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Incidents List

  1. Year Month Day Surname Forenames Location Contractor Client Depth Type of Diving Details
  2. 2021 4 30 Not Recorded USA "OSHA Report . April 30, 2021 – E. Tri Lakes Crown Lake Dam, AR Summary - Employee was working on a drain pipe to see if it was clogged. The employee had placed a small metal tub plate over the opening of the drain pipe and he accidentally removed the tube. The debris that was clogged inside the drain was removed and became unclogged causing a whirlpool and pulled the employee into the drain approximately 60 feet down and employee's body was ejected approximately 120 feet away from the opening of the drain. The employee's body was severed in half causing a fatality. While this was not a diving fatality, the employee was a diver working in a wet suit. Similar hazards as other dams / plants with Delta P issue and not being aware of where the inlets / outlets piping of the dam were. RLH Construction – OSHA Inspection #1540325.015 – OPEN. i. Citations – 30OCT21 is the 6 month date ii. Problems - Improper manning / training? Lack of knowledge of system?"
  3. 2021 8 4 Aguilar Torres Ruben Mexico Arendal Diving off the Jacson 34, initially reported as 'an accident on an oiltanker' and 'bursting of a pipeline caused the death' but no real details. The same contractor (Arendal) had a previous fatalty in 2019 (Adolfo Leon Carrillo) Reported in social media (Facebook) and Tabascohoy.com
  4. 2021 7 27 Walker Staff Sgt. Micah USA Military Surface Swimmer Soldier assigned to 10th Special forces at the John F Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (SWCS) in Key West, Florida, undergoing the CDQC (Combat Diver Qualification Course) drowned during pool training. "The Staff Sergeant was a student in the Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification Course, and was participating in a conditioning exercise in the pool, which stresses the students’ cardio, respiratory and muscular endurance,” the release said. During the training event, the Soldier submerged and did not resurface. The cadre immediately entered the pool and found him unresponsive, read the release. “The Dive Medical Officer attempted to resuscitate him, and he was transported to the Lower Keys Medical Center Emergency Room where he was pronounced dead following full medical intervention". Second CDQC fatality in under a year (Staff Sgt Paul Olmstead during pre-selection 'martime assessment' 23rd September 2020)
  5. 2021 7 15 Wood Jaxxyn Lee USA Bulldog Diving S/S Air "Aged 19, inspecting inlet pipes at the LG & E Mill Creek Power Plant (A 1972 coal fired power plant set in a 544 acre site on the Ohio river supplying power to Louisville, Kentucky). Initial press reports stated 2 man team, 'lost communications' and 'sucked into a pump'. Reported by 14 News, houston Chronicle and others. Later social media reports stated 4 man team (Including the diver's brother) which exceeds the minimum OSHA 3 man team, pump LOTO but adjacent pump running in next bay. Appear to have windows between bays that should have been blocked by power plant personnel (part of LOTO procedure). Diver was in water in zero visobility to confirm stoppers in place prior to commencing debris clearance, umbilical sucked through open window trapping diver. Unclear if he had a bailout but body not recovered for several hours. OSHA questioned contractor's umbilical management, LOTO verification, zero flow verification, clients LOTO and stop logs. Accident Report Detail. Accident: 137498.015 - Employee Is Killed On Dive After Being Pulled Into Pump. Report ID: 0452110 -- Event Date: 07/15/2021. On July 15, 2021, an employee performing underwater diving operations at a elect rical generating station inspecting pipes and clearing debris from a pump basin. Coworkers for the power company reported to the dive crew that the stoplog gates ""should be in place"" but they were unsure. The employee verified that LOTO was performed on the two pumps in the immediate work area and the employee entered the water to check for the presence of stoplogs and water flow. The employee mistakenly verified that stoplogs were down and that there was no water flow or cur rent present (which was incorrect). The employee then continued his work and returned to the water to make a last check of the area. During this final check, the employee's umbilical was caught in a current caused by a pump in an adjacent bay that was still in operation. The current pulled the umbilical into the pump, which in turn, pulled the employee into the pump, killing him."
  6. 2021 7 7 Trahey Brian USA Great Lakes Engineering SCUBA Aged 49, married, two sons. Calkins Bridge dam on the Kalamazoo river/Allegan Lake in Southwest Michigan. Underwater inspection, failed to surface. Body recovered after water levels lowered and dam stopped entirely to prevent current (Suspected differential pressure entrapment). Reported by WXMI-TV. Great Lakes Engineering given maximum fine of £119,000 (No planning, lifeline or comms, repeat offender). Diver's wife was Great Lakes President.... Multiple US news outlets
  7. 2021 5 26 dos Santos Irenilson Marcos Brazil Hookah Aghed 25, gold mining raft on the Teles Pires river near the town of Alta Floresta, entered the water around 18:00 hours, after 35 minutes failed to respond to signals, gear pulled up but only brought up hose/regulator. Search diver found weightbelt. Body recovvered by SAR divers a day later. rdnews.com and other outlets.
  8. 2021 4 14 Dedi Indonesia 72m SCUBA From Pasir Putih village, Situbondo, Java, salvage of a slerek (Traditional Javanese fishing bost) that had sunk on the 6th April, three man dive team secured lines to the boat and it was successfully brought to the surface, diver fell ill and became unconcious, died before he reached Surabaya. Reported as DCI incident. Reported by harianbhirawa.co.id
  9. 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
  10. 2021 12 24 Williams Rodney Dale USA Canon's Service SCUBA Aged 57, died in a retention pond. OSHA report stated "Investigation Nr: 142251.015, Event: 12/24/2021, Employee Is Killed, Drowned When Diving With Defective Equipment. At 10:20 a.m. on December 24, 2021, an employee who worked as an independent con tract diver was entering a retention pond for a second dive to place a buoy on pipe that was broken. A coworker (the employer) who was observing from the shore noticed about 15 minutes into the second dive that employee's bubble trail had made a circle and then stopped. Coworker #1 called 911 immediately as Coworker #2 entered the water and tried to rescue the employee. Local police and Fire/EMS a rrived on scene, but were unable to rescue the employee. EMS called for the Coun ty Dive Team to assist but by the time the team arrived the rescue operation had turned into a recovery. The employee was retrieved from the pond approximately two (2) hours after he was last seen. The employee was pronounced dead at the sc ene due to drowning. The employee's personal dive equipment was not functioning properly which potentially lead to hypoxia and then death.
  11. 2021 12 12 Sawiran Herman Indonesia 11m S/S Air Palembang, South Sumatra. Family diving team of two bothers and a brother-in-law (the victim) led by father installing a PDAM pump (high volume unit weighing 3 tons). Diving on an air compressor with a 100 metre hose hookah set up to check pump status. Hose went tight then broke, stand-by dived in. Diver had gone head first into the pump, head and torso missing, hips and legs recovered to surface. Divers questioned why the pump was running whilst they were doing the inspection. Reported in Indonesian Press.
  12. 2021 8 3 Lazaroo Calvin Patrick Malaysia SCUBA Aged 27, diving with three others to salvage a boat off Sungai Besar, trying to tie a line to it and went missing. Body still with diving gear found floating on surface on the 8th of August about 9km SW of Sungai Besar. Reported in Maysian Press
  13. 2014 7 11 Roni Indonesia PT Primus PLTU SCUBA Expected Delta P. Google translate gives: Two bodies of victims of divers at the Tanjung Jati B Steam Power Plant (PLTU) Jepara were successfully evacuated by Indonesian Navy divers from the Koarmatim Underwater Rescue Service (Dislambair), in the waters of Jepara, Central Java, Friday (11/02). 07). At around 10:00 WIB, the Dislambair Koarmatim Dive Team managed to evacuate the victim's body on behalf of Roni (37), a resident of RT 12 RW 1 Pesisir Village, Besuki, Situbondo, East Java. Previously, the Navy Diving Team also managed to evacuate the victim's body on behalf of Eko Setiawan (25), a resident of RT 04 RW 01 Sidowungu Village, Gresik, East Java, at 12.30 WIB. Eko Setiawan's body was found in the Manhole-5 pipe with a distance of about 30 meters. The evacuation process was very difficult, because the victim was in an underwater pipe with a diameter of 400 cm, with a depth of about 10-16 meters. When it was found the position of the two victims was at a depth of 200 meters from the door of the PLTU cooling pool. For the time being, the exact cause of the accident is not known, but it is suspected that it was caused by ocean currents. The two victims were certified divers who were sent by a third party partner, namely PT. Primus. Kadislambair Koarmatim Marine Colonel (T) Bhirawa Budijuana said, to evacuate the two victims, the Diving Team directly brought diving equipment such as Scuba Set and MK-27 from Surabaya. "This team was sent specifically on direct orders from Pangarmatim Rear Admiral TNI Sri Mohamad Darojatim to assist in the search and evacuation of Search and Rescue (SAR) at PLTU Tanjung Jati," said Kadislambair. Source: https://tni.mil.id/view-63555-dua-korban-di-pltu-tanjung-jati-jepara-berhasil-dievakuasi-penyelam-koarmatim.html
  14. 2014 7 11 Setiawan Eko Indonesia PT Primus PLTU SCUBA Expected Delta P. Google translate gives: Two bodies of victims of divers at the Tanjung Jati B Steam Power Plant (PLTU) Jepara were successfully evacuated by Indonesian Navy divers from the Koarmatim Underwater Rescue Service (Dislambair), in the waters of Jepara, Central Java, Friday (11/02). 07). At around 10:00 WIB, the Dislambair Koarmatim Dive Team managed to evacuate the victim's body on behalf of Roni (37), a resident of RT 12 RW 1 Pesisir Village, Besuki, Situbondo, East Java. Previously, the Navy Diving Team also managed to evacuate the victim's body on behalf of Eko Setiawan (25), a resident of RT 04 RW 01 Sidowungu Village, Gresik, East Java, at 12.30 WIB. Eko Setiawan's body was found in the Manhole-5 pipe with a distance of about 30 meters. The evacuation process was very difficult, because the victim was in an underwater pipe with a diameter of 400 cm, with a depth of about 10-16 meters. When it was found the position of the two victims was at a depth of 200 meters from the door of the PLTU cooling pool. For the time being, the exact cause of the accident is not known, but it is suspected that it was caused by ocean currents. The two victims were certified divers who were sent by a third party partner, namely PT. Primus. Kadislambair Koarmatim Marine Colonel (T) Bhirawa Budijuana said, to evacuate the two victims, the Diving Team directly brought diving equipment such as Scuba Set and MK-27 from Surabaya. "This team was sent specifically on direct orders from Pangarmatim Rear Admiral TNI Sri Mohamad Darojatim to assist in the search and evacuation of Search and Rescue (SAR) at PLTU Tanjung Jati," said Kadislambair. Source: https://tni.mil.id/view-63555-dua-korban-di-pltu-tanjung-jati-jepara-berhasil-dievakuasi-penyelam-koarmatim.html
  15. 2021 9 16 Yulianto Indonesia PT Patra Dinimika OWA / PLTU SSDE Indonesian diver named Yulianto, working for Patra Dinimika, under subcontract to OWA, at the PLTU (electric steam power plant) in Jepara, Central Java. Delta P, with someone opening a valve or gate to an intake. Using SSDE, with umbilical and hat pulled off during recovery.
  16. 2020 9 21 Medina González Orlando Andrés Curacao Curacao Industrial Diving Venezuelan. Curacao, Damen Ship Repair, Pier B, (Double fatality with Eustoquio Madrid), one diver drowned, the second taken ashore alive but died, initial reports indicate 'unauthorised' (SCUBA) equipment. No other details. Reported by SubaQuatica Magazine: https://www.subaquaticamagazine.es/dos-buzos-mueren-en-accidente-en-damen-shiprepair-en-curazao-el-caribe/
  17. 2020 9 21 Madrid Eustoquio Curacao Curacao Industrial Diving Venezuelan. Curacao, Damen Ship Repair, Pier B, (Double fatality with Orlando Andreas Medina Gonzalez), one diver drowned, the second taken ashore alive but died, initial reports indicate 'unauthorised (SCUBA) equipment. No other details. Reported by SubaQuatica Magazine: https://www.subaquaticamagazine.es/dos-buzos-mueren-en-accidente-en-damen-shiprepair-en-curazao-el-caribe/
  18. 2018 4 24 Castagnet Bastien France 5 Aged 28, working at the Mercues power station, run by EDF subsidiary 'Shema', trapped on inlet grill around 11:50 on 24th April 2018, pulled off by rescuers about 13:30, in cardio respiratory arrest, revived by paramedics and taken unconscious to Cahors hospital. No other details. Reported by Medialot. After being in a coma for two and a half years passed away on Saturday 3rd October 2020.
  19. 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)"
  20. 2020 11 23 Hong Kong 23rd November 2020 – (Hong Kong) ​The Labour Department (LD) is investigating a fatal work accident in Kwai Chung this afternoon in which a man died. At about 4pm today (23rd), a male diver and several colleagues performed underwater welding works off the container terminal No. 5 in Kwai Chung. Colleagues discovered that he did not return ashore on time, they immediately called the police for help. The firefighters sent divers to the scene to search and rescue him. After some searches, they found the victim and immediately rescued him back to shore. However, the victim had fallen into a coma. The fire department immediately provided him with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and he was sent to hospital by ambulance. Unfortunately, the victim died subsequently. The police classified the case as an industrial accident and investigated the cause of the accident. A female relative and a boy related to the victim rushed to the hospital. The Labour Department stated that it had deployed staff to the scene immediately and is now investigating the cause of the accident. Reported by: https://www.dimsumdaily.hk/diver-at-container-terminal-no-5-in-kwai-chung-dies-while-performing-underwater-welding-works/
  21. 2021 2 9 Iagos Penailillo Alonso or Hector Chile Passub at AquaChile Site 52m SCUBA "Aged 42, diving at the AquaChile Aysen 2 salmon cultivation centre near Puerto Chacabuco. Decompression illness incident compounded by 50 minute transit to Puerto Chacabuco. Then taken to Puerto Aysen Hospital (15km away) to their hyperbaric centre but died the following day. Reported by salmonexpert.cl. A later report quoting his nephew stated that his first name was Alonso, not Hector, that the dive was to 52 metres (not 25 metres as reported by the Company), that when he reached port there was no support and he had to hitch a ride in a truck to Puerto Aysen, that when he arrived at Aysen hospital they made him wait prior to therapeutic recompression, that his treatment was 'only 3 to 4 hours', that afterwards doctors assured the family he was stable and sleeping (03:40 hours) but at 08:00 hours told them he was in organ failure and died at 11:35 Reported by El Tirapiedras. Some reports question why it took 7 hours for him to get to hospital when it was a 50 minute speedboat transit."
  22. 2021 1 25 Chiguay Carimoney Remigio Eduardo Chile SCUBA Aged 16 or 17 diving from the 'Eugenia 1' (Registered in Quellon) an hour and a half sailing time from Melinka, surfaced unconscious. Reported fatality, Navy vessel attended site and confirmed fatality. Initial reports centred on his (under) age - minimum age for this type of diving work in Chile is 18 years of age - so was most likely unlicensed and the vessel operating without port authorisation. Reported by eldivisadero.cl, litoralpress.cl, cooperativa.cl etc
  23. 2021 2 25 Diaz Leiva Cristian Chile Servicios Primes SCUBA Aged 58. Married, 8 children. Blumar owned Concheo II salmon farm, Aysen, Southern Chile. Reported as 'accident around 12:30 am', 'suffocation by submersion in the context of a work accident', 'handling counterweights', No other details. Reported by Salmon Business. Diving off the 'LM Don Hector' reported by SagaChile. Later reported that the regulatory 'Chilean Safety Association' (ACHS) said 'not work related' as there was no link between the diver's work and death.....
  24. 2021 3 3 Gockerell Anthony Glen USA Grayzone Seafood and Trade LLC 23m S/S Air "Aged 35, father of four, wife expecting another, geoduck harvesting in the Dungeness West geoduck tract in the Strait of Juan de Fuca 6 miles East of Ediz Hook. Air line entangled at around 08:30, pulled to the surface by deck crew and given CPR during transit to Port Angeles where fire department medics continued treatment as he was transferred to the Olympic Medical Centre where he was pronounced dead at 09:46. Reported by the Peninsula Daily News.Accident Investigation. OSHA Summary Nr: 133933.015 Event: 03/03/2021 Employee Is Killed After Drowning During Clam Harvest Dive At 8:30 a.m. on March 3, 2021, an employee was finishing a 70 foot dive to harve st geoducks (clams) and had just completed a 10 foot rest to slowly equalize pre ssure before returning to the boat. The air line the employee was using became t angled and he was unable continue his ascent. During the time he and his coworke rs (the boat crew) were attempting to free his air line, his mask came off causing him to drown."
  25. 2021 4 19 Teigel Coliague Andres Alejanndro Chile SGM Austral/Aqua Chile SCUBA Aged 41. 'Diver dies at AquaChile salmon farming site/The diver was conducting maintenance at the site (In Aysen) when the accident occurred, Reported by Intrafish. Another diver died on the same site on 20th March 2020 (Juan Ruiz Gallardo). Initial reports said "Cause of death was suffocation by decompression sickness"
  26. 2021 5 9 Villegas Rogel Jorge Chile SCUBA Aged 29, Diving from the 'Genesis II' at a Fish Farm in the Punta Valentino Sector on Dawson Island, South of Punta Arenas, recovered unconscious, did not respond to treatment. Declared deceased on arrival at Punta Arenas. No other details. Reported by subaquaticamadazine.es
  27. 2021 6 8 Baenziger Robert (Bob) USA SCUBA Aged 54, repairing a broken cable at the bottom of a million gallon anaerobic digester (Methane producer) on a farm in Stockton, Iowa. On comms line, allegedly told his fiancee he was taking his helmet off, she pulled on the line and retrieved his helmet minus the diver. Digester normally operates at 99 to 105 degrees but appears to have been at 120 degrees F (49 degrees C) and had to be cooled with 100,000 gallons of cold water before rescue divers could recover the body 22 hours later. Diver was not in contaminated water gear nor had air back up). As the diver was self employed and working solo he was exempt from OSHA inspections and as the farm has less than 10 employees they are also outwith the worker safety agency remit, so no investigation to take place. Reported by the Gazette (Iowa)
  28. 2021 6 16 Rueda Ruiz Eduardo Santos Colombia Gecelca SCUBA Aged 46, diving with his 18 year old son cleaning seawater intake pipes at the Gecelca plant near Mingueo, Northern Columbia. Appears to have been a differential pressure incident, Eduardo pushed son away but was seen pinned on the grill, son surfaced for a rescue rope but on return father had disappeared. Body found 7 kilometres away by coastguard personnel 48 hours later. reported by elheraldo.co and others.
  29. 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
  30. 2019 12 27 Galletti Wolfrang Angola Rana Diving S.p.a. / Aquatic Deepwater Sonangol P&P 82m Sat Commercial Diver 42 years old born in Trieste . Italy on December 28th 1976. Working for RANA Diving S.p.a.onboard of the SBM Installer at Block 3 in Angola , blowdown on December 23rd 2019. When bell run 011 on December 27th 2019 working at seabed around 82 m.s.w. like Diver2 was smashed between a pipe (long ~10 meters/ weight ~ 1 tone) and one DMA in a fatal accident not yet clarified . 24 days to repatriate the corpse that arrive Italy on January 20th 2020. From the autopsy made in Angola and performed in Portuguese First: Wolfrang died of a shock resulting from a thoracic trauma that compromised the aorta. On the body there are also wounds and bruises on the head, in particular on the cheekbones and on the occipital part. Second: the Angolan coroner who performed the autopsy classifies the death as "accident at work". On Tuesday 11th February 2020 forty five days after his death was buried in Trieste his Italian city. No Company or IMCA information about this fatality yet.
  31. 2019 7 29 Linston Terrence Olmsted Lock, Kentucky USA Global Diving and Salvage PULASKI COUNTY, Ill. (KFVS) - A diver died while working on the Olmsted Lock and Dam project on Saturday, June 29. According to spokesperson with Moran Environmental Recovery, LLC, a commercial diver with Global Diving and Salvage died while working on the Olmsted Lock and Dam project. Terrence Linston reportedly had a incident while he was under water and did not survive. He had been employed with Globan since 2017 and had been working on the Olmsted project for two years. Global is contracted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the following statement on Wednesday, July 3: “Our thoughts and prayers are extended to the family members during this difficult time. We are closely coordinating with all parties as the cause of the incident is still under investigation.” - Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District According to the Moran Environmental Recovery spokesperson, they are cooperating with authorities and the investigation is ongoing. In May 2019, a massive crane specifically built to assemble, move and lift sections of the dam was demolished. In August 2018, a ribbon cutting was held for the Olmsted Lock and Dam project. The project, which replaced 1920’s-era infrastructure, hoped to make an easier navigation of commerce on the Ohio River. The Olmsted Lock and Dam is one of the busiest stretches of Illinois’ inland water system for commercial navigation. https://www.kfvs12.com/2019/07/03/diver-dies-while-working-olmsted-lock-dam-project/
  32. 2019 6 21 Wingard Steven F. Dahowa Hydro power plant, Greenwich, USA Commercial Diver Systems SS Air GREENWICH — State Police are investigating a fatal accident that occurred Friday morning at a hydropower plant on the Batten Kill that claimed the life of a commercial diver. The incident was reported at the former Dahowa Hydro power plant off county Route 53, near the hamlet of Middle Falls. The diver, Steven F. Wingard, 25, of Falls Village, Connecticut, died while underwater in a pool below the hydro plant. State Police said Wingard was working for a company identified as Commercial Diver Systems to clean an underwater drain valve at the hydro plant when some sort of accident occurred. How he came to be injured was still under investigation Friday afternoon, State Police Senior Investigator Robert Stampfli said. Stampfli said Wingard was the only diver in the water, and was connected to a crew on land via an “umbilical” cord with an oxygen line. “There was some sort of event that caused them to pull him back up” and he was unconscious, Stampfli said. Exactly what occurred remained under investigation later Friday, Stampfli said. But there was no indication of foul play. The accident was reported just after 9:30 a.m. Easton-Greenwich Rescue Squad members and Middle Falls firefighters responded, but efforts to revive the man with CPR were unsuccessful. Dahowa Hydro sold the 10.5-megawatt plant to Gravity Renewables earlier this year, according to an article on Renewable Energy World’s website. Numerous streams and rivers in the region were running very high Friday after Thursday’s rain, and the Batten Kill was running at nearly triple its median flow for June 21 as of Friday morning. Stampfli said it was unclear whether the drain issue was related to the rain or was regularly scheduled maintenance. Julie Smith-Galvin, a spokeswoman for Gravity Renewables, said the company was trying to figure out what occurred as well. “Our thoughts are with Mr. Wingard’s family, friends and loved ones,” she said in an email. “We appreciate the work of all those involved in responding to this morning’s emergency call. We are working closely and cooperatively with local authorities to investigate what caused today’s tragedy.” https://poststar.com/news/local/updated-diver-dies-at-batten-kill-hydropower-plant/article_75176eb1-cc99-53dd-9963-cbc3657242e4.html
  33. 1997 11 11 McHazlett J. Jerry GOM CalDive International Sat Diving Jerry was aboard the Witch Queen and had completed his first 4 1/2 hour rotation of saturation diving at a depth of approximately 300 feet. Upon reentry into the diving bell Jerry fell back towards the moon pool unconscious and was brought back into the bell by diving partner. The diving partner attempted three times to close bell hatch which had a previously noted faulty pneumatic mechanism and seal. Diving partner attempted to do CPR and finally got hatch closed and bell was brought to surface. Top-side personnel did not attempt any resuscitation or medical treatment. Top-side personnel did not contact on-shore physician to get medical instructions including the use of adrenaline which was available. Witch Queen returned to dock and Jerry was transported to morgue.
  34. 1991 1 31 Bailey Clifford Wilfred Bangor, Wales SAR Diving Cliff Bailey died in what appears to be a Delta P incident while working with SAR diving while carrying out routine maintenance work on a pipeline running between Anglesey and Holy Island. Source: Emails from Cliff Bailey's Sister.
  35. 2018 8 28 Hamdan Mohammed Nasrallah Israel Nahshon Marine Construction SSDE Mohammed Hamdan, 33 years old Majd al-Krum, was killed today (Tuesday) in a diving accident site construction work on the new port of Haifa. Magen David Adom paramedics evacuated him to Rambam Hospital in the city, where he was pronounced dead. As far as is known, he was injured while operating underwater pumping equipment. The Hof police station reported: "At the center of 100, a report was received about a resident of the Galilee who was injured - apparently during underwater work when he operated equipment that he had in his possession. Researchers from the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Transport were summoned. " Ronen Keren, CEO of Nahshon Underwater Works, said he still did not know the exact details of the incident under investigation: "What can be said at the moment is condolences to the family of the worker who was killed," he said. Mohammed Nasrallah Hamdan, 33, from Majd al-Krum in the Galilee, was survived by a wife and two young children, aged 6 and 4. Google Translate from: https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5336729,00.html and https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5338011,00.html
  36. 2018 8 3 dos Santos Filho Athayde (Tatá) Brazil Fugro 170 Sat Petrobras announced in a note to Imprensa that another fatal accident occurred on Friday, August 3, this time in the Santos Basin. The injured was the diver Athayde dos Santos Filho, 57, affectionately named "Tatá" and considered the most experienced in oil activity, who worked for the company Fugro in operation in Campo de Mexilhão. The diver was in saturated diving operation to a depth of 170 meters, providing support in the installation of submarine pipelines when the accident happened. Source: http://www.portalmaritimo.com/2018/08/05/mergulhador-morre-em-acidente-na-bacia-de-santos/
  37. 2018 5 0 Bucio Juan USA Chicago Fire Department Juan Bucio, 46, was among the first responders called to a report of a person missing in the Chicago River near the 2600 block of South Ashland Avenue at around 8 p.m. Monday night, authorities said. Fire officials said Bucio was searching for a 28-year-old man who witnesses said they saw jump from a boat into the river. At one point, Bucio lost communication with his dive partner during the rescue attempt, officials said. Authorities said he was later located and CPR was administered before he was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, where he later died. “An order was given to switch out divers to bring the second team in, give them a break,” Chicago Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago said at a news conference. “At that time, they were coming towards the boat. His partner turned around and he was missing, that quick,” Santiago added. The CFD diver is 46-year-old Juan Bucio. According to the Chicago Fire Department he has two sons, ages seven and nine. He was pronounced dead at 10:02 p.m. Bucio joined the Chicago Fire Department in 2003. He became part of the dive team in 2007. He has nine siblings including a brother with the Chicago Fire Department and a sister with the Chicago Police Department. Two other divers were released from Northwestern Memorial. One of the divers was Bucio’s partner. SourceE: https://www.statter911.com/2018/05/29/chicago-firefighter-juan-bucio-dies-in-search-for-missing-boater/
  38. 2018 6 23 Firdaus Mohamed Singapore Marine Diving & Engineering Vopak Terminals SCUBA A 27-year-old commercial diver died after he was struck by a concrete pile while working in the waters off Pulau Sebarok on Saturday afternoon (Jun 23). Mohamed Firdaus was working as a commercial diver for Marine Diving & Engineering (MDE), which specialises in underwater services including marine and underwater construction. On the day of the accident, Firdaus was working on a project developed by Vopak Terminals Singapore on Pulau Sebarok’s Jetty 2. The project's occupier is HSL Constructor, which had engaged MDE for the project. "Two divers were in the water, installing brackets onto a concrete pile, when one of the workers was struck by a concrete pile," said the Ministry of Manpower. Firdaus was unconscious when taken to National University Hospital, where he died from his injuries, added the police, who received a call for assistance at 5.13pm. The police are investigating the unnatural death. Advertisement MOM has stopped all works at the worksite and is currently investigating the incident. In an email to Channel NewsAsia, Vopak Terminals confirmed that a fatal accident happened at its terminal in the port. "We are deeply saddened by this accident. We, jointly with our main contractor and his employer, are providing his family with all possible aid and assistance they need during this difficult time," said Vopak Terminals. Vopak Terminals also said it has started "a thorough investigation to find the root cause" of the accident. On Sunday afternoon, representatives from MDE, HSL and Vopak attended Firdaus' funeral, MDE and HSL said in a joint statement. "No words nor gesture can replace the loss of Firdaus, and we will certainly be here for his loved ones. We truly share the grief of his family, friends and colleagues," said Mr Masahiro Aoyagi, managing director of MDE. "This is the first fatal accident ever experienced by MDE since our incorporation 38 years ago and we are doing our utmost to understand what happened," he added. All related parties are currently working closely with the authorities, the companies said in the statement. Pulau Sebarok is an oil storage and refueling port at one of the southern islands of Singapore. Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/mohamed-firdaus-diver-27-dies-waters-pulau-sebarok-concrete-10464340
  39. 2018 5 5 Seet Choon Heng (Jake) Singapore Mola Subsea Services SS/Air The body of 33-year-old Jake Seet Choon Heng, who went missing off the waters of Sentosa on Saturday (5 May), has been found. The police were alerted to a body found floating in the sea off Sentosa at 6.36pm on Monday. The body was that of a 33-year-old man who was reported missing on Saturday. The police are investigating the unnatural death. Seet, a 33-year-old commercial diver, went missing while conducting underwater operations for the vessel Jork at the Western Anchorage near Sentosa on Saturday. He is understood to be employed by Mola Subsea Services, which provides commercial diving services for vessels at major ports and anchorages within Singapore. On Monday, his sister Jacqueline Seet made an urgent appeal for “all parties to do their utmost” to bring her brother home. In a media statement, she added that neither the authorities nor her brother’s employer had promptly informed their family about his disappearance. Yahoo News Singapore has reached out to Seet’s employer for comments. Jake Seet leaves behind two sons aged six and three. According to his sister, his wife is due to give birth to their third child, a daughter, next month. Jasper Lei, 35, associate marketing director at Propnex Realty and a former colleague of Seet’s, described him as a “very fit and experienced diver” with more than 10 years of experience. While Lei expressed deep “shock” over Seet’s passing, the former commercial diver also noted that safety on the job could be compromised at times, due to the urgency of the task at hand and “limited manpower issues”. Lei and a friend started raising funds for Seet’s family on Monday night and have collected about $3,200 so far. “Jake came from a humble family, his wife is definitely devastated by the loss,” Lei added. “With two kids plus an unborn child, the future is really challenging for them.” This story was updated to include quotes from Jasper Lei and other information. Taken from Singapore News: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/body-missing-singaporean-diver-jake-seet-found-off-sentosa-024851489.html
  40. 2015 8 17 Millard Jeremy Puerto Rico Deep Solutions 14m Diving with two others on a fibre optic cable job when he touched the left side of his chest and started floating, rescued by the Pinones Maritime Unit but had no vital signs. Press report says 'died because of health complications'. Reported by Endi/elnuevodia.com
  41. 1993 6 4 Bengloan Stephane France Military Rebreather Aged 26, double fatality with Eric Lechauve, night training exercise (Simulated attack) in Brest harbour. Both found entangled under a pontoon with empty cylinders. In 1996, 5 men (2 admirals, a Captain, the course lecturer and course director) were charged. Outcome unclear. Reported by www.liberation.fr: https://goo.gl/vGWrML
  42. 1993 6 4 Lechauve Eric France Military Rebreather Aged 25, double fatality with Stephane Bengloan, night training exercise (Simulated attack) in Brest harbour. Both found entangled under a pontoon with empty cylinders. In 1996, 5 men (2 admirals, a Captain, the course lecturer and course director) were charged. Outcome unclear. Reported by www.liberation.fr
  43. 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
  44. 2016 12 28 Bahamonde Jose Chile Aged 56, shellfish diving from the vessel 'Javiera' (Registered in Achao) near Shilling Island, died, reported as decompression illness. Reported by biobiochile.cl
  45. 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
  46. 2016 12 15 Scott David USA TK Potable Diving Aged 47, inspecting the inside of a water storage tank in Braintree, Texas, reported lost air and then became unconscious, his 'spotter' went in to rescue him and was himself rescued by firemen and taken to hospital with hypothermia, diver's body recovered 17 hours later. Diver's 14 year old son was on site at the time of the incident. Wind gusting 50-60 mph, air temp 25 degrees F, overflowing water freezing on the exposed roof of the tank.
  47. 2016 12 13 Nava Pascasio Nino Mexico CAPAMA Aged 58, working for the Acapulco Municipal Water and Sewage Commission (CAPAMA), Papagayo 2 catchment are in the town of Salsipuedes, pumps still running, took six hours to recover the body (Nobody could authorise turning off the pumps), appears to have been another differential pressure incident. Reported by El Sur, periodico de guerrero
  48. 2016 11 0 Viernes Eleazar Philippines Keppel Subic In a Manila Times report dated 9th December:- 'SUBIC, Zambales: A contractual worker for Keppel Subic Shipyard Inc. and a sandblaster at Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction-Philippines (HHIC-Phil) died in separate accidents here last month. Eleazar Viernes, 63, a diver from Olongapo City, died while working underwater with another worker to install a dummy gate for replacement of valve of its Pacific Dock. Viernes, however, was reported by another worker to have suffered difficulty in breathing underwater. He died an hour later at the hospital.
  49. 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
  50. 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
  51. 2017 12 17 Gubhela Nhlakanipho South Africa Aqua-tech SCUBA Aged 23, Pier 104, Durban Harbour, Vessel maintenance of the Chinese vessel Rui-Ning 2. "At 18h05, Sunday, 17th December, NSRI Durban duty crew were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) following a request for assistance from Aquatech reporting a diver missing in the Port of Durban. We believe that the diver reportedly went into the water on a dive to relieve another diver who was already under a ship during dive maintenance operations under a ship berthed in Port. At 17h00, reportedly after it appeared that the diver had not arrived to relieve the diver who was already under water (under the ship), Aquatech divers initiated a search and at 17h15 raised the alarm calling TNPA Port Control. 'The diver went missing while working on the hull of a vessel on Sunday. He was not wearing a lifeline at the time‚ a device that could easily have identified his position in the murky water, his body was recovered on Thursday morning.“He was found in the area where he went missing‚ strong winds blew his partially decomposed body back to the wharf where he was found this morning. “The official cause of death still needs to be investigated‚ but the diver is believed to have died from drowning. “He was dressed in diving gear with his cylinders attached‚ but he was not wearing a mask at the time of recovery.” The police diver said many questions needed to be asked about why proper safety precautions hadn’t been followed. Reported in the Daily News
  52. 2017 10 17 Lehner Craig E USA Police 8m SCUBA Aged 34. Buffalo Police department, Police dive team training exercise in the Niagara river off Bird Island Pier, 12:50, lifeline to surface snagged, pulled from various directions butt stayed snagged, two officers attempted to follow his lifeline down but had to cut themselves free (Reported as 12 knot current!). Slid an emergency air tank down but it would not sink, 45' USCG patrol boat arrived at 13:10, tried pulling the lifeline from other directions but the line snapped. 5 days later his body floated to the surface a mile north with 75 feet of lifeline still attached to him, still with tanks and 40lb weightbelt. Reported in the Buffalo News
  53. 2017 7 23 Waqa Felix Fiji Triton Marine SCUBA Aged 43, diving 600m from the shore with two other workers 'repairing a submarine pipeline' in Vuda, near Lautoka. 'Discovered lying motionless on the seabed 10 metres from the worksite', did not respond to treatment, conveyed to Lautoka hospital, pronounced dead on arrival. Coroner recorded death due to heart attack, but no real details. Reported by the Fiji Times Online
  54. 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)
  55. 2017 6 30 Jiminez Uceda Jose Spain Fisherman Chamber Aged 61, Red Coral diving with 25 year old from the vessel 'Trepa' near Cadaques (Spain), the pair were undergoing surface decompression in a chamber on the boat when there was an internal fire, the 25 year old survived with serious burns and was brought ashore by the third man on the boat (his father). reported by ViladeRoses
  56. 2017 6 27 Gorgonio-Ixba Luis Alberto USA SCUBA Aged 34, working on a 164' luxury yacht 'Honey' docked at the Old Port Cove Marina (North Palm beach, Florida), was underwater cleaning the hull 'when someone or something inexplicably turned on the ship’s bow thrusters'. He was drawn in head first and died instantly. two daughters, one aged 6 months. http://www.wpbf.com/article/diver-cleaning-yacht-bottom-killed-when-propeller-turned-on/10231016
  57. 2017 6 22 Naung Ko Saw Myanmar An-na-wa 40m Aged 45, Salvage of a crashed Tatmadaw (Myanmar military) Y-8 (Chinese built (Shaanxi) four engine turboprop military transport plane) off Launglon Township (13 miles from Dawai). Removing nets from the tail and trying to locate the black box, at least two, possibly three successive dives with partner Ko Thant Zin Oo, surfaced and prepared to eat, Ko Saw Naung collapsed, Ko Thant Zin Oo paralysed legs/hands. 'Local villagers' took them both down to 60 feet, Ko Saw Naung recovered consciousness. Recovered to surface and both passed out, possibly 6 further attempts at in water treatment 'I recovered conscious, he did not' said Ko Thant Zin Oo. Taken ashore and given three further therapeutic treatments, Ko Thant Zin Oo recovered in hospital but Ko Saw Nauntg died. Reported in the Myanmar times
  58. 2017 6 18 Sakunphong Lakkhana Thailand SCUBA Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) overseeing a team of 25 volunteer divers installing an artificial reef in Kon Kai Bay, 35 year old woman surfaced from a dive but lost consciousness before swimming back to the boat, taken onboard, no pulse, unconscious, given CPR and taken to Chalong pier and on to Chalong hospital but declared dead. No other details. Phuket Times
  59. 2017 6 14 Sango Mervin UAE Atlantis Marine SCUBA Ex-Navy diver, hull cleaning the vessel 'Oil Runner' (Panama flagged crude oil tanker, 270m x 46 m) off Fujairah, evening dive (20:00 - 21:00), heavy swell, current running, apparently had a problem and disappeared from colleagues view. Later found floating on the surface, 'lips exploded and tongue bitten'. PC
  60. 2017 5 23 Lataste PO Bob France Military 28m Aged 24, French Navy clearance diver on the mine hunter 'L'Aigle', Seine Bay, French Atlantic coast, unconscious at depth, brought to surface by second diver, medivac to Le Havre, died during the night. Reported by Sud Ouest
  61. 2017 5 16 Robert Gregory France Fisherman 75m SCUBA Coral diver on Corsica diving off Arinella beach, Bastia, possibly a training dive to around 75 msw, released a signal buoy from depth to mark ascent point and get his friend in the boat to meet him with a cylinder of pure oxygen at his -9 msw decompression stop. He failed to ascend. His friend alerted the emergency services and initiated a search. The underwater brigade of the gendarmes located his body in 80 msw near the dive site the morning after.
  62. 2017 4 18 Hall Daniel USA Fisherman 75m? SCUBA Aged 36, Puget Sound, near Fox Island, commercial Geoduck diver, pulled unresponsive back onto the Squaxin island tribal vessel 100 yards offshore around 14:00 and taken to the nearby US Navy Warfare Center dock and transferred to the St. Joseph Medical Centre in Tacoma where he was confirmed as deceased. Reported in The News Tribune
  63. 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)
  64. 1991 11 25 Lillard Billy Ray GOM Cal Dive SMG Age 25, Came off the downline on Waterstop. Died in Chamber on deck. 1) Young Diver First surface Gas Dive 2) Stage was not at first stop when he reached it. It was being lowered. 3) Seas Heavy, surge, and current. 4) There was a serious bend previous to this dive. Source: JC Roat post in Incidents forum
  65. 2015 4 12 Umudov Kamil Azerbaijan SOCAR SCUBA A diver of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has been killed at about 5 pm today. SOCAR informs that diver Kamil Umudov, 39, died when a pipe was being attached to the jacket at Bulla field. “In 5-10 minutes another diver, who noticed that Umudov does not respond to signals, went down into the water and found him unconscious. Despite the victim was given primary health care, his life was not saved," SOCAR said in a statement. The causes of the accident are being examined by a specially created commission. Reported by ABC.az
  66. 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.
  67. 2015 2 3 Kinuthia Francis Kinuthia Kenya SAR diver SCUBA The body of a Kenyan diver who drowned in Kiambere Dam has been recovered after a four-day search. Francis Kinuthia Kinuthia's body was seen floating on Friday. The 52-year-old, who was based in Kamburu Dam, drowned last Tuesday. He had accompanied other divers to search for the body of 19-year-old Patrick Njue. Njue drowned in the dam while fishing on February 1. His body was recovered last Wednesday. Mbeere South police boss Mathew Ekakoro said Kinuthia's body was taken to Embu Level Five Hospital mortuary. He said the deaths were unfortunate. Ekakoro urged fishermen and residents living near the dam to be careful when carrying out their activities. He urged them not to sit on the banks of the dams or allow children to play in the area as it is infested with crocodiles. The Star/AllAfrica
  68. 2015 3 20 Rikkers Hernan 'Kakara' Cook Islands Cook Islands Aquarium Fish SCUBA "Paraphrased from the Cook Island News:- ""The 30-year-old Argentinian whose body was discovered over the reef outside Avarua Harbour on Saturday was an experienced diver, says one of his employers: ""Diving alone is common in the company’s line of work, which involves gathering live tropical fish for export. The man had also dived in Hawaii and Noumea and the company had received assurances from people he had worked with previously that he was an experienced diver. Diving with at least one other person is usually considered best practice, but the company’s workers dived alone as diving with another person could scare away the fish they were attempting to capture. Police confirmed yesterday that the diver had a buoyancy compensator, but they were unsure whether he had been wearing it. The Company had made the decision to try and locate the man because of the need to get out to the search area before dusk made water visibility poor. A full scale search was conducted on Saturday and his body was found. The body was recovered from the reef outside Avarua Harbour. An unsuccessful search for him had been conducted the previous evening by the owner of the company Rikkers worked for. A spokesman said it had been about eight years since the last major diving incident in the Cook Islands, where local man Noovao Noovao had a heart attack on the surface of the water. ""There was always something that could be done to help prevent an accident, although taking a buddy when diving was common practice for recreational diving, diving alone, as Rikker had done, was not unusual in the case of commercial diving work. “You don’t pay two people for a job one person can do"
  69. 2015 7 15 Seabrook Luke Canada Pauls Diving Services S/S Air Aged 39, From Dartmouth in Nova Scotia, undertaking an inspection dive on the Annapolis tidal power plant. Lost contact about 13:00, pulled from the water at 14:40. Tangled, recovered by stand-by diver. Had to battle Bay of Fundy tides (was working bay-side of gate in the causeway). CBC News
  70. 2015 10 7 McGrath Dennis USA Eat Local Fish SCUBA Aged 56, From Scarborough, diving in Portland Harbour removing rope from the propellor of the 65' Fishing Vessel 'Jamie and Ashley'. "While he was working, the engine was running and at some point the prop was engaged' said the authorities. Police divers recovered the body. "It is not clear whether the person who engaged the propeller was aware that the diver was in the water". Reported in the Portland Press Herald
  71. 2015 10 19 Jonathon T USA SCUBA Aged 28, From Apollo Beach, Florida, one of a three man in-water team harvesting eel grass on a mill site cleanup at Port Gamble (Puget Sound, Washington State). The other divers surfaced but could not find their colleague, Body located in 20 feet of water 60 feet from the shore some four hours later. Kingston Community News
  72. 2015 12 11 Kuehn Wayne Douglas Jnr USA SCUBA Aged 48. married with a son and daughter, had a full time job, but as a side line sold second hand golf balls at a dollar each. SCUBA diving at night (Illegally) for golf balls at the Star Ranch golf course. Cause of death not reported ('waiting on toxicology reports'). His father reported him missing after finding his car at the golf course, took two days to find his body in the pond. Reported in Mystatesman
  73. 2015 8 19 Koratko Mathew USA Harkand/Swiber 110m Saturation American, married, two children diving off the Swiber Quetzal, Bay of Campeche, riser installation operation. Accident in the water at 14:30 local, body taken ashore to Cuidad del Carrmen, no other details, Reported in the El Sur de Campeche. Complete news blackout imposed by Harkand and Swiber, Two conflicting and unsubstantiated reports - one indicated the fatality was due to stored energy in a member being cut was the cause - it sprang and crushed the diver's chest. A second report indicated that the one piece riser being installed crushed the diver against the structure - ie a lifting incident. If the lawyers keep this incident gagged it is unlikely that any lessons will be learnt. Later rumours indicate riser swung due to topsides crew moving/changing hang-off without the knowledge of the dive crew but without confirmation that is still just speculation. No further information has been released by Swiber, or the defunct Harkand.
  74. 2017 1 5 Vazquez Tojeiro Jesus Ramon La Alcaidesa. San Roque. Cadiz. Spain 80m SCUBA Commercial diver 50 years old born in El Ferrol. La Coruna. Spain. Father of two with more of 26 years of diving experience. On Thursday 5th January 2017 at 11:20 a.m. emergency service number 112 received a call informing that the diver had not emerged from a solo red coral collecting dive after descending around 09:50 a.m. Actuation of Guardia Civil, Salvamento Maritimo and private companies with two ROV without success with poor weather conditions hindering the recovery operation . After several days SAR, on Saturday 14th January at 12:30pm the body was found in 80 m.s.w. and recovered by ROV at 14:30 then transported to the port of Sotogrande. Diver was using SCUBA on air.
  75. 2016 12 19 Castiglione Leticia Nerina Argentina Raul A. Negro S.R.L Salvage and Diving Company SS/Air Approx. 18:10 hs. Monday 19-Dec Commercial diver Leticia Castiglione, an Argentine. 37 years of age Diving for the Company Raul Negro. Operating in reflotamiebro on a sunken barge TAF 317. Km 1204,5 MI RP. Leaving bottom and arriving on the surface assisted by the two surface divers who with personal from the PNA used CPR. Unconscious she was transferred to land and taken to the School Hospital where they performed life saving tasks of reanimacion.amplia CORR Hs. At 20:20 The Head of Intensive Therapy reported the death of the Commercial Diver Leticia Castiglione, cause of death to be determined by the coroner. Federal Court Judgment No. 1 was given to Dr. Carlos Soto Dávila - Facebook
  76. 2016 11 29 Garcia Jose Panama Interpa Holding Corporation, S.A. SCUBA Aged 43, cleaning an inlet pipe to the Esti Panama hydroelectric power plant on the Chiriqui River in Gualaca. Double Fatality with Roderik Arauz. No real details. Reported by La Estrella de Panama. Additional information reported on the Association website: https://goo.gl/fZmALu
  77. 2016 11 29 Araúz Roderick Panama Interpa Holding Corporation, S.A. SCUBA Aged 35, cleaning an inlet pipe to the East Panama hydroelectric power plant on the Chiriqui River in Gualaca. Double Fatality with Jose Garcia. No real details. Reported by La Estrella de Panama. Additional information reported on the Association website: https://goo.gl/fZmALu
  78. 2016 11 19 Zambre Jaime Marcello Chile Fisherman SCUBA Aged 42, shellfish diver working the El Sauce cove, Ovalle, decompression incident, transferred to hospital in Coquimbo, suffered cardiac arrest and died. No other details. Reported by Diaria el Dia
  79. 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.
  80. 2016 11 2 Whitcher Staff Sgt David USA Military Aged 30, from New Hampshire, died during a special forces training (Combat diver qualification course) dive off Key West, Florida. No details. Reported by CBS/AP.
  81. 2016 10 19 Fassler James Calvin USA SCUBA Aged 61, cleaning the hulls of boats at the Joyner Marina, Carolina Beach, North Carolina, reported as 'drowned'. No details Reported by Star News
  82. 2016 10 9 Carvajal Omar Ugalde Chile Fisherman SCUBA Aged 54, diving for shellfish, at Caleta Totoallilos, Decompression incident, taken to San Pedro de Los Vilos Hospital and then transferred to the Naval hospital at Vina del Mar (they have a recompression chamber) but passed away. Reported by Diaria el Dia
  83. 2016 10 4 Chan Phillip Singapore Haw Par Corporation SCUBA Aged 62, heading a team of divers clearing fish from the 'Underwater World' aquarium (opened 1991 but closing down due to more successful competion), stabbed by a stingray, taken to hospital but died from his injuries. Reported as a similar incident to the sting ray incident that killed conservationist/TV presenter Steve Irwin on the Australian Great Barrier Reef in 2006. Reported by the BBC
  84. 2016 9 22 Winters Sgt. Kerry USA Police SCUBA Aged 51, 30 year veteran of the Ulster County (NY) Sheriff's office, died in a dive training exercise at Ashokan Resevoir. No details. Reported the Daily Freeman, Police news
  85. 2016 7 22 Al Gallaf Riyadh Bahrain Aged 45, from Juffair, owned a marine and underwater services company, working for the Electricity and Water Authority near Sitra industrial area, reported as 'missing while on an urgent assignment along with a South African colleague for EWA on Friday'. No details. Reported by dt news/news of Bahrain
  86. 2016 7 14 Austin Sgt. Jason USA Paramedic SCUBA Aged 36, volunteer EMS paramedic with the Washington County-Johnson undergoing diver training at South Holiston Lake, 'working on diver certification', reported as non-work related but it was part of training to do deep diving and he was training with the team. Reported by Johnsoncitypress.com
  87. 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
  88. 2016 6 7 Hill Charles A USA 3m SCUBA Aged 63, Diving with his son for golf balls at the Dogwood Hills Golf Course, Waverly, Ohio, body recovered 50 feet from shore in about 8 feet of water. Reported in the NYPost
  89. 2016 6 6 Long Cpt. Bradley USA SAR Firefighter 25m SCUBA Aged 28, volunteer firefighter and rescue diver with the Sherrills Ford-Terrell fire department diving with two others searching for the body a man drowned a day earlier in Lake Norman. Some kind of incident underwater, two surfaced and taken to hospital, his body was recovered soon after, declared dead at site. Later reported that he left bottom and headed for the surface before signalling that he had run out of air, appeared to panic ripping of his own and another divers masks, the other diver surfaced safely, Long's body recovered later . Reported by WBTV
  90. 2016 5 6 Lovelace James Derek USA Military Surface Swimmer Aged 21, undergoing SEAL selection/training (BUD/S - Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALs training) at Coronado, near San Diego, California. 'Safety Observers identified Lovelace as having difficulty and withdrew him from the exercise. He was aided to the edge of the pool by instructors where he then lost consciousness. Resuscitation efforts and first aid at the scene were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital'. Reported as the 5th trainee to lose consciousness at the facilty in the last four months. reported by nbcnews.com
  91. 2016 4 25 Ngay Le Van Vietnam Int Manpower and Construction Aged 46, died on the way to hospital the day after diving at Ha Tinh on an embankment project for the Taiwanese company, Formosa Hung Nghiep steel, who are alledged to have polluted and killed large numbers of fish in recent weeks. Team members also claimed they had felt unwell after diving there. Ha Tinh News
  92. 2016 2 20 Hocine Major Rebiha France Police SCUBA Aged 42, four man Noyon River brigade police dive team searching for the body of the third occupant of a car that fell into the Somme in the centre of Amiens late at night (driver - charged tested positive for alcohol and Cannabis, charged - and a woman escaped) diving near a lock gate, failed to surface, taken to hospital with cardiac arrest, died the following day.
  93. 2016 2 12 Rodriguez Marquex Joshua Spain Piscifactoria del Atlantico Aged 42, diving at the Playa Quemada, Yaiza, Lanzarote (Canary Islands) fish farm since 2004, children aged 9 and 13, dived to cut a rope off a propellor and was fatally injured when the propeller was engaged. Reported in La Provincia
  94. 2016 1 27 Birkland Sondre Norway AD Offshore SS/Air Aged 22, sucked into the bottom of a pontoon of the Transocean semi sub Henry Goodrich in the Westcom yard when a cement plug or cap lifted off the top of the pontoon as he was installing a blanking plate at the underside hull (IOGP Incident report 275)
  95. 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”
  96. 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”
  97. 2014 2 18 Rios Felix Alberto Argentina Trab-Sub SCUBA Aged 59 or 60, ex coastguard diver, two man team cleaning inside a 500,000 litre freshwater cistern, he and his son had completed the work and he went back in for a final survey around 13:30 but was trapped on a 450mm diameter outlet pipe and died of asphyxiation/compression of the rib cage. Reported by rionegro.com.ar
  98. 2014 2 1 Moreno Franco Israel Italy UCS 10m Spanish, from La Coruna, aged 41. Working on the salvage of the Costa Concordia (Sank off the island of Grigio in January 2912 with the loss of 32 people), subcontracted to Titan, the main salvors, Metal brace being cut off fell on hin crushing his chest and gashing his groin, trapping, brought to surface by fellow diver, apparently still concious but later died of blood loss. Reported in 'The Province', Associated Press and Reuters
  99. 2014 10 11 Graves Gary USA 13m SS/Air Aged 36, Diving from the FV 'Momo and Maddie' near Port Hubron (By Kodiak, Alaska), about 6 miles from Old Harbour, Sea Cucumber fishery, diving, initially reported as 'suffering a medical emergency', reported as alive at time of first call, airlifted to hospital, but could not be resuscitated. Reported by the Alaska Dispatch News. Later reports indicate the compressor shut off as he was diving in 40' of water.
  100. 1993 10 16 Roussy Eduardo Canada Oceantech (Quebec) 5 S/S Air Aged 26. Air diving quals from Fort William in 1992, also CSWIP 3.1. Accident occurred 15th October, Inspection dive at the Scott Paper plant on Crabtree dam, uncontrolled ascent and then swept over outfall, helmet still on and lifeline intact but umbilical severed, recued (It took between 5 and 10 minutes to pull him back to the dive site) but died in Montreal General hospital the next day (Life support removed as he was brain dead). Coroner criticised lack of planning, method of work, lack of co-ordination, inadequate risk assessment, lack of emergency response procedures. Cause of death recorded as asphyxiation/acute anoxic encephalopathy following severed umbilical, no physical injuries. No stand-by dressed in. Nobody realised umbilical severed and helmet was left on (disorganised rescue resonse, rest of team not familiar with the helmet locking system and couldn't unclamp it). Coroner noted that "everybody acted in good faith even though they did not know what to do (Factory workers helping out) which unfortunately resulted in a death that could have been avoided if the helmet had been removed quickly". Also home modified Dive Dynamics helmet - had a cross connector added so baliout gas would flow out into the umbilical as well as the hat (No check valve). Quebec Coroner's Report
  101. 1993 10 13 Locke Stewart UK J Allan Diving Services 3 S/S Air Hired by Customs and Excise to recover £20 million worth of drugs (Cannabis) from the yatch 'Ambrosia' beached on Scotstown beah (Peterhead, Scotland). Diving contractor was fined £1,200 after some kind of legal deal. Allegations during the inquiry that he committede suicide by cutting his umbilical, Sherriff determined it was accidental death with the most probable cause being that he got into difficulties and was forced to cut his umbilical and ditch his helmet. Diving conditions in the rough shallow water were described as 'hazardous'. Criticism by the Sherriff for it only a 3 man team (the diver, a supervisor who doubled as stand-by diver and an unqualified tender), lack of involvement/supervision by Customs and Excise, lack of communication with a police diving team on site. Widow intended to sue (defunct) diving contractor and Customs and Excise. No further details. Reported in the Herald Scotland
  102. 2014 10 11 Not Recorded Saudi Arabia INW 31m SCUBA Seabed survey and marking of subsea assets prior to a jack-up workover rig being mobilised in the KJO Oilfield (Al-Khafji Joint Operations). Failed to surface, body recovered 24 hours later. Longstreath/Emirates 24/7, A report in the Saudi gazzette read:- "DAMMAM – Search and rescue teams from the Eastern Province Border Guards recovered the body of an expatriate diver who drowned in the Al-Khafji area while performing routine work laying down electrical cable signs. Spokesman of the guards, Capt. Omar Al-Aklabi, said the victim was working with a fellow worker who returned to the shore after completing his work, only to find his colleague had not returned with him. He added that search and rescue operations lasted two days and the body was finally located 22 miles from the shore. The case has been referred to investigation bodies"
  103. 2014 11 14 Thiago Matheus Brazil Sistac 12m Accident happened on the Petrobras production platform P-31 (Albacore field, Campos Basin, 180 km East of Macae) . Sistac are licensed air diving contactor (not IMCA), possibly working on a conductor slot, recovered to surface but did not respond to treatment, investigation ongoing by union. Reported sindipetronf.org.br
  104. 2014 11 11 Harris Kevin USA Aqua Vac Inc 3m SCUBA Aged 23, from Jenison, Michigan, dredging a retention pond in New Albany (Opposite the Discovery Financial services complex) "His co-worker called 911 at 15:47 after he failed to surface, "We're dredging the pond," he told the dispatcher. "I had a SCUBA diver in the water and I noticed his bubbles stopped coming up. I went into the water to find him and he's not anywhere where his equipment was. ... He's still underwater. I don't know where he is...." Body recovered at 16:47 some 50 feet from shore in 12' of water, air cylinder empty. (Aqua Vac were fined $4,500 after the death of Michael Johnson in November 2009). Reported in the Columbus Dispatch.
  105. 2014 12 22 Bermudez Morfy Alex Nicaragua Alberto Woo 25m SCUBA Honduran, lobster diving from the "Lady Di III" (Licensed to sail with 25, sailed with 24 but because several 'registered' divers did not turn up, sailed with additional unlisted crew including the deceased) out of Bilwi. Navy base personnel reported that he died of DCI as "like most lobstermen, the diver was working without the necessary stops" and there was no time to transfer him ashore to the recompression chamber at the New Dawn Bilwi Hospital.Reported to be the sixth lobster diver to die in the northern caribbean in the second half of this year. elnuevodiario.com.ni
  106. 2015 2 18 Castro de Melo Airton Brazil S/S Air Aged 39, From Amazonas province, working at Porto Cai N´água (On the Madeira river in Rondonia), pulled to the surface with a head wound. Reported as either struck by a submerged tree trunk or more likely an injury from the cross river ferry cable he was working on. Reported by Alerta Rondonia
  107. 2015 2 28 Vella Patrick Malta SalpaSub SCUBA Married, three children. "A 36-year-old diver from Zejtun, died in an accident at Palumbo Shipyards this morning. A spokesman for Palumbo said the company called SalpaSub for assistance when it noticed that a drydock was taking much longer than usual to be emptied. When Mr Vella, a director of SalpaSub, arrived, he dived to see what was wrong but did not return to the surface. This was around 11.45am. Palumbo called for assistance and a search was launched by members of the Civil Protection Department and the Armed Forces. Mr Vella, a marine biologist, was eventually brought up by the AFM and taken to Mater Dei Hospital, where he died soon after. An inquiry is being held. Five divers conducted the search for the missing worker and eventually found him stuck in a gate valve. It has not yet been confirmed how he ended up there, but sources have suggested that somebody who wasn't aware of the diver's presence opened a valve, consequently pulling him into the hole with a great force. A Palumbo spokesman on Saturday denied reports that the diver had been sucked in by the water pressure, saying there was no such mechanism. Sources told this newspaper the diver was called in to measure the diameter of a defective valve whose diameter was about that of a bucket". Reported by the Times of Malta
  108. 2014 4 30 Rupping Luke Kuwait Mammoet Joined SA Navy 2003, went to diving school in Simonstown in 2004, joined the Operational Diving Team (ODT), went back to the Diving School as an Assistant Facilitator in 2004, qualified as supervisor 2007. Left the Navy in 2008 and started commercial diving. Reported as killed in a broco/underwater cutting incident, possibly a salvage job. No other details.
  109. 2013 10 23 Guidry Earl USA J & J Diving 5m S/S Air Aged 40, Port Sulphur, Louisisana, airlifting 10 feet below the mud line, he was found with his helmet off, not wearing a bailout, Facebook/Longstreath. Contractor fined $7,000 by US dept. of Labor "Employer did not ensure that an adequate safety assessment was made of underwater conditions prior to a diving operation". No real details.
  110. 2013 11 14 UAE Scamp / Gubunco SCUBA One of two divers employed by Scamp Middle East (The other was Alex Argoncillo who died 1st December) reported as having died in November/December 2013. Initially reported as 'not diving related' but no details, waiting on clarification from Scamp. PC. A later report states that the incident occurred on 14th Novemver, three divers in the water on SCUBA, weather came up, divers sought refuge in the prop area, one diver ran out of gas, removed his cylinders and gave them to the other divers before surfacing, but was swept away. No lifelines.
  111. 2013 12 1 Argoncillo Alex UAE Scamp / Gubunco 60m S/S Air One of two divers employed by Scamp Middle East reported as having died in November/December 2013 (The second was not named but was initially reported 'not diving related' but no details, waiting on clarification from Scamp. Later reported that the other death occurred on November 14th and was diving related). Philippino, Vessel husbandry job off Fujairah, unclear whether he got entangled in a brush cart umbilical or his diving umbilical was caught in the vessel propellor. No details, his best friend, Alex Tejedar, died in Italy in April 2013 (Costa Concordia salvage works, but death was not diving related). PC. Another report states that the incident occurred on surface supply when the divers umbilical caught in cleaning chariot brush, diver surfaced and removed band mask, chariot started to pull diver under water, standby diver launched ( in SCUBA) and gives second stage to diver in distress, diver bites off 2nd stage, rescue abandoned, diver pulled under water and drowned. PC
  112. 2014 5 30 Lee Min-seop South Korea S/S Air Aged 44 or 46 (Conflicting reports), killed in an underwater explosion whilst cutting an access hole into the hull of the capsised ferrty 'Sewol' that sank off southwest Korea on the 16th April during the search for bodies. Second diver to die on this operation (Lee Kwank-wook, 6th May), "A boom and a moan were heard, the diver was pulled to the surface, he was bleeding and unconscious, given CPR and transferred to hospital but declared dead there". Lee entered the water at around 1:50 pm to cut open the stern of the hull from the fourth deck, but as the operations drew to a close at around 2:20 p.m., a problem arose with the sound of crashing. At the crashing sound, two other divers at the scene pulled Lee out of the water but he was found to be unconscious with blood running from his nose and eyes, officials said. The chief neurosurgeon at Mokpo Hankook Hospital, said an X-ray and CT scan of Lee showed that both of the diver's lungs had been damaged by external injuries. "We suspect that he died from tension pneumothorax," the doctor said, referring to a condition in which the amount of air in the chest increases markedly. At the time of his death 288 people known to have died, 16 still missing. Reported by the BBC et al.
  113. 2014 6 10 Rodriguez Ernesto USA Ric-Man Construction Aged 45, construction diver working on a pipe underwater in a roadside drainage ditch near Indian Trace and Bonaventure Boulevard in Weston, Florida, 'became entagled in cables and trapped underwater'. he was rescued at third attempt and taken to Cleveland clinic aound 13:00 hours but pronounced dead. Reported in the Sun Sentinel. An ISHN report dated mid December 2014 stated:- "A 45-year-old untrained diver died June 10, 2014 while completing surface-supplied air diving during underwater activities for the City of Weston, Florida. OSHA’s investigation into the fatality resulted in Ric-Man International Inc. being cited for 19 safety violations, including one willful, for failure to provide cave-in protection for employees working inside an excavation approximately 12-feet deep. From the company's website:- "At Ric-Man, we have cultivated a philosophy that promotes an environment free of accidents and injuries. We are dedicated to provide a high level of safety in the construction industry which includes partnering with the insurance industry through training, education and guidance. In our Industry, safety is measured by an “Experience Modification Rate” (EMR), it is the industry standard the calculation of workers compensation rates. This standard measures a particular company's occurrence and gravity of accidents and injuries. The industry average is 1.0. Ric-Man’s modifier has consistently been below this average. We are dedicated to providing a safe working environment for our employees, our clients and the general public, with our weekly tool box safety meetings, quarterly supervisors continuing safety classes, and our company wide safety classes three times a year. We are prepared to provide our employees with the tools, expertise, and means to reduce risks throughout or worksites." OSHA went on to say that threir standards require that all trenches and excavation sites 5 feet or deeper be protected against sidewall collapses. Protection may be provided through shoring of trench walls, sloping of the soil at a shallow angle or by using a protective trench box. OSHA has created a National Emphasis Program on Trenching and Excavation. OSHA cited the company four times previously for lack of cave-in protection and excavation hazards.Thirteen serious violations were issued to Ric-Man International for failure to ensure workers who performed diving operations were experienced and trained to perform underwater tasks safely; provide divers with a backup air supply, safety harness and two-way voice communication for emergencies; and to plan and assess risks associated with diving, including underwater conditions, obstructions and visibility. The company also failed to provide dive team members with CPR training. Proposed penalties total $161,000
  114. 2014 6 4 Kwok Khee Khoon (Edmund) Singapore Underwater Contractors PTY SCUBA Aged 36,one of a three man team taking photos of weld repairs (Replacement anodes inside a sea chest, external grill removed for access into the seachest) under a comtainer ship near the Marina South Pier (Eastern holding anchorage) at around 18:00 hours when cooling pumps were started up and he was sucked into a pipe inlet inside the sea chest. Had been diving one month. ministry of Manpower (MOM) undertaking an investigation. Straits Times
  115. 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
  116. 2014 9 14 Not Recorded Kuwait Diver killed: 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. Reported in the Arab Times online
  117. 2014 3 17 Khater Youssef Saudi Arabia Subtech 29m S/S Air Egyptian, aged 26, diving off the Zamil 403 (57 metres long, 4 metre draught, Bahrain flag, built 2012, China), four point moored, in the Persian Gulf, north of Al Jubail , lost communications, stand-by diver found him on the seabed with his helmet off, did not respond to treatment. Longstreath. Leak investigation on a live 12" water injection pipeline at between 800 and 900 psi. "The diver successfully attached the marker buoy to the pipeline but it became fouled under the vessel. In order to free the buoy the diver was asked to move it to the far side of the leak. At the time of the dive, visibility was reduced as it was approaching sunset; the diver used his hat-mounted light to navigate. In addition, the tremendous noise of the leak on the live pipeline severely hampered voice communications between the diver and diving supervisor. Once the diver had detached the marker buoy he started to move along the seabed beside the pipeline. He was on the same side as the leak. The diver appeared to look down at some debris and, as he stepped over this material, he was struck by a jet of the high pressure water coming from the damaged pipeline. All communication with the diver was instantly lost. The standby diver was deployed immediately using the second diving basket. Within 5 minutes he had located the stricken diver who was lying on the seabed. The dive helmet (KM37) was no longer on the diver's head but was lying beside him with the neck dam still attached. Both divers were recovered to surface. All attempts to resuscitate the injured diver failed; he was later pronounced dead by a doctor who had been helicoptered offshore. IMCA SF 6/14
  118. 2014 1 16 Michaud Luigi Antarctica University of Messina SCUBA Aged 40, member of the XXIX Italian Expedition to Antarctica, diving at the Marion Zucchelli Scientific Station to collect bacteriological samples (working on developing new anti-biotics for the treatment of cystic fribrosis). Wife and two children. 'fatal accident while diving'. No details. Reported by Redazione Research Italy
  119. 2014 10 21 Lopez Cruz Jose Joaquin E.ON Power Generation Plant. Los Barrios, Cadiz, Spain Satemar Compania De Trabajos Submarinos When diving to perform a photographic underwater inspection in a siphon inlet on the E.ON coal-fired power plant refrigeration system the diver was sucked into the inlet.
  120. 2014 2 1 Moreno Franco Israel Costa Concordia, Gigio Island, Italy Underwater Contractor Spain 3m Air News report from Canadian Business: ROME: A diver died Saturday while working on the shipwrecked Costa Concordia, apparently gashing his leg on an underwater metal sheet while preparing the wreck for removal, officials and news reports said. Italy's civil protection agency, which is overseeing the removal of the Concordia from Tuscany's coast, said the diver hailed from Spain. Tuscany's La Nazione newspaper said the diver had been working on preparations to affix huge tanks onto sides of the Concordia to float the ship off its false seabed and tow it to a port for eventual dismantling. It said he apparently gashed his leg on an underwater metal sheet and was then unable to get free, bleeding profusely before a diver colleague was able to bring him to the surface. The report said he was conscious upon surfacing but later died. The diver, who wasn't identified by authorities, is the first to die in the line of work on salvaging the Concordia ever since it slammed into a reef off Giglio island on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 passengers and crew. A diver died last year, but the causes were reportedly unrelated to the work. The Concordia was righted in preparation for removal during a remarkable, 19-hour engineering feat last fall in which a system of pulleys wrenched the 300-meter-long (1,000-foot-long), 115,000-ton cruise ship from its side to vertical. A dozen giant tanks were affixed to its exposed port side and filled with water to help pull the ship upright.<br />The current project that the diver was working on was to prepare the starboard side, which had been underwater until the ship was righted, to hold a similar number of tanks. The tanks will be emptied of water and used to literally float the wreck off the seabed, so it can be towed away from Giglio, brought to a port and taken apart for scrap. Officials say they hope to have it removed by June. The 600 million euro ($810 million) removal project, which has already run nearly twice its original cost estimates, is the most ambitious ever attempted for a ship the size of the Concordia. In a statement, the head of the civil protection agency, Franco Gabrielli, expressed condolences for the death and recalled the dedication of people working on the wreckage, saying they had worked for two years without a break, in difficult conditions not without risks, to achieve the common goal of removing the Concordia from Giglio. The ship's captain is currently on trial for manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and leaving the ship before all passengers were evacuated. Prosecutors have accused him of taking the ship off course in a stunt to bring it closer to Giglio. Capt. Francesco Schettino has said he saved lives by steering the ship to shallow waters after it ran aground on a reef that wasn't on his nautical charts. On Friday, Italy's highest court let stand plea bargains reached by five other Costa employees. Costa is a unit of Miami-based Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise line.
  121. 2013 8 12 Huamaní Lloclla Daniel Franklin Peru Fenix Power Unknown Huamaní Lloclla, Daniel Franklin, aged 29, Peruvian Navy Diver with 12 years diving experience, sub-contracted to work for Fenix power in Chilca (520MW power plant being built about 65 kilometres south of Lima), appears to have either suffered a head injury (early reports) or to have been sucked into a seawater cooling inlet pipe and drowned at 14:00 (Later reports indicate differential pressure, pumps not turned off)<br />There have been other military divers killed in South America when serving but apparently 'sub-contracted/hired out/moonlighting/training/'? to government sponsored civil engineering projects by private corporations, seems to be common practice.
  122. 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).
  123. 2013 7 29 Valenzuela Valderrama José Luis Chile Chilean Navy Military One of three Chilean Special Forces divers killed during underwater explosive demolition exercises. The Commander in Chief of the First Naval Zone regrets to inform the public that at 12:45 pm today, Monday 29th July , while an underwater demolition with explosives practice was done at Caleta Hornillos, in Laguna Verde, Valparaiso, there was an accident resulting in death. Should be noted that this exercise is one of the planned activities in the Annual Training Plan. A result of this unfortunate situation were deceased 2nd Lt. Miguel Casas-Cordero Menéndez and 1st. Sgt. Marcos Llancavil Arce, both from the Special Forces Command of the Armada Chilena. Additionally is currently missing Cpl. José Luis Valenzuela Valderrama. Cpl. José Luis Valenzuela Valderrama was later found also deceased.<br />Source: Emol.com
  124. 2013 7 29 Llancavil Arce Marcos Chile Chilean Navy Military One of three Chilean Special Forces divers killed during underwater explosive demolition exercises. The Commander in Chief of the First Naval Zone regrets to inform the public that at 12:45 pm today, Monday 29th July , while an underwater demolition with explosives practice was done at Caleta Hornillos, in Laguna Verde, Valparaiso, there was an accident resulting in death. Should be noted that this exercise is one of the planned activities in the Annual Training Plan. A result of this unfortunate situation were deceased 2nd Lt. Miguel Casas-Cordero Menéndez and 1st. Sgt. Marcos Llancavil Arce, both from the Special Forces Command of the Armada Chilena. Additionally is currently missing Cpl. José Luis Valenzuela Valderrama. Cpl. José Luis Valenzuela Valderrama was later found also deceased.<br />Source: Emol.com
  125. 2013 7 29 Casas-Cordero Menéndez Miguel Chile Chilean Navy Military One of three Chilean Special Forces divers killed during underwater explosive demolition exercises. The Commander in Chief of the First Naval Zone regrets to inform the public that at 12:45 pm today, Monday 29th July , while an underwater demolition with explosives practice was done at Caleta Hornillos, in Laguna Verde, Valparaiso, there was an accident resulting in death. Should be noted that this exercise is one of the planned activities in the Annual Training Plan. A result of this unfortunate situation were deceased 2nd Lt. Miguel Casas-Cordero Menéndez and 1st. Sgt. Marcos Llancavil Arce, both from the Special Forces Command of the Armada Chilena. Additionally is currently missing Cpl. José Luis Valenzuela Valderrama. Cpl. José Luis Valenzuela Valderrama was later found also deceased.<br />Source: Emol.com
  126. 2013 6 14 Gabon Sigma Diving Systems 3-6m S/S Air French National, aged 28. Working on an old unused jetty to remove sheet piling with exothermic rods in the harbour of Port Gentil. Diver trapped in sand, buried up to chest. Had to be lifted out with crane using chain brothers around his chest. Not breathing on recovery to surface, revived and medivaced to Johannesburg, then later, on to France. No details known of his current condition. Various emails.
  127. 1968 0 0 Mathieson Edward (Ted) Australia International Oilfield Divers 230ft S/S Mixed Gas? Incident probably mid 1968, Bass Strait, Australia. Diving heavy gear air dive off Coring Vessel Neuhavns Rose recovering riser from seabed ,water depth 230 ft. Divers Umbilical parted when fouled in riser, Standby diver unable to reach diver. Body recovered next day. The dive team comprised trainee divers from the Dive school in Bairnsdale, Victoria with the exception of Ted<br />who was hired from the States.<br />longstreath.com
  128. 1967 0 0 Maclean Edward (Ted) Australia Divcon 130ft S/S Air Ashmore Reef, NW Australia, Water depth 130ft Died in Deco Chamber , Combination of Missed Deco and heat exhaustion. Incident happened late 1967. Drill Barge Investigator owned and operated by Zapata. <br />longstreath.com
  129. 1982 4 27 Rivera Anibal Argentina Comex S/S Air Got into difficulty while underwater, vomited and subsequently drowned. No other details. PC
  130. 2013 7 13 Wilkinson-Lowe Richard James Boris Germany RS Diving 20m S/S Air British, Aged 26, Riffgat Windfarm (15 km NorthWest of Borkum Island), diving from the 4 point moored vessel 'Union Beaver' (Built 1991 as the 'Salvage Chief' by Fulton Marine, Ruisbroek, Belgium, 56m long, Belgian Flag, IMO No 8918564, Owned and operated by URS Salvage and Contracting (Smit Transport, Belgium), installing 6 ton mattresses over cables, appears to have had a concrete mat dropped on him. Reported by Radio Bremen
  131. 2013 7 16 Robles Aller Fernando Spain Trabajos Especiales Maritimos 20m S/S Air Information received points to him cleaning rubbish/silt from outside dry dock gates at Armon Shipyard, Gijon, with a pump so they could open them to launch a couple of new boats, possibly a differential pressure incident. Spanish newspapers report that when his topside tender noticed a lack of bubbles and comms response he jumped in the water, in addition, there was also an Engineer supervisor and two labourers who helped in the rescue. Witnesses say that during CPR he bled from mouth and ears. An ambulance was called and attempted to resuscitate him. After an hour of attention by the EMTs, he was declared dead.
  132. 0 0 0 Witherow David Mexico American, head injuries during spoolpiece lifting operation
  133. 0 0 0 Shambhu Article on rescue divers working the Varanasi Ghats in the Express of India in 2008. “In another incident, a diver, Shambhu, died while trying to extract a defective water-pump from a well in the Central Hindu School at Varanasi". No details.
  134. 0 0 0 Peck John W American, commercial diver, died in an accident, no details
  135. 0 0 0 Not Recorded Taylor SCUBA American, a diver and his tender had performed a scuba pontoon inspection on the B&R barge M 289 and were at the stern of the vessel exiting the water. Diver and tender were at the bottom of the ladder where Diver removed his swim fins, climbed the ladder and removed his gear. Looking back over the stern for his tender, Diver lost site of him and no more bubbles were present. Diver immediately contacted the tower and ordered all hands to the port hand rails for a man overboard (the current was running towards the port bow). Diver dove back off the stern but could not locate the tender. A deck hand spotted a body off the port and relayed the information via the PA. Diver exited the lay barge and jumped onto the pipe supply barge from which he entered the water swimming toward the lifeless body. The bow crane whip line was lowered to the water to assist in bringing the man back on board. Diver had attempted in water CPR while swimming him back to the barge. CPR was performed on deck without success. Cause of death was drowning. OD
  136. 0 0 0 Not Recorded USA Parker Divers SCUBA San Francisco Bay Area, Salvage/hull scrubbing contractor. Diver killed by a ship's propeller (body never recovered, only fragments of wetsuit and tissue). No details. Mentioned in a blog on OD.
  137. 0 0 0 Not Recorded USA 24 SCUBA American, Vallejo, California. Sewage outfall pipe (1,800 feet long), diver entered via a manhole on SCUBA and a lifeline. Lost lifeline. Body recovered the day after. Following lawsuit awarded significant damages to the diver's widow. No details. Mentioned in a blog on OD.
  138. 0 0 0 Not Recorded USA Police 30 SCUBA 56-year-old sheriff’s department search and recovery team diver. The victim was the training instructor for the department, and was said to have had extensive Navy diving background, as well as Master Diver and Instructor certifications.The victim was making his second dive of the day to a depth of approximately 100 feet in an effort to recover the victim of a boating accident. Visibility on the bottom was reported to have been almost zero. The diver’s buddy stated that the victim apparently experienced difficulty with his air supply, that it had probably run low, and he had attempted a free-swimming ascent. The buddy lost sight of the victim in the dark water, surfaced, and found that the victim had not returned to the surface. A standby diver followed the victim’s safety line, but was unable to bring the victim to the surface. Efforts by surface personnel to pull the victim to the surface using his safety line met with strong resistance. Even though four or more persons were tugging on the line, they failed to bring the victim up. The victim was eventually brought o the surface after fifteen or more minutes of effort. Despite heroic resuscitation efforts, the victim did not survive.
  139. 0 0 0 Not Recorded USA Fireman Surface Swimmer American, aged 30, trained rescue diver, attempting to rescue child from submerged vehicle in Florida but had no rescue gear, only mask, snorkel and fins, drowned
  140. 0 0 0 Not Recorded USA Fireman 9 SCUBA A 41-year-old fire captain carrying out a body search with a newly formed scuba team was retrieved from 30 feet after it was noted on the surface that his regulator was free-flowing. Autopsy showed drowning, but damage occurred before or during the accident, but the description of the event is consistent with ear rupture during the descent. This dive was apparently a first open-water dive. The department team had only just completed its pool training, and was scheduled for open-water check-outs
  141. 0 0 0 Not Recorded UK Standard gear When working in the river Severn by Gloucester Quay, a diver was killed when an explosive charge was detonated prematurely.
  142. 0 0 0 Not Recorded India Saturation Diver off Bombay, died during saturation decompression. Death ascribed to myocardial infarcation and therefore not diving related. Other sources consider that a likely cause was undiagnosed spontaneous pneumothorax. Cannot include this incident without further details, can anybody help?
  143. 0 0 0 Marti André Saudi Arabia Berri field, Saudi Arabia, H2S poisoning
  144. 0 0 0 HMS Vernon UK RN Chamber 2 overseas (possibly Iranian?) Navy divers under training killed instantly when the castellated door on a one man chamber failed (blown through the mining shed wall by the force of escaping air). Rumours that incorrect depth/pressure gauges had been fitted and that the door had failed previously under test but no remedial action had been taken After the incident, the chamber door was modified with a simple 'padlock' to prevent the door opening. The same chamber was mobilised to HMS Bossington and used during Suez canal clearing operations in 1974. PC
  145. 0 0 0 Harrison USA Failed compensation claim by relatives
  146. 0 0 0 Hansen Charles 'Big Charlie' USA Article in Time Magazine dated October 1934 referring to an attempted gold salvage operation HMS 'Hussar', sank 23rd November 1780 off New York in the East River near treacherous Hell Gate, rumoured to be carrying gold. Robert Roy Hansen dived from the Tug 'Terminal' using an armoured diving suit - "Eleanor" - invented by salvage company president, Thomas P. Connolly, & Weighing 675 Ib. on deck, the suit has a head and body of steel, with grotesque protuberances for eyes and something that looks like a nose. Of rubber reinforced by interwoven copper strips, the arms and legs become flexible when subjected to high underwater pressure. The two parts of the suit join at the waist instead of around the neck. The diver goes down without an airhose, carries an oxygen bottle, a respirator, caustic soda to absorb carbon dioxide. The tall, gangling, muscular man who went down encased in ''Eleanor" is a crack deep-sea diver named Roy Robert Hansen. He worked on the S-51 and S-4 jobs when those U. S. submarines went to the bottom (TIME, Oct. 5, 1925; Dec. 26, 1927). His father, a diver called "Big Charley," was killed working in the Great Lakes, and "Big Charley's" father also lost his life diving. The Terminal's procedure was to pay out 2,000 ft. of cable with Hansen in "Eleanor" at the end, then drag him along against the swirling tide. Though the depth was never more than 112 ft., Hansen thought it the nastiest job of his career, said he was bumped against rocks and whirled around until he was groggy. By week's end he had encountered six drowned hulks, identified none as the Hussar. But Diver Hansen appraised as practically nil the chances of the rival salvage vessel 'Josephine'. Wearing ordinary diving-suits, the Josephine's divers worked only during slack tide, 20 min. twice a day. Reported in Time Magazine
  147. 1744 6 22 Day John UK 40 Submarine Day was an English Carpenter/wheelwright. With the financial support of Christopher Blake, an English gambler, Day built a wooden "diving chamber" without an engine. He attached his invention to the deck of a 50 ton sloop named the Maria, which Blake had purchased for £340. The sloop's hold contained 10 tons of ballast, and two 10-ton weights were attached beneath the keel which could be released from inside the diving chamber. An additional 20 tons of ballast would be loaded on the Maria after Day had been locked inside the diving chamber. Day bet Blake that he and his boat could descend to a depth of 130 feet (40 m) and stay underwater for 12 hours. On June 22, 1774, the Maria was towed to a location north of Drakes Island (off Plymouth), Day took a candle, water and biscuits on board. The boat was equipped with a hammock for the passenger. After the boat was locked, the weights were loaded and the boat sank forever into the depths. Day had the calculation of the trim completely wrong. There is speculation whether Day died from asphyxiation, hypothermia or just drowned following catastrophic structural failure of the Maria and/or the diving chamber due to water pressure. This incident is believed to be the first recorded fatal accident involving a submarine. Wikipedia
  148. 1828 0 0 Deane Brothers Charles and John UK Developed their earlier design (1823) 'Smoke Hood" into a diving suit (Helmet not sealed onto dress so if diver inverted his helmet flooded. Was used successfully to salvage canons from the wreck of HMS "Royal George" (Sank in 65' of water at Spithead in 1783) in 1834 and 1835
  149. 1837 0 0 Siebe Augustus UK Siebe Ltd S/S Air Augustus Siebe designed the first completely sealed (watertight) diving dress. Though there were many refinements, the overall design was largely unchanged until replaced by SCUBA and modern surface supplied helmets in the 1960s. First used by the Royal Navy in 1840 to continue salvage of the "Royal George", the "Siebe Improved Diving Dress" was then adopted as the standard diving equipment for the Royal Engineers leading to setting up of the first Navy Diving School in 1843
  150. 1841 11 11 Not Recorded "Pearl diver, that died (from over exertion or some other cause) immediately after he had reached the land or boat from which he …" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in The Worcester Journal/The British Newspaper Archive
  151. 1853 0 0 MacDonald USA S/S Air Reported as having died in an incident similar to that of John Tope who died a year later in 1854. The accident at the wreck of the 'Erie' last year, when MacDonald lost his life, was similar to this (Tope), though the victim in that case had but little experience as a diver. Too much care cannot be observed by those who follow this hazardous business. No details, but presumably another squeeze. New York Times
  152. 1854 5 2 Not Recorded UK "Fatal Accident happened on the 2nd inst. to one of the divers employed upon the Portland Breakwater works. The man…" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Westmoreland Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive
  153. 1854 6 1 Tope, third Entry, the investigation John USA Wells, Gowan and Green 12 S/S Air The deceased was a diver of five years’ experience on the Atlantic sea-board, and recently came here from Boston, where he leaves a wife and four children to mourn his death. Those who were with him during the day say that he appeared to have a premonition that some catastrophe would happen to him but could not be dissuaded from trying the experiment, in which he acted on his own responsibility, Mr. Green being in this city at the time. The accident at the wreck of the Erie last year, when Macdonald lost his life, was similar to this, though the victim in that case had but little experience as a diver. Too much care cannot be observed by those who follow this hazardous business. It requires cool judgment and great presence of mind on the part of the diver. Mr. Green informs us he has often experienced the same sensations while in the water, but always rose promptly to the surface until the dizziness had vanished and the armor thoroughly inflated. As long as the air circulates throughout the armor there is no danger to be apprehended. The body of the deceased below the neck appeared as if the blood had been entirely forced out of it, presenting an appearance as white and clear as a piece of sculptured marble. Since writing the above, we learn that Mr. Tope had connected a length of gutta percha hose to the helmet at the place occupied by the escape valve, one end of the hose, remaining above the surface of' the water. This was an improvement of his own which he desired to test, and before going down the last time he had taken the valve out entirely, though he was told frequently that such an experiment would prove fatal to him, and was warned by Mr. Green not to attempt it. On learning of the accident, Mr. Green had the body brought to this city, and Messrs. Wells & Gowan deposited it in a metallic burial case, and Mr. Wells proceeded with it to Boston last evening. The unfortunate man was held in high estimation by his employers, and his loss is deeply regretted. New York Times
  154. 1854 6 1 Tope, Second entry, incident response John USA Wells, Gowan and Green 12 S/S Air On opening the helmet, the unfortunate occupant of the armor was found to be quite dead, presenting a horrid spectacle, blood oozing from his eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Detaching the spring from the escape-valve prevented the air from inflating the armor below the neck of the diver; and when it is recollected that at the depth of thirty feet the pressure of the water is equal to fifteen pounds to the square inch, and hence there must have been a pressure of at least ten tons upon the lower extremities of the diver; and this tremendous pressure forced the vital fluid to the head, bursting the blood vessels, and thus causing immediate death. Not more than a minute and a half elapsed from the time he entered the water, to the time he was hoisted upon the deck of the vessel. The pressure of the water upon the lower part of the armor, on his two previous trials, caused a slight rush of blood to the diver’s head, causing a dizziness, which he imagined was produced by foul air, and he insisted upon descending again with the spring detached from the escape-valve, which be said would allow a free current of air to pass in and out of the armor; but a moment’s reflection will convince anyone that this alone was the cause of the melancholy casualty. The apparatus he used on this occasion was in complete working order, and one of the most perfect ever manufactured. New York Times
  155. 1854 6 1 Tope, First entry, the incident John USA Wells, Gowan and Green 12 S/S Air We learn that Mr. John Tope, one of the divers employed by Messrs. Wells, Gowan & Green, in their operations on the Lake, lost his life while experimenting with a sub-marine armor, a few days since. The circumstances attending this lamentable casualty, as related to us by Mr. Green, are substantially as follows: It appears that Mr. Tope was desirous of testing a sub-marine armor preparatory to commencing operations on the wrecks which the Company design raising this Summer, and on Friday afternoon last, in company with three others, started from Cattaraugus Creek in a small vessel of about twenty tons burden, and proceeded some distance from the shore, where the water was about forty feet deep. Mr. Tope descended into the water three times. The first and second time he went down some fifteen or twenty feet, each time signalizing to those above to raise him. In both instances he remarked that the foul air did not escape fast enough to allow him to breathe freely. Previous to going down, the third time detached the spring from the valve which allows the impure air to escape from the helmet, and desired the man who held the signal line to observe carefully when he should reach the bottom, (some forty feet) and be prepared to answer his signals. He then entered the water, and had descended about thirty feet, when those above thought the armor felt unusually heavy. The signal line was immediately jerked to ascertain whether anything was wrong, but receiving no answering signal, the diver was immediately raised from the water. New York Times
  156. 1857 5 15 Not Recorded UK S/S Air "Naval and Military Intelligence. An experienced diver who died under mysterious circumstances while occupied in diving for the purpose of recovering a 32 pounder ..." Suspected duplicate report of the death of Edward Barnicoat (20/5/1857). No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Caledoian Mercury/Belfast Mercury/The British Newspaper Archive
  157. 1857 5 20 Barnicoat RE Edward Sgt. UK Military S/S Air "Death of a diver. A melancholy accident occurred on Wednesday morning to a colour sergeant of the Royal Engineers at Chatham named Edward Barnicoat...." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Royal Cornwall Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive
  158. 1858 7 23 Affer UK S/S Air "Death in a Diving Aparatus. On Friday, a mason, named Affer, employed as a diver in building the new admiralty pier at Dover, lost his life by opening a valve in his diving dress. The unfortunate man had gone down for the ...." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Sherbourne Mercury/The British Newspaper Archive
  159. 1859 3 17 Not Recorded UK S/S Air "Diver drowned whilst a boat's crew were engaged about the wreck of the barque Saxon King off Stranraer" "Diver Drowned. ...the diver, when they found him quite dead. The air pipe had got entangled among the steps of the ladder and air supply had..." (The Saxon King left Samarand with a cargo of sugar for the Clyde but ran aground on rocks off the South Rock Lighthouse (Off Ireland) on the 10th of January. She was refloated after three hours and made for the Clyde where she anchored off the Corsewall Lighthouse (Near Stranraer) where she foundered and sank). No other details (Pay for access archive). Reported in the Cambridge Chronicle and Herald/The British Newspaper Archive
  160. 1859 10 0 Not Recorded UK S/S Air "Shocking Death of a Diver. During survey last week of the wreck of the Robert Garden, schooner belonging Dover, recently run down off the South Foreland by collision with the ..." "Last week, at Ramsgae, Maurice, a diver..."No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Dover Express/The British Newspaper Archive. (Possibly dual report for the death of Maurice Alward?)
  161. 1859 10 0 Alward Maurice UK S/S Air "Shocking Death of a Diver. On Tuesday an inquest was held at the town hall by R. J. Emmerson and a very respectable jury, touching the death of Maurice Alward, a ..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Kentish Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive
  162. 1862 3 13 Wlliams UK Dock Board "…diver in the employ of the dock board who fell overboard at woodside on the 31st March last and was drowned, the body which was in fearfully..." Report from an inquest held in Birkenhead by Mr Churton over the body in June 1862. No other details (Pay for access archive). Reported in the Liverpool Daily Post/The British Newspaper Archive
  163. 1862 12 19 Barrett Lucas Jamaica S/S Air English, Aged 25, The first director of Geological Survey of Jamaica. He used mollusc shells for fossil dating, Started collecting living shells underwater from the Port Royal Cays, south of Kingston Harbour. On his second dive collecting shells on a reef, closed air valve and inflated suit to surface, floated to surface some distance from his boat, dead before brought ashore. J B S Haldane suggested that this rapid ascent was the cause of death due to a pulmonary air embolism ('the bends'). A shell, now in the natural history museum in London, found on his body is one of only two known specimens of a smooth shelled micromorphic brachiopod 'Argyrotheca woodardiana'.
  164. 1863 4 16 Not Recorded Richard UK S/S Air "A diver has been drowned at Lowestoft by water getting into his helmet while working at a wreck in the bottom of the sea" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the John O' Groat Journal/The British Newspaper Archive
  165. 1866 10 29 Jevons Ellis UK "Serious Accident to Diver. Yesterday morning, Ellis Jevons, aged 42, residing croftplace, one of the …" No other details (Pay for access archive). Reported in the Liverpool Daily Post/The British Newspaper Archive
  166. 1867 10 28 Holt James UK River Tyne Commssioners S/S Air Sudden Death at North Shields. -- On Saturday afternoon, Mr James Holt, the River Tyne Commissioner' diver, died at his residence, in Rudyard Street, North Shields, of concussion of the brain, brought on, it is supposed, by the arduous nature of his vocation, after a, brief illness of twenty-four hours. Deceased, who was a native of Whitstable, had been in the employment of the Commissioners for the long period of twenty-one years, and was much respected for his genial and affable disposition by all who knew and came in contact with him. Shields Daily Gazette
  167. 1868 9 9 Burton Charles New Zealand 27 S/S Air Diving from the SS 'Lady Bird' assessing the wreck of the SS 'Taraniki'. Apparently entangled and Helmet came off, drowned. Excellent contemporary article of the fatality in the Wellington Independent and description of the subsequent salvage operation in Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 1868-1961. The inquest (described in some detail in the Wellington Independent) 'was held at the Crown and Anchor Hotel before L. Boor Esq., Coroner, and a respectable jury', after mature deliberation, they gave the verdict "Accidental death by drowning whilst in performance of his duties as a diver at the wreck of the Taranki". After being submerged for over a year, she was refoated being towed into Wellington harbour by the 'Ladybird' on the first of October 1889. She finally ran aground and broke in half in November 1878 on Karewa Island with no loss of life
  168. 1869 0 0 Jurgens or Ingen Louis USA Neptune Submarine Telegraph Company Topsides Working on demolishing the wreck of the steamer 'Scotland' which sank off New York in about 30' of water. Set charges but the submarine detonation apparently set off a sympathetic explosion of a second charge on the diving boat. Four killed including the diver who had previously set the charge. One of the survivors was a man by the name of Sterne who had been a gunner on the 'Monitor' during the battle with the 'Merrimac'. New York Times.
  169. 1872 3 29 Seaman George USA S/S Air 40 years old, living on Staten Island, working off the wrecking schooner 'Thomas Kivlin' at work at the foot of 65th Street, North River, was suffocated by the bursting of the air pipe. Seaman had been underwater for some time, and, as soon as it was discovered that the pipe used for conducting air to the diver had burst, he was hauled up, but when he reached the surface and was relieved of his diving suit, all efforts made to resuscitate him proved futile. The remains were removed to the morgue. New York Times.
  170. 1872 4 13 Hooper Chile S/S Air "Telegraphic News. Hooper, a diver of Liverpool died suddenly at Pichidangui whilst raising the cargo of a sunken vessel at Cape Horn. The Pacific Steam Navigation... " No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in Manchester Times/Birmingham Daily Post/Leeds Mercury/The British Newspaper Archive
  171. 1872 4 15 Siebe Augustus UK Augustus Siebe, designer of the 'Standard' diving dress died. He left his Company to his Son-in-Law, Willian Gorman, and the Company changed it's name to Siebe-Gorman, remaining in trade until 1998 when it was sold to Norcross, Norcross sold the company in 1999 at which time the company was renamed AMtec (Air Master Technology). AMtec stopped trading in 2001 and the owners sold the name to a Malaysian concern making breathing apparatus trading as "The Siebe Gorman Company (Malaysia)"
  172. 1872 6 25 Warner George UK S/S Air Melancholy Fatal Accident to a Diver. It in our painful duty this week to report one of those melancholy accidents, which fortunately are not of frequent occurrence, viz., the death by drowning of a diver, named George Warner, while following his occupation. It appears that the unfortunate young man was on Tuesday last engaged at a ship sunk off Dungeness, and while searching in the cabin for a sum of money amounting to about £800, supposed to have been left there; the air pipe suddenly burst, the result being, of course, that the communication of air to the deceased was instantly cut off. Mr. Philip Warner, a brother of the deceased, was attending him, by whom the bursting of the pipe was felt, and he immediately took measures to raise him to the boat; this was accomplished in about a minute and a half, and on his being dragged on board he exclaimed “ Oh, my poor head; I am dying' and then breathed his last. The body was taken to Dover, where an inquest was held, the jury returning a verdict of “Accidental Death." On Wednesday the corpse was brought home to Whitstable for interment. The deceased was a very steady young man, and his untimely end in lamented by a large circle of friends and relatives. He was a son of the well known diver, Mr. Philip Warner, who, as many of our readers are aware, was employed for several years in the construction of the harbour of refuge at Alderney. Deceased was twenty-six years of age, and was, we understand, shortly about to be married. Reported in the Whitstable Times
  173. 1872 8 12 Not Recorded UK S/S Air "Diver drowned at the Aberdeen Beakwater. One of the divers at the new breakwater, Aberdeen,…" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in Dundee Courier/The British Newspaper Archive
  174. 1872 10 16 Gascombe Australia S/S Air Rockhampton, Queensland "Gascombe, a diver, died in the water at Rockhampton, of apoplexy" Timaru Herald, Sydney Morning Herald
  175. 1872 12 10 Collins USA S/S Air American, formally a member of the 99th Regiment of New York Volunteers, searching for a propeller lost off a Navy steam launch at Norfolk, Virginia. About 1 o'clock a diver by the name of Collins met his death by suffocation while engaged in diving. Pulled to the surface and found to be dead. New York Times
  176. 1873 7 21 Not Recorded UK Tyne Commissioners "Fatal Diving Bell Accident. On Monday night a fatal accident took place.." A diver drowned in Shields Harbour on Monday owing to the diving bell capsizing." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in Staffordshire Sentinel/The British Newspaper Archive
  177. 1875 6 7 Keith William UK 8 S/S Air "Death of a diver underwater by drowning (Special Telegram) William Keith, 35 years of age, a professional diver (Or divers labourer) residing in Torry, employed by the Aberdeen harbour board, at the point of the pier laying some moorings. Descended in his diving dress on Saturday about noon, and reaching the bottom, depth 25'..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph/Dundee Courier/The British Newspaper Archive
  178. 1875 8 12 Tippett John Hicks UK 9 S/S Air EXTRAORDINARY DEATH OF A DIVER. The diving cutter ‘Sir Francis Burdett’ has arrived at Hull with the body of James Tippett, diver, aged 37, The crew have been engaged for some time in preparations to blow up the steamer ‘Shamrock’, sunk at the entrance to the Humber in 30 feet of water. Yesterday morning Tippett went down under water fully dressed, when those on the cutter felt convinced something was wrong. He was hauled onboard but was found to be dead. The glass at the front of his helmet had been broken by some means and so had let in the water. He must have been dead long before he was got on board, Reported in the Bradford Observer
  179. 1875 10 4 Grelee Harry W USA 4 S/S Air Town of Lowell, swept under a projecting timber by fast current, air hose kinked, signalled surface that he was in trouble but they were unable to pull him out. 'His lifeless body was extricated and brought to the surface by his brother'. Reported in the New York Times.
  180. 1876 0 0 Fleuss Henry UK Rebreather Development of the firsrt working self contained oxygen rebreather using compressed oxygen and a closed circuit and caustic potash to absorc CO2
  181. 1876 4 23 Thomas George UK "Accidental Death of a Diver. In London last Thursday (2nd March 1876), Mr. Payne, the coroner, held an inquiry at the Essex Head, Essex Street, Strand, regarding the death of George Thomas.." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Tamworth Herald/The British Newspaper Archive
  182. 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
  183. 1876 12 0 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air Cape Verde Islander, one of two pearl divers killed in December working out of Somerset (North Australia, on the York Penninsula). "He was walking along the bottom when his when his life line became entangled around a large piece of cup shaped coral, the only obstruuction for a considerable distance. The boat to which he was attached was drifting with the tide as he walked on, and, the life line getting foul, the boat was anchored as it were.The strain thus brought on the life line would appear to have drawn the diver down to the coral, thereby creating such alarm as to cause him so far as to lose his presence of mind as to cut the line. He might just as well cut his throat as by his thoughtless act he transferred the boat's strain from the rope to the air pipe, which was soon pulled out of its socket on the helmet" When the body, sometime later, was recovered, "It was on it's back and a knife firmly clutched in the right hand. No blame appears to have been attached to the boat's crew". Grey River Argus, Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand.
  184. 1877 1 29 Robertson John UK Topsides Steam ship 'Alexandra', built in Stockton on Tees in 1863, en route from Cadiz to Dublin via Liverpool, with 420 tons of wine. Reached Liverpool and discharged 100 tons of wine, sailed for Dublin on the 3rd of January. 08:00 drive shaft broke, continued under sail, caught in a storm which left him with only fore and aft foresails, was being pushe onshore, dropped port anchor which immediately parted, starboard anchor jammed, ran aground in Clogher Bay. Cargo was discgarged by the 12th January, on the same day, the salvage vessel 'Seamen' arrived from Adrossan with three steam pumps and repair crew, including the diver and tender, and temporary repairs made including installing the three pumps on frames in the holds.before two tugs - "Kingfisher" and "Challenger' out of Liverpool - arrived to tow her to Belfast for overhaul with the salvage steamer "Seamew" attached to her stern by a tow rope to steady her during the tow and the three steam pumps running to keep her afloat. Floated off and tow started 10:00 on the 29th JanuaryAlso onboard was a repair crew including diver John Robertson and his attendant from Greenock. Caught in further bad weather from 18:00 hours, the pumps could not keep up, headed for sheltered water and situation improved, continued the tow but vessel began listing to starboard, then settled to the stern and then sank in under 5 minutes. It is thought that 7 persons were lost in the sinking - a shipright, a carpenter, 4 labourers from Clogher Bay and the diver, Anderson. Salvage Captains criticised for taking the vessels into heavy weather away from sheltered water. Plimsol.org/Old Merseytimes.co.uk
  185. 1877 6 0 Not Recorded UK "A diver suffocated. A diver engaged at Holyhead harbour met with fearful death last week. A number of men have been for employed a wreck.." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Edinburgh Evening News/The British Newspaper Archive
  186. 1877 7 5 Littlebody William UK Dalton Le Dale Waterworks 36 S/S Air Described as "a big stout man of about 18 stone weight", diver fron Tyne dock, diving in a pilot shaft at the Dalton Le Dale Waterworks, South Sields, (10' diamter, 312' from top to surface of water then to worksite a further 120' underwater to replace a plug). Reported as entering the water at 11:00, stopped responding to line signals some 3 hours later, could not be pulled up. Rescue diver Harry Watts, then aged 51, employed at the time by River Wear Commissioners, was recruited to help, dived at 9 o'clock in the evening and located the body head down under the working stage. Described in "Life of Harry Watts, 60 years a Sailor and Diver" by Alfred Spencer. The book, published in 1923, contains the following comment: Mr. Davis, Managing Director of Messrs. Siebe, Gorman & Co., Ltd., who kindly went through these chapters on diving with a view to correcting them, in commenting on the Dalton incident, says : - " You describe Watts as having been fully dressed before he went over the edge of the well. . . . Nowadays, we would, if at all possible, rig up a stage just above the surface of the water, where the diver would put on his heavy gear (boots, weights, and helmet), and thus be saved the labour of carrying all this deadweight. It is quite possible that Watts did carry this weight from the ground level to the water, and, in that case, all the more credit is due to him."
  187. 1877 12 18 Not Recorded UK "Shocking Accident To A Diver. Strange fatality occurred at Her Majesty's Devonport Dockyard yesterday. A heavy spar…." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Manchester Evening News/The British Newspaper Archive
  188. 1878 0 0 Steele H USA 20 S/S Air English, aged 40. Had previously assisted in recovering treasure from the �City of San Francisco� and raised schooner “Mabel and Edith� in 1877. 15 minutes into a diver was recovered to surface by tenders as they received no signals. Unconscious, died 15 minutes later. The owner of the apparatus, A. W. Von Schmidt, found that the diver neglected to close the end of a hose. “The apparatus is for two divers and when used by one only the other end should have the cap screwed on. After reaching a depth of 11 fathoms he received no fresh air and had only the air in the helmet to breathe�.
  189. 1878 6 27 Shervell Henry New Zealand "Henry Shervell, a diver, was committed for trial today for stealing guns from the wreck of the Ann Gambles" Evening Post, National Library of New Zealand. (The 'Ann Gambles' was an iron barque built in 1862 by Harrington and Williamson. She sailed from Gravesend in England in January, was lost in heavy weather at the entrance to Bluff Harbour on the 16th May 1878, the crew were all saved. An Inquiry suspended the master's certificate for six months after concluding that he had been reckless in attempting to enter the port at night without a pilot).
  190. 1878 8 0 Shanahan Jeremiah UK "Fatal Accident to a Diver, an inquest was opened at the town hall, Folkstone, on Tuesday, on the .." "Inquest at the dockyard into the death of a diver". No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Portsmouth Evening News/The British Newspaper Archive
  191. 1878 8 27 Not Recorded UK Military S/S Air "..body of a diver who died from syncope while engaged in diving practice from the gunnery ship 'Excellence' in Portsmouth Harbour, the..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Bristol Mercury/The British Newspaper Archive. Presumed to be another report into the death of Jeremoah Shanahan(27/8/1878)
  192. 1878 9 0 Thomas Thomas James UK S/S Air "The diver engaged on the wreck of the sunken German ironclad, the Grosser Kurfurst, who died the other day through remaining…" (The Grosser Kurfurst was an ironclad turret ship that sunk off Folkstone 31st May on her maiden voyage with the loss of around 270 of the 500 men onboard. Turned to avoid fishing boats and was rammed by accompanying vessel SMS Konig Wilhelm). Inquest was opened at the town hall, Folkstone on the 29th August. No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Alnwick Mercury/The British Newspaper Archive
  193. 1879 2 5 Not Recorded France S/S Air "..submarine diver who died on the fifth day of February 1879 by being drowned at sea on the coast of France." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Liverpooll Mercury/The British Newspaper Archive
  194. 1879 3 24 Manchester Horace USA S/S Air Drowned, after the event, it was claimed that �the diver who was drowned on Monday deliberately committed suicide on account of financial and domestic troubles which had been preying on his mind for a long time"
  195. 1879 6 30 Clifford Paul Louis Australia 5 S/S Air Aged about 25 or 26, described as a powerful young man, engaged as a diver at the wreck of the barque 'bells' (Having presented himself as an experienced diver), completed three dives but on entering the water on a dive at around 2pm seemed to go the opposite way to where he had been instructed to go. Apparently signalled he was coming up followed by 'less air'. Did not surface and after 15 minutes the crew pulled him to the surface but he was dead. "It is supposed that deceased must have given a wrong signal and so come by his death". Reported in Papers Past, The Star.
  196. 1879 7 30 Jenkins James Walter USA S/S Air Recovering an anchor lost from the “Barbarossa� in a collision with the “Italy� some weeks earlier off New York Harbour, pier 1, North River. Assistant called attention to blisters in the air pipe, but “Jenkins only laughed and said the pipe would probably last as long as he would�. Assistants protested that the hose was unsafe “but the daring engineer would not hear of it and went to his death with apparent gaiety� He had reached seabed when the pipe burst on deck. Pulled up immediately. “Upon removing the helmet the man's face and head presented a horrible appearance, being swollen to fully twice their normal size and purplish black. The tongue, swollen, discoloured and protruding was nearly bitten in two, blood trickled from the nostrils and ears, the arms were extended and rigid while the spasmodically closed fingers had buried their nails deep in the horny skin of the palms of the hands. Gasped once and expired with a long gurgling sigh�. Unemployed for two years, desperate to support his family, basically, a quick dive for "cash in hand" of 10$. reported in the New York Times.
  197. 1880 1 7 Not Recorded UK S/S Air London Times article on divers recovering bodies after the Tay Bridge disaster (Reproduced in the New York Times 26/1/1880)
  198. 1881 9 1 Duggan Walter? Ireland S/S Air Reported Tuesday 30th August and Thursday 1st September, but death probably occurred Saturday previously. Diver was 'engaged in examining the mooring tackle of the lightship off Daunts rock south of Queenstown.....". "Diver died from exhaustion in a harbour , made three descents from the Trinity steamer 'Alert' and on coming up the last time…." "Died in most distressing circumstances" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Portsmouth Evening News/Aberdeen Evening Express/Cornishman/The British Newspaper Archive
  199. 1881 10 0 Fletcher George UK S/S Air “SAD DEATH OF A LIVERPOOL DIVER. The Liverpool coroner held an inquest yesterday upon the body of George Fletcher, 37 years of age, a diver residing in Toxteth Park. On Saturday last deceased was engaged to dive in the Salthouse Dock for a case of hardware that had fallen in the dock. The man who engaged him, whose name was Slack, was blind, and was the maker of the diving suit which was fifteen years old and had not been used since 1880, when the deceased used it in the Brunswick dock. In overhauling the apparatus on Saturday the deceased had found one of the tubes leaky and had it repaired. The helmet was also made water-tight with tallow instead of a “washer�. The dress then seemed to work all right, and the deceased want down in it, but soon afterwards came up, and said he felt “scared� He nevertheless went down again, and the men in attendance received a signal from from him for “slings� to be sent down to him for fixing to the hardware case. Soon afterwards they felt the deceased fall down. He was quickly hauled up out of the water, and his helmet removed, but be was then dead. The jury found a verdict of death from suffocation, caused by defective diving apparatus. Reported in the Manchester Evening News
  200. 1881 10 28 Macpherson Thomas UK S/S Air "A diver suffocated on Friday. A diver named Thomas Macpherson of 1 Castle Street, Hull died under… " No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in The Derby Daily Telegraph/The British Newspaper Archive
  201. 1883 8 0 Scott James UK S/S Air "Fatal accident to a diver" "…to be dead. The deceased was an experienced man diver, William Rowers stated that he was acting as signalman to the deceased, and it was..." "Fatal accient to a diver. On Monday evening (6th August 1883), Dr. Wynn Westcott, the deputy coroner for Middlesex, held inquest at the Three Compasses Tavern, High Street, Hornsey, concerning the death of James Scott, aged 40..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Alnwick Mercury/Tamworth Herald/The British Newspaper Archive
  202. 1884 3 5 Not Recorded UK "Fatal accident to a diver. A fatal accident occurred of Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, on Wednesday afternoon. It appears that the tug Tydemoth, of Portsmouth, having on board.." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Gloucestr Citizen/The British Newspaper Archive
  203. 1884 5 0 Gurr (Or Gun?) Alfred Henry UK "Dover. Shocking accident. A man named Alfred Henry Gurr, living in Buckland, who was employed at new harbour works as a diver, met with..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald/The British Newspaper Archive
  204. 1884 7 26 Moreton UK S/S Air "A diver drowned in the Firth of Forth setting up moorings for the Lord Waeden. Intelligence was received at Sheerness Dockyard on Saturday that a riggers diver….. ." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in The Lancaster Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive
  205. 1885 5 4 Maynard Richard Australia S/S Air Yesterday the inquest on the body of a diver named Richard Maynard, who died in the Sydney Hospital on Monday afternoon, was resumed concluded at the Coroner's old office, King-street, before the City Coroner, Mr. H. Shiell, J.P. It will be remembered that on Monday last the deceased was employed at the Circular Quay searching for some cargo which had fallen overboard from a vessel. After he had gone down into the water, another diver, named Henry Christian, happened to pass by the spot where air was being pumped down to him; and, noticing that something seemed to be wrong with the air-piping, he informed those in charge of the fact, and tee deceased was brought up to the surface. The man was then in an unconscious state. He was taken to the Sydney Hospital and attended to by Dr. Lowes, but he died shortly after being admitted to the institution. The medical evidence showed that death resulted from cerebral congestion and asphyxia. After hearing the evidence of a number of witnesses, the jury returned the following verdict: "We find that the deceased died from the combined effects of cerebral congestion and asphyxia, the result of the absence of sufficient air to maintain life whilst carrying out his occupation as a diver." The jury also appended the following as a rider to their verdict:-"We desire to add that we consider it to be the positive duty of all vendors of diving gear, and persons letting such gear for hire, to see that it is in sound order." The Sydney Morning Herald
  206. 1885 5 20 Larsen Ole Denmark S/S Air Aged 38, Salvage of the steamer 'Oresund', found dead on the wreck trapped by metal lying on his left arm. When recovered to the surface, it was discovered that his helmet had a hole in it and he is presumed to have drowned as a result of it flooding. Buried on the 25th May at the Fejo Parish Church, the day before his third child, Ole Laurits Larsen, was baptised there. Fejo archive at niwich.dk
  207. 1885 7 16 Not Recorded UK "The Late Fatal Accident at Portsmouth Harbour. A diver went down this morning at the entrance of No 1 dock near…" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Portsmouth Evening News/The British Newspaper Archive
  208. 1885 9 25 Gregory George RN UK Military 15 S/S Air "Fatality to a diver, George Gregory of HMS Revenge. Was drowned last evening whilst engaged in examining some moorings 8 fathoms deep". No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive
  209. 1886 9 29 Boys Thomas UK Wear Commissioners S/S Air "Accident to divers. One man suffocated. At South docks Sunderland, this morning, three men were engaged in diving operations,…. " "Accident to a diver. An inquest on the body of Thomas Boys, who was drowned at Sunderland on Wednesdsay in diving operations was held..." "..diving bell accient, sates that divers were wrking for the Wear Commissioners in damming the old entrance to the South Dock...." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Manchester Evening News/The British Newspaper Archive
  210. 1886 11 0 Not Recorded New Guinea "A party of pearl divers have been murdered at Johannes Island, near New Guinea. Six soldiers at Cairo, finding an unexploded shell, struck it with a hammer, causing a detonation..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the North Devon Journal/The British Newspaper Archive
  211. 1887 0 0 Tester Spain 49 Diver engaged to recover the last box of treasure (9 of 10 had been salvaged in 1885) from the Spanish steamer 'Alphonso XII' which sank of Point Gando, Grand Canaria in February 1885. Salvage team was using Heinke equipment and had been on site four months, the deceased had made about 60 dives but on his last dive stayed down some 36 minutes and after a 10 minute break went down again for a further 10 minutes. At first seemed well but then complained of pain in his left arm. Taken ashore and 'the usual treatment in case of pressure attacks was resorted to". Not withstanding all the efforts to relieve him, he expired after suffering considerable, on the evening of the following day. Papers Past/The Aroha News (New Zealand)
  212. 1887 8 1 McGhee Charles UK S/S Air "A diver suffocated. While a marine diver named Mchee was working at the wreck of a sunken yatch - the Cyrene - off Greenock this morning, the air...", "A diver drowned, the air pipe broke, and insensible when brought to the surface, dying…." "While Charles McGhee was engaged in passing chains round a sunken wreck off Greenock this morning, the air..." (The yatch was in a collision with another yatch - the Lorelei - against whom they were racing in the Firth of Clyde on the 9th of July 1887) No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Sheffield Daily Telegaph/Shields Daily Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive
  213. 1887 10 7 McGuire George Australia Topsides MURDERED BY NATIVES. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.] (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) COOKTOWN, October 8. Nicholas Minister arrived at Somerset last night, nearly killed and not expected to recover, he, with a diver named George McGuire, having been attacked by a boat's crew of natives of Cape Sidmouth. McGuire was killed in the attack. Later news from the Paterson Telegraph Station says that the cutter is now off Mount Adolphus. Minister, with a Malay and woman, were in the boat at Somerset. The four natives attacked them while asleep, killing the diver and wounding Minister, not seriously. The natives cleared out. Reported in the Brisbane Courier
  214. 1887 10 19 Cook UK "A Diver Suffocated. A diver, whose name was Cook, was engaged in diving at Devonport on Monday, near Her Majesties ship 'Cambridge'..". No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Sheffield Evening Telegraoh/The British Newspaper Archive
  215. 1888 9 19 Ker Australia S/S Air 'A pearl diver by the name of Ker was stabbed to death by a Malay at Cossack, a Northern Port' (NB Cossack is a port in Western Australia, formerly a pearling station). Reported in the Archives of the Marlborough Express courtesy of the New Zealand National Library.
  216. 1889 0 0 Woods James W USA Merritt Wrecking Company 18 S/S Air American, drowned under the wreck of the "Iberia" (Sank three miles off New York, 10th November 1888, collision in fog) whilst salvaging cotton, his helmet flooded through a tear in his suit near his neck. His signal line was tied off to a stanchion some distance from the worksite. Quote from proprietor of the salvage company, Israel J Merritt, who was “of the opinion that the death was due to Wood's own carelessness�.
  217. 1889 1 1 Wolter John USA, Philadelphia S/S Air Putting a patch on a vessel that had hit a shoal. Lost air supply (hose came off helmet). Pulled up by deck crew feet first but the two guys were unable to lift him into the boat, dropped him back to the bottom, got more help and dragged him out. When recovered was black in the face and unresponsive, thought to be dead. They unscrewed his face plate, "poured whiskey down his throat and rubbed him vigorously". 15 minutes later he recovered consciousness.
  218. 1889 3 13 Not Recorded Malta S/S Air "A German diver drowned. Malta, March 13. The 'Sultan' is still in the same position, but some anxiety is felt on account of the swell.." (HMS Sultan, a broadside iroclad, was launched in 1870, ran aground 600 yards in the Comino chamnnel between Malta and Gozo on 6th March 1889, she slipped off the rocks killing a diver and sank on the 14th March in a gale, refloated by Baghino & C, refitted and served until 1896, in reserve until 1906, renamed Fishgard IV as a training ship). No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Shields Daily Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive
  219. 1889 7 0 Not Recorded UK "The Fatality To A Shields Diver. Yesterday (18/7/1889) an inquest was held at the Police Station , Mill Dam, South Shields, before Mr. Coroner..." "Death of a diver. A fatal accident to a diver is reported from Breadnell..." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Shields Daily Gazette/The British Newspaper Archive
  220. 1890 1 9 Brewster David Australia S/S Air "A Diver Suffocated. Melbourne, Tuesday. A diver named David Brewster, engaged on the Portland Harbour works went below today and did not signal for some time. The line man then pulled up and took off the helmet, when he found Brewster dead. The air tube was quite free. It is supposed that the deceased fainted while below and suffocated. Deceased leaves a wife and seven children". Reported in the Evening News, Sydney.
  221. 1890 8 26 Tanaka Australia S/S Air Japanese, reported as the first dead pearl diver recorded by name in the Broome cemetary. Died of the bends whilst diving off the pearling schooner "Willie" off Ninety Mile Beach (Stretches between Broome and Port Headland to the South). Reported by John Bailey, page 55, in his book "The White Divers of Broome"
  222. 1891 2 11 Francis Cranky Australia Topsides Thursday island, A high tide, two vessels lost, their crews drowned. "Thursday Island, Wednesday, Heavy gusty squalls still prevail here. It is reported that the lugger 'Kingfisher' has been wrecked off Mount Adolphus island and the crew drowned. The 'King Kow' was also wrecked on the fishing grounds near Dalrymple and a diver known as 'Cranky Francis' and three men were drowned. The tide rose yesterday beyond all previous marks". Reported in the Australian Town and Country Journal, NSW.
  223. 1891 3 0 Not Recorded UK "Serious accident to divers who were in a diving bell in Ayr harbour removing an…" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Sheffield Evening Telegraph/The British Newspaper Archive
  224. 1891 6 16 Imanuel Australia S/S Air "Another fatal diving accident occurred at Goods Island Station, Torres Straits, by which a diver named Imanuel was drowned through the bursting of the airpipe, through, it is alleged, imperfect appliances". Reported in the Bendigo Advertiser, Victoria.
  225. 1891 6 18 Luciano Manuel Australia S/S Air ‘A Diver Browned’. Thursday Island, Monday. — ‘The lugger ‘Revenge’, which returned to this port on Saturday evening, brings the body of a colored diver named Luciano. While diving that morning Luciano's piping became fastened to some coral, and when efforts were being made by the crew to release the diver the piping burst. The crew being unable to bring Luciano to the surface, another diver on the lugger ‘Narrellan’ at once went below and brought Luciano to the surface; but the latter was dead, having apparently been drowned owing to the presence of water in the dress after the piping burst. The piping is said to be very old’ Reported in the Evening News, Sydney, NSW
  226. 1891 10 24 Leest or Lust Frank Australia S/S Air Aged 40, diving operation to raise the launch 'Bluebell" (Sank after a collision with the gunboat HMS Boomerang (British Sharpshooter class torpedo gunboat launched 1889 as HMS Whiting, renamed 'Boomerang' in 1890 arriving Sydney in September 1891 as part of the auxilary squadron of the Australia station). Ropes fouled and it took them 20 minutes to bring him to the surface but "when he was taken on deck he was dead". Reported in the Sydney Morning Herald
  227. 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
  228. 1891 11 18 Luke (or Lukes?) Alfred Burton UK S/S Air "A diver drowned, a diver named Luke was examining some damaged moorings in Portsmouth harbour". "A diver named Luke went down to Portsmouth Harbour shortly after 9 o'clock on Wednesday to examine the moorings of the Corporation buoy near Portsea Pier,...". No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Coventry Evening Telegraph/The British Newspaper Archive
  229. 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.
  230. 1891 12 1 Smith Christian Australia Neil Anderson Topsides "Two divers (double fatality with Peter Rasmossan) 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.
  231. 1892 7 9 Robinson William UK Military S/S Air "Diver dies suddenly. An able seaman named William Robinson serving onboard Her Majesty's ship "Cambridge", gunnery ship at Devon Port…. No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Leeds Timesl/The British Newspaper Archive
  232. 1892 8 18 McLean Duncan Australia Stocton Coal 34 S/S Air “Sudden Death of a Diver. NEWCASTLE, Friday – “Duncan McLean, aged 34, a diver by profession, died in the hospital at 7 o'clock last night, having only been admitted at 3 o'clock that day. It appears the poor fellow was engaged at the Stockton Coal Pit to do some work in their shaft. The shaft is 110 feet deep and nearly full of wafer. McLean, who is a good diver, descended the shaft yesterday morning. He stayed down two hours and appeared in good health, when brought to the surface, but after being in the open for a few minutes he was seized with a fit and was taken to Dr. Hester’s surgery. Dr. Hester directed his removal to the hospital and accompanied him to the institution. Everything was done to revive him, but to no purpose, and the unfortunate fellow died as stated�. Reported in the Evening News, Sydney, NSW
  233. 1892 9 23 Jones UK "Extraordinary Accident to a Diver at Cardiff. A diver named Jones, residing in Cardiff, was engaged on Friday in .." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser/The British Newspaper Archive
  234. 1892 10 28 Not Recorded Australia Clarke S/S Air "Cooktown. HMS 'Lizard' arrived from New Guinea where all is quiet. It is reported at Samarai (Island off SE New Guines in the Chana Strait) that one of Tomlin's and one of Clarke's pearl divers have drowned through disarrangement of the gear. Reported in The Norther iner (Charters Towers Qld)
  235. 1892 10 28 Not Recorded Australia Tomlin S/S Air "Cooktown. HMS 'Lizard' arrived from New Guinea where all is quiet. It is reported at Samarai (Island off SE New Guines in the Chana Strait) that one of Tomlin's and one of Clarke's pearl divers have drowned through disarrangement of the gear. Reported in The Norther iner (Charters Towers Qld)
  236. 1892 12 31 Fairchild Adrian USA S/S Air “Adrian Fairchild, for forty years a diver In the employ of the city was at work on the north bed of the river ramming a charge of dynamite........� No other details, Los Angeles Times
  237. 1892 12 31 Fairchild Adoniram USA S/S Air "Diver Killed By Dynamite." ". …to the diver. And reply was received they began immediately pulling up. When the diver was brought to the surface, was found to...." "A Diver Killed. An unusual and painfully sad accident occurred on Friday at New York harbour. While a diver was below placing dynamite in the prepared borings, an explosion took place which was clearly indicated to those in charge of the work." (NB This incident is also reported in early January 1893 but appears to have happened in late December 1892) No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Derby Daily Telegraph/The British Newspaper Archive. Dual report for the death of Adrian Fairchild (Same date). Boston Evening Transcript
  238. 1893 2 0 Kenah Australia Trenton and Vandalia Wrecking Co Topsides A fatal accident occurred a few days ago, a man named Kenah, employed by the Trenton and Vandalia Wrecking Company as a diver met his death by drowning. It is thought that he attempted to swim off to the barque ‘Alicia’, but could not manage it, owing to the heavy surf. His body was recovered the following day. The Sydney Morning Herald
  239. 1893 3 27 George Australia 51 S/S Air Paraphrased from a report in the Brisbane Courier. “A native of Samoa, diving from the pearling lugger 'Rotumah' in very deep water, the line showing twenty-eight fathoms. He had previously been down thrice, and the temptation to go down and gather many more was so very great that George cast aside the terrible warnings which had been given by the fatality with so many previous drivers. George thought he was strong and healthy, and could withstand the pressure of water at great depths. When George rose, to the surface on the fourth occasion he showed signs of distress and asked to have his dress taken off. This was immediately done and he asked for a drink of water and some painkiller. The latter was speedily obtained from the cabin and a few drops of it placed in a cup of water. This George took with the intention of drinking. The unfortunate victim only succeeded in clicking the cup against his tooth. Then he fell back on to the cabin-house in a death like swoon. Poor George never regained consciousness, but about 5 o'clock, or three hours after leaving the briny for the last time, he gave three long gasps and died�.
  240. 1893 4 9 Christianson Captain John USA 60 S/S Air Elliot Bay, Seattle, “He plunged into the waters of Elliot Bay and after 20 minutes returned with the lead line and a bucket from one of the hatches of the tug “Majestic� lying at a depth of 196 feet. He apparently suffered no great inconvenience�
  241. 1893 5 0 Not Recorded Australia John Tolman S/S Air "Death of another Diver". Thursday Island, Monday - (In a paper on Monday 22nd, so could be 15th? TC) "Another diver is reported to have died through diving in deepwater, but this time the occurrence took place some distance from where the others met their fate. Deceased was working from Mr John Tolman's fleet. Evening News, Sydney. May be a double reoport for one of the other May fatalities?
  242. 1893 5 0 Mateo Australia S/S Air Reported as a fourth fatality in the report of the deaths of Johnnie Wahoo and Ullalio Rosa as “Late last evening, and after the above was in print, another case was reported, the victim in this case being Mateo, the diver of the 'Myrtle� who died later that same week, no details. Reported in the Brisbane Courier
  243. 1893 5 0 Madrill William Garvie Australia Topsides Queensland, Brisbane, Monday. "Still another pearl diver has died near Thursday Island after working in deep water there. William Garvie Madrill has been found in a culvert at Ipswich, lying face downwards in a shallow pool of water, with a small stone embedded in his forehead. Life was extinct. Reported in the Barrier Miner, Broken Hill, NSW
  244. 1893 5 0 Allen Harry Australia S/S Air Native of Norfolk Island, no details , reported as a third fatality in the report of the deaths of Johnnie Wahoo and Ullalio Rosa as “A well known and esteemed diver� who died later that same week, but gave no details. Reported in the Brisbane Courier
  245. 1893 5 10 Wahoo Johnnie Australia 36 S/S Air From Honolulu, diving off the Thursday Islands from the pearling lugger 'Premier' After 5 dives on deck, removed gear, but 30 minutes later complained of feeling unwell. In spite of vigorous massage, after about 12 hours became unconscious and died two hours later. Inquiry concluded that he died of diver's paralysis. Reported in the Brisbane Courier
  246. 1893 5 10 Rosa Ullalio Australia 36 S/S Air Diving off the Thursday Islands from the lugger 'Monday' owned by the Wal Wear Station. After 5 dives removed gear and immediately complained of feeling unwell. Lay in bunk with a cup of tea having a smoke but his condition suddenly deteriorated, became unconscious and finally died. Inquiry concluded that he died of diver's paralysis. Reported in the Brisbane Courier
  247. 1893 6 2 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air "Death of Another Diver". Thursday Island, Monday (In a paper dated Monday 5th June). It is reported that another diver, a native of Manilla, died Friday night through working deep water off Darnley Island. He belonged to Kell's Station. Several cases of paralysis have also occurred. Evening News, Sydney, NSW. May be a double report of one of the other fatalities?
  248. 1893 6 22 Kavanagh Lebanon Military "The lost battleship" (Collision between HMS Camperdown and HMS Victoria which sank in 13 minutes near Tripoli with the loss of 358 crew. Appears that divers were involved in trying to close watertight doors on the Camperdown - which survived the collision. "Diver Kavanagh was drowned while engaged in cutting off the dress (Loaded with lead) of…" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Coventry Evening Telegraph/The British Newspaper Archive
  249. 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.
  250. 1893 8 10 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air "Quern Island". Thursday Island, August 15. "Another Manilla diver died in hospital last Thursday through diving in deep water off Thursday Island. He had been an inmate of the Hospital for nearly a fortnight. A second Manila diver is now in hospital paralysed beyond hope of recovery through working in the same locality". Zeehan and Dundas Herald, Tas.
  251. 1893 8 20 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air Thursday Island, Sunday. "Another Manila diver has died in the hospitalfrom the effects of diving in deep water" The Argus, Melbournes, Vic.
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