". No other details. KHOU news
  215. 2012 6 26 Not Recorded Nigeria S/S Air Diver from Ijar described as 'senior' with 25 years of experience working for a contractor out of Port Harcourt (Rivers State). Disappeared during salvage of a sunken dredger on the Ughelli River (Delta State). Reported as having reached the position of the sunken dredger then disappeared. Appears from photos to have been a surface supplied mobile/portable set up, but no details. The dredger was run by a contractor (Owned by the Hon Friday Onodjai, former chairman of of the Ughelli North Local Government council and one time member representinf Ughelli North in the Delta State house of Assembly) working for NDDC (Niger Delta Development Company) and sank on Monday 25th near the Amekpa junction 'while executing a project to open up the river'. Search for the diver continued Thursday 28th admist confrontation with the local Otor-iwhreko community trying to stop the search operation until after ceremonies to appease their Gods for defilement of the river by the dead diver. Riot controlled by the military. It was alleged that prior to the commencement of the dredging, some employees of the owner of the dredger had made some spiritual consultations and disclosed to Hon. Onodjai that there is the need to appease the gods of the river before the commencement of the project, a suggestion Onodjai allegedly refused with a wave of the hand saying that he is a Christian and that such insinuations are mere superstitious beliefs. However, a week after the commencement of the project, the dredger sank and in an attempt to recover it, divers were brought in from Port Harcourt. It was during the rescue of the dredger that one of the divers was discovered missing after he had gone into the water but failed to come out. Another report commented that prior to this incident, there have been a series of profitable excavating activities due to the high demand of white sand for construction activities in the area (So was this a publicly funded river widening operation or commercial sand extraction?) Reported by Urhobo Times/Vanguard.
  216. 2012 3 24 Not Recorded Russia Navy Diver 60 Diving off the Rescue vessel "Alagez" with the Pacific Fleet in Pyotr Veliky Bay of Primorye conducting a submarine salvage drill with a "damaged" submarine on the seabed in 60 metres of water. Reports unclear, though may have been 'equipment failure'. Contradictory reports regarding his diving partner say he is 'undergoing intensive decompression therapy' or 'did not suffer and needs no treatment'. No details. Reported by Navaltoday.com
  217. 2012 3 6 Not Recorded Spain SCUBA Aged 35, working on a tuna farm at San Javier off the coast of Murcia, evacuated from site to port and admitted to the Cartagena hyperbaric unit. "Stabilized by the emergency services and transferred to the hyperbaric medicine unit". No details. GPS Buceo
  218. 2012 3 1 Not Recorded Sergio Spain 40 SCUBA Aged 21, student at the Alicante Marine and Fisheries Institute, enrolled in a profesional diving course at the college, was on a training dive with a teacher and three other students to 40 metres, took out mouthpiece, swallowed water, panicked and made emergency ascent without stops. Given oxygen therapy and transferred ashore to a hyperbaric centre and treated for ommitted decompression. The teacher and one other student who assisted him to the surface undertook another dive to complete their decompression stops. The report commented that tests to assess students prior to being allowed to take the diving course (Swimming, breath holding for a minute and an 18 metre free dive) were discontinued 5 years ago and that has resulted "in a huge deficiency in the quality of the students" Reported by Informacion.es
  219. 2012 1 11 Not Recorded Malaysia Rumoured that two divers were killed on a job in Malaysia but no details, not confirmed (Longstreath)
  220. 2012 1 9 Not Recorded Singapore SCUBA Ship's husbandry, diving in support of locating a vessel into a dry dock. Surfaced with his diving partner but went back down, failed to surface. located (unconscious?) on the bottom of the dock, failed to respond to treatment, (possible cardiac arrest?)
  221. 2011 12 9 Not Recorded Tonga S/S Air Aged 43, illegal sea cucumber fishing (season closed in mid October), diving with two other fishermen using a basic hookah equipment near Luanamo island (Ha'apai), experienced severe abdominal pains but died before the health officer from Ha'afeva arrived on the island. Inquest concluded that he died from decompression illness. Police arrested two Asian men (reputed to have bought the sea cucumbers and then left the island and charged them with illegal havesting off-season and use of using illegal equipment) and three Tongan men the day after on the island of Nuku'alofa. Second illegal sea cucumber harvester to die on the island this year in virtually identical circumstances (the previous fatality was on the 1st of September). Vava'a Press
  222. 2011 11 1 Not Recorded Iraq Leighton S/S Air Diver off the 'Leighton Eclipse' recovered to deck after suffering a leg injury (required knee surgery) from a crushing incident with a DMA whilst working in black water, transferred to hospital ashore for treatment. In a separate incident, dive team DMTs were called in to assist with a deck hand on a tug who suffered a near full leg amputation working wires in rough weather (Reported that the DMT reached into the wound, pulled out the artery and tied a knot in it, an action the Kuwait hospital confirmed as having saved his life). Longstreath.
  223. 2011 10 6 Not Recorded Czech Republic 8 SCUBA Aged 22, commercial diving operation to clear drainage/sewage pipes in a pond at the Lany game park (Rakovnik Lany, Bohemia), blockage gave way, differential pressure, diver sucked into a concrete sump feeding a 50cm diameter outlet pipe. Body not recovered until the day after due to the dangers of accessing the sump. Mediafax tn.cz
  224. 2011 9 9 Not Recorded UK Sheringham Shoal Offshore Windfarm off Norfolk, diver medivac by helicopter to Norwich Hospital with 'broken ribs, broken arm, traumatised". No other details. Norfolk News
  225. 2011 9 1 Not Recorded Tonga Aged 54, reported as having died from decompression after diving for sea cucumbers near the island of Leleka in Ha'apai on the late afternoon of Thursday, September 1. Police confirmed that the deceased from Ngele'ia in Tongatapu died shortly after surfacing from diving. Tonga News
  226. 2011 6 28 Not Recorded UK Mylor Marine Maintenance SCUBA Falmouth contractor fined £10,000 with costs of £2,000 after admitting breaching r.6(2)(a), 6(3)(a), 6(3)(b) and 6(3)(d) of the Diving at Work Regulations 1997. The prosecution arose from a spot inspection by HSE at underwater maintenance work on moorings in the St Mawes area of the Falmouth estuary during which an inspector observed breaches of the regulations. ‘The dive was being carried out without essential equipment, using only one cylinder of breathing gas, when a secondary supply is mandatory, and the diver only had a mouthpiece demand valve when a full face mask was required. There was no standby diver, a lifeline or a line for voice communications with the diver who was only qualified to carry out recreational dives, not commercial ones. The diver did not possess a valid certificate to prove his medical fitness to dive. He was diving without the benefit of a plan for the work being carried out, which should have included a risk assessment and a project plan.’ Reported in Safety News UK
  227. 2011 5 25 Not recorded Nigeria Subsea 7 S/S Air Pipeline intervention in shallow water from the "Acergy Hawk", unbolting a pig receiver on a pipeline replacement project. Using air bags, as the pig receiver was freed from the pipeline end flange it rose to the full extent of the hold back line trapping the divers leg resulting in a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula. Although weaknesses were identified in the procedures and RA process, essentially this incidents highlights the risks of of using airbags in shallow water and near zero visibility where the rigging and airbag cannot be fully monitored. Source:- A good and well circulated Oil Company report
  228. 2011 5 9 Not Recorded Spain During an audit in Algeciras, a diving contractor discussed 5 incidents that had occurred over the previous 18 months with another diving contractor in the port. As the author commented, “it shows how much we are missing and how important it is to use competent diving contractors�:- 1 Dive on a tanker at night. Tender comes up on divers umbilical and recovers hat and bailout. Diver has jettisoned his equipment and swum to the shore (established later). Algerciras port closed in while search is carried out for diver. 2 Dive carried out following 30’ decompression profile. Diver had worked at 60’ for an hour and profile not adjusted for deeper depth. Diver collapses on deck after dive. Paralysis of lower limbs, tongue and visual disturbances. Type 2 decompression sickness, diver evacuated to chamber to Malaga hospital, 3 day treatment. 3 Diver carrying out propeller polish on Tanker – propeller starts while diver working and pushes him away – ripped shoulder and leg muscles. 4 Diver carrying out our hull scrub wearing Aga mask – tangle with hull scrub brushes/ loose rope and Aga locating straps (spider). Mask ripped from divers head.  Diver makes it to surface – partial drowning and hospitalized ( 3 months off work). 5 Three bailout delivery whips blow off the mask on the same day. PC
  229. 2011 5 5 Not Recorded Brazil Navy Diver Navy 6 man team on a training exercise on Petrobras platform 'Cherne I'. Initial reports indicate surface supplied air and that they pulled up the umbilical but the diver was missing. Had a bailout but appears to have ditched his gear. Body recovered early hours of the follwing day. Waiting on further details. PC
  230. 2011 1 27 Not Recorded USA, Washington S/S Air Paraphrased from press reports:- “A 30-year-old commercial diver was taken to a hospital Thursday after his breathing apparatus malfunctioned near Suquamish. The Port Orchard man was harvesting geoduck while tethered with an air hose to a boat, said a North Kitsap Fire & Rescue spokeswoman. The diver was at a depth of 60 feet at about 11:30 a.m. when his breathing apparatus malfunctioned. The malfunction forced the diver to surface faster than recommended to avoid decompression sickness. He was driven by boat to a dock at Kiana Lodge in Suquamish where he was evaluated by medics. The man showed no symptoms of sickness and was transported to Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton as a precaution. Reported as the second geoduck diving accident in as many months in the Suquamish area. (Two Bremerton divers were hospitalized Dec. 14 after the support boat they were tethered to drug them into deep water in Port Madison). North Kitsap Herald
  231. 2011 1 12 Not Recorded USA S/S Air Paraphrased from press reports “ Juneau, Alaska. The Coast Guard is investigating the death of commercial diver off a boat southeast Alaska� The 68-foot fishing vessel “Island Dancer� was diving for sea cucumber in Chester bay, off Annette Island. Crew told investigators that the diver surfaced at about 1 p.m. Wednesday, took off his mask and immediately sank. They pulled the diver out of the water using the air hose and gave first aid but he did not respond to treatment�. Alaska daily News
  232. 2010 12 14 Not Recorded USA 26 Two Bremerton commercial geoduck divers were taken to hospitals Tuesday after their support boat dragged them into deep water in Port Madison. A 50-year-old woman was flown from Suquamish to Harborview Medical center in Seattle at about 1:30 p.m. The woman was in stable condition as of 7:15 p.m. Her diving companion, a 27-year-old man, was driven to Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton. The divers were working in about 50 feet of water when strong winds pushed their support boat into deeper water. The divers were tethered to the boat, which dragged them to a depth of about 85 feet. They were then pulled to the surface by workers on the support boat.
  233. 2010 12 0 Not Recorded Georgia Paraphrased from press reports:- “In December 2010, a 25-year old diver was badly injured when working underwater at the oil port of Kulevi�. Reported in the press articles reporting the deaths of Erkan Karsky and Murad Oglu in January 2011
  234. 2010 11 27 Not Recorded Norway Aged 47, Reports described him as 'A professional diver in his 40s was killed during a working dive at a pumping station at the Husqvarna factory in Sarpsborg, Ostfold on Saturday morning'. Possibly trapped underwater and/or lost air supply, but no details. Checking the factory inlet was an annual job he had done several times previousl. Water was ice covered at the time. The diver appears to have been a volunteer/sports diver from the Sarpsborg diving club but employed to undertake a commercial (water inlet) diving job. Does not appear to fit in with Norwegian regulations. No published incident report found to date. Reported by NTu
  235. 2010 11 4 Not Recorded Earl'? USA, New York Reicon S/S Air American, aged 35. Paraphrased from reports:- “Commercial diving team working at a restoration project at Chelsea Pier 59 on the Hudson River. End of dive, divers were being pulled back to the barge they were working from, fellow workers saw that one of the divers was in distress. Police said his umbilical had become entangled in the pier and was frantically waving his hands as he was pulled in along the 250’ umbilical and had taken off the mask that presumably because he was not able to get air through it. He was pulled out of the water blue and unconscious about 5:45 p.m. Police said that attempts by his fellow workers to revive the man were unsuccessful, but that emergency crews responding to the scene were able to resuscitate him. He was incoherent at first, but was brought to Bellevue hospital in stable condition, police said�. DNAinfo (Manhattan Local News) Unsubstantiated rumours of no standby diver, no bail out, self tending, pulled out by another (none diver) worker, possibly a 'single man dive team', but no details in the public domain. In hospital recovering, breathing tube removed 5 days later.
  236. 2010 9 24 Not Recorded Croatia Tourists SCUBA A SCUBA cylinder exploded as it was being loaded onto to a diving bost in the Port of Komiza killing a 48 year old Polish woman, three other people were injured and taken to hospital in Split where a 43 year old man who had received head injuries died overnight. They were part of a 12 person group of Polish tourists on a SCUBA diving holiday. AFP
  237. 2010 8 6 Not Recorded Switzerland Aged 47, Conny-Land theme park in Lipperswil, Norther Switzerland, cleaning a dolphin tank on Friday night, apparently pulled from the water unconscious but failed to respond to resuscitation. Later reported that cause of death was a heart attack. No other details
  238. 2010 8 5 Not Recorded Japan SCUBA Japaneses, aged 58, a diving instructor giving tourists a diving lesson off Koki Beach in Nago, standing barefoot in shallow water at 9 a.m. stung by a stonefish. Suddenly felt a sharp pain on the bottom of his left foot and quickly lost consciousness. Another instructor at the beach provided first aid but the victim stopped breathing before an ambulance arrived later died. A spokesman for the Okinawa Health Department’s pharmaceutical team said this was the first reported death caused by the venomous fish in 27 years. Reported in Stars and Stripes (Big American forces base in the Area). Sports SCUBA, but professional instructor and at work.
  239. 2010 8 4 Not Recorded Luis Mexico Rubi Munoz Chan Aged 25 from Seibaplaya, Campeche, diving for sea cucumber off the Rubi V as one of a three man crew. Vessel returned to port at 11:30 with his body, press commented on poor equipment and lack of knowledge of diving, but no details. Second diver to die in 15 days (Luis Torres. 22nd July) Reported by Yucatanalamano.com
  240. 2010 7 13 Not Recorded Finland S/S Air Reported as a 43 year old diver working at the oil port of Kemi (checking port sonar equipment) became distressed in the water whilst working on Monday 9th July, was pulled to the surface and taken to hospital in a critical condition, died on the following Friday. Dates are confused (Monday was 5th July?) No other details. Reported by hlb.fi
  241. 2010 7 12 Not Recorded Germany 39 year old commercial diver disappeared whilst working on clearing fishing nets from the propeller of the liner 'Noordam' in Bremerhaven (Crew had complained of vibration). Not clear whether propeller rotated or fell off, but diver disappeared in the fast flowing current of the Weser Police report, no other details
  242. 2010 5 31 Not Recorded Greece Press report stating that “a diver working for Hellenic Petroleum in Aspropyrgos (West of Athens) died while working on repairs to a water tank� reported as lost consciousness underwater, taken to hospital but did not respond to treatment. No other details. Ekathimerini.com
  243. 2010 3 30 Not Recorded South Korea South Korean Navy 24 SCUBA Two members of the 170 divers in the underwater demolition teams injured attempting to rescue potential trapped survivors in the hull of the 1,200 tonnes Naval vessel “Cheonan� (Sank late 26th after an explosion split her in two 105 miles from the west coast port of Incheon just south of the disputed border line, 58 crew rescued, 46 missing). Reported as being hospitalised on the same day as a colleague, warrant officer Joo-Ho Han, died. AP. Later reported that the Cheonan was sunk by a mine or torpedo.
  244. 2010 2 8 Not Recorded Kuwait Quote from the Arab Times “An Egyptian diver in his 40s died while doing maintenance work on a huge gate in Al-Zour, reports Alam Alyawm daily�. However, the Al-Seyassah daily said �The diver fell off a boat and drowned. The corpse was fished out of the waters by divers from the Coast Guard� No details though this potentially conflicting description brings to mind a significant reporting issue in that I have heard several unofficial rumours that diver fatalities are regularly being reported as 'sailor in the sea, drowned' rather than 'diver killed at work' – a rather convenient tactic for avoiding investigations, bad press and awkward questions. (Though for 'half a story', the events on the pearler 'Dart' off Australia reported in December 1895 take some beating!) .............................TC
  245. 2009 9 17 Not Recorded UK Kaymac Marine 6 S/S Air Aged 27, dredging operation at the new Pembroke power station, in the water 90 minutes and reported feeling unwell, passed out before he reached the surface, recovered to deck, given O2, airlifted to DDRS in Plymouth, later released fit and well. Sequence appears to have been:- Reported feeling funny, was asked to flush hat from bail out, no response, Supervisor switched him to HP supply, pulled back to cage, deck, hat off, O2 administered, came round. From going on to HP to hat off on deck, 3 minutes. HSE investigation. Root cause appears to have been foul road compressor air from air lance buffeting it's way upwards into the helmet past a loose neck dam. Possible additional seabed contamination from Methane and H2S. (NB Road compressor was sited well clear of diving compressors, did not contaminate diving gas, contamination took place at the work site). Team switched to free flow/contaminated water suitable helmets (AH5). Milford Mercury & PC.
  246. 2009 8 30 Not Recorded Kazakhstan Kazair Services SAR exercise Basic details reported as an air rescue exercise in which three local divers were dropped into the water from a Helicopter. A body has now been found with the life jacket uninflated. The recovery crew pulled the jacket inflation on recovering the body and it functioned correctly. Additional, but as yet unconfirmed reports, indicated that Kazair services employed three divers from a local diving contractor who were deployed from the helicopter, that a vessel in the area decided it was a good opportunity to launch its FRC during the exercise.(Not planned) and it was that FRC which recovered the second diver (it is assumed the first diver was recovered by helicopter), the third diver disappeared under the water and his helicopter lifejacket failed to inflate. Personal communication, TC
  247. 2009 7 24 Not Recorded Australia Peter Cunningham Holdings 17 metre Cray fishing vessel 'Wave Crest' (with 1500 litres of diesel fuel onboard) was blown ashore and then sank in Waubs Bay, near Bicheno. The salvage company raised the boat and sealed the fuel leak but Workplace Standards Tasmania prosecuted. “The diver was not properly qualified to be involved in that process," The diver was fined $300 dollars and the company fined $600. ABC News, Australia
  248. 2009 6 26 Not Recorded Honduras 43 SCUBA Paraphrased from press report:- “The Honduran indigenous community in La Mosquitia lives from the lobster catch. The export of the 'Panulirus argus' is also one of the most profitable Honduran exports, especially to the United States. During the lobster season, from August to May, most of the adult Miskito men dive, while younger males accompany them in small boats known as 'cayucos', floating alongside the bigger lobster boats. A study by the Honduran special ombudsman for ethnic groups and cultural heritage, sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), based in Washington, found that there are 4,200 divers living with injuries, nearly half the total Miskito diving population of 9,000. The Miskito men work 12 to 17 days out at sea, in five-hour diving sessions at depths of up to 43 meters. The annual death toll among Miskito lobster divers averages around 50, according to several reports.� IPS (Inter Press Service) NOTE, IF I ADD THESE DEATHS, 50 PER YEAR JUST SINCE 2000, THAT ADDS 500 DEATHS TO THE LIST TC
  249. 2009 6 5 Not Recorded Greece Aged 61, professional diver killed in the gulf of Thermaikos (Thessalonika) in an industrial accident, appears to have been crushed between floating units of some kind, body transferred ashore by Coastguard, "constrictive suffocating death". No other details. Reported by Enet.gr
  250. 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
  251. 2009 5 0 Not recorded GOM 61 S/S Mixed Gas Cutting up of the wreck of the "High Island III" "There we were making gas dive after gas dive burning box after box of Brocos cutting up a bent and twisted pile of drilling derrick. The diver had rigged up to a big pile of I-beam and angle iron and was cutting it free of bottom. "up on the load, cut cut cut; up on the load, cut cut cut. Diver says, "OK get up on the load it's free to the surface." and goes back to the class II bell to watch the load come up. As it clears bottom I see what looks like a huge (20 to 30ft) cloud coming up under this pile of scrap. No shit, this was all this gas trapped in the scrap pile! The diver asks me "What the hell is that?" I respond knowingly, "The bomb you were building." I never would have thought that could happen".
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