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Incidents List

  1. Year Month Day Surname Forenames Location Contractor Client Depth Type of Diving Details
  2. 1934 9 13 Kongo Hisa Australia Bowden Pearling Co. 55 S/S Air "Diver Drowned When Helmet Fills With Water" Japanese diver aged 24, reported that his helmet filled with water as he rose to the surface with a bag of shells at Darnley Island. Diving off the lugger 'Sydney', came to the surfacce unconscious, the vessel master, Captain Yonekawa, thought he was suffering from diver's paralysis, fitted another helmet and took Kongo down again in an attempt to relieve the stricken diver. The Captain remained below for nearly 40 minutes but Kongo failed to respond. He was hauled to the surface dead. Reported in the Advocate, Burnie, Tasmania.
  3. 1934 9 20 Currie or Curry William Wallace Canada A M Maclean & Sons S/S Air Employed to plant dynamite underwater in the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. On a stormy day, he decided it was better to dive and get paid than wait for the weather to clear. Lightning struck his equipment on the surface, travelled down his line and ignited the 6 pounds of dynamite and blasting caps he carried. His 21 year old son, Laughlin, acting as his diving assistant, witnessed the accident. Missaiiauga.net, Montreal Gazette
  4. 1934 9 27 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air Salvage dive from the vessel 'Bertha'. No details
  5. 1934 10 8 Hansen Robert Roy USA ADS HMS 'Hussar', sank 23rd November 1780 off New York in the East River near treacherous Hell Gate, rumoured to be carrying gold. 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
  6. 1935 1 5 Fujimatsu Australia 11 S/S Air Japanese pearl diver aged 27, working from the lugger 'Felton' 10 miles west of Badu (one of the Torres Strait Islands), had been in the water 45 minutes when he ditched his helmet/corslet and surfaced 4 yards from the lifeline. The diver acting as tender jumped in with a line and both divers swam to the ladder. The diver sat on deck for 5 minutes, and, after aking a deep breath, lay back on the deck. He was found to be dead. A post mortem indicated he died of beri beri and heart failure. His diving gear was found to be in order and had not been fouled. Reported in the Sydney Morning Herald
  7. 1935 2 11 Hopkins Thomas UK S/S Air "Diver's death. Wreck of the 'Gladiator', Portsmouth correspondent, Mr Thomas Hopkins, retired Naval warrant officer who was awarded the...No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Western Morning Nws//The British Newspaper Archive
  8. 1935 4 27 Kanada Hachiro Australia 15 S/S Air “JAPANESE DIVER KILLED. Air Pipe Line Broken�. CAIRNS. April 26. “Hackiro Kamada, a Japanese pearl diver, died at Alligator Passage, near Badu Island, while diving for shell. It is believed that an air pipe broke when the lugger drifted on the tide before the anchor could be dropped. Kamada was a member of the crew of the lugger ‘Drayton’, and in company with Chokichi, Murada dived into eight fathoms of water. About five minutes later Murada came to the surface and noticed Kamada on top of the water, with no helmet or corselet. A. dinghy was placed overboard, and members of the crew made towards the unconscious man, but the craft sank. They then swam to Kamada, and placed him on the deck of the lugger. He was breathing heavily. A flag was hoisted, and the lugger Sorrel, owned by the Bowden Pearling Co., responded�. “LOWERED INTO SEA�. “A helmet and corselet were placed on Kamada, and he was lowered to the bottom of the sea, and was kept under water for one and a half hours, but showed no signs of improving. He was pulled up on to the deck again, and it was noticed that his neck and face were swollen, and he was apparently dead. Then he was taken to Thursday Island. Dr. R. J. Nimmo (Government medical officer) Issued a certificate stating that death was due to (1) asphyxia by drowning, (2) myocarditis (accidental). Reported in the Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Qld.
  9. 1935 5 15 Wunderlich Albert Edward Australia 2 S/S Air Aged about 40, single, working on the construction of the high level bridge over the Herbert river near Ingham, diving routinely in 7 or 8 feet of water, had been down sometime, at smoko they signalled him to prepare for pulling up but received no response and immediately hauled him up. The diver reached the surace minus his headdress which had become detached from the costume. A doctor and ambulance were hurridly summoned but after arduous endeavours at respiration life was pronounced to be extinct. Reported in the Nothern Miner.
  10. 1935 7 4 Sistakis Georgios USA 11 S/S Air Greek, aged about 63, ex-Mediterranean sponge diver, had been working the sponge beds off Tarpon Springs for 30 years, diving off the sponge diving boat 'Azaimis'. Break in air hose, lost air (Squeeze), recovered to surface but died. St. Petersburg Times
  11. 1935 7 7 Salaman Australia Carpenter S/S Air Reported as Malay, Pearl diver out of Darwin diving near Bathurst Island, 'attacked by paralysis and died' “When he first gave distress signals, he was hauled to the surface, and was in great pain. He was then lowered to ten fathoms to allow him to become accustomed to the change in pressure, but he was dead when he reached the surface again.� Reported in the Canberra Times. Also reported in 'The Age' as "The lugger Zena returned to port this morning with it's flag flying at half mast and the dead body of a Koepang diver, Salmon, on board. It was reported that he came up sick after diving. He was lowered again but died. It is believed that diver's paralysis caused death".
  12. 1935 7 12 Martin Indonesia 31 S/S Air Koepang diver out of Darwin on the lugger 'Flying Cloud' working off the Aru Islands (Indonesian waters due north of Darwin). Standing in as the second diver (who was off sick), When pulled up from decompression stop, was found to be dead. “Diving gear in perfect working order�. Inquest returned a verdict of accidental death by suffocation (Essentially blaming the diver for adjusting his air valve and shutting off his own air). Reported in 'The Age'
  13. 1935 7 17 Mastoridis Ellefteries USA S/S Air Aged 40, Greek from the Island of Symi who had arrived in the USA two years earlier, sponge diver off the vessel Astriopi that had left port 10 days ago, "died of suffocation when the oxygen apparaus became clogged". The Reverend Theo Karaphillis officiated at his funeral at St Nicholas Greek Church before his burial at the Cycadia Cemetery. He was survved by his widow and 9 year old son. St. Petersberg Times
  14. 1935 7 28 Mitsui Kioshichi Australia J & T Muramata 42 S/S Air Japanese pearl diver aged 54. Lugger 'Cleve' out of Darwin, working the beds off Bathurst Island diving to 18 and 23 fathoms both morning and afternoon. On surfacing in the afternoon, complained of paralysis, was put back into gear and lowered to 120' before being brought in stages towards the surface. After 35 minutes he came to the surface by himself was hauled onboard but found to be dead. Reposted to be the third diver employed by Australian pearling companies to have died and been brought ashore in Darwin but that two others on foreign boats had also died but been taken ashore in the Dutch east Indies bring the Total to 5 fatalities in July. Reported in the Sydney morning Herald
  15. 1935 8 0 Not Recorded Australia 59 S/S Air Japanese pearl diver working in 35 fathoms near Echo Island, had been down 20 minutes when there was a vigorous tug on the airlines. Lines floated to surface with no sign of diver or metal helmet. "Scientists say that the only known monster capable of such an attack is a 'white death' shark which are usually about 40 feet long though there have been reports f 'white death' sharks 100 feet long". Next morning a few remnants of clothing were found floating on the surface. Diver's body and equipment never recovered. Reported in the Milwaukee Journal
  16. 1935 8 13 Siegel USA Military S/S Air Chief ship fitter on USS Falcon, “Died of the bends�. No details
  17. 1935 9 4 Johnson Julius USA S/S Air “Davy Jone's locker, whose dark and silent depths he had explored fearlessly for years, claimed the life yesterday of Julius Johnson, veteran Long Beach deep sea diver� Lost air supply, hose either kinked or severed (“apparently snagged on wreckage at the bottom of the sea�). Dive was to recover the anchor and chain slipped by the gambling boat 'Casino' when it caught fire four miles offshore two weeks earlier, Reported in the Los Angeles Times/Montreal Gazette.
  18. 1935 9 14 Not Recorded Panama S/S Air Aged 73, pearl diver diving off the lugger 'Winifred' Reported as "Divers epic battle with shark, dies from wounds, Panama, Saturday (Incident could have been the previous Saturday, the 7th September. No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Hull Daily Mail/The British Newspaper Archive
  19. 1935 10 25 Fukami Maso Australia 37 S/S Air Japanese, aged 23, Bathurst island, bitten on the left wrist by a snake, surfaced and a tounequet put on the bite, put back in the water to decompress but came to the surface unconscious and died two hours later. Unclear whether cause of death was DCI or venom poisoning.
  20. 1935 11 1 Yachie Sahden Bin Australia 37 S/S Air "Malay Diver's Death While Pearl Fishing". Perth, Friday, "Sahden Bin Yachie (24), a Malay Pearl diver, died off the coast of Broome after having operated at 20 fathoms from 7 am to 4 pm. When Yachie was pulled up he complained of paralysis symptoms, and for several hours after was subjected to three further stagings at various depths to counter the effects. It was thought that he had been cured, but four hours later he died after a convulsive fit. Word of this tragedy, which happened on November 1, was received by police today (3rd January, 1936). reported in The Barrier Miner, Broken Hill, NSW. Another report sates "MALAY DIVER'S DEATH. The report of the death of a Malay diver, Sahdan Bin Yachie, apparently from paralysis due to deep water diving, was received from Broome by the Commissioner of Police (Mr. D. Hunter) yesterday. The diver was engaged on the pearl lugger Esquimaux, and replaced the first diver, who was sick, on October 31. He came to the surface at 5.30 pm, complaining of sickness. The first diver ordered him to be staged.' This process was continued until midnight, when the diver stated that he was feeling well. He suffered a relapse, however, and after an unsuccessful attempt to equip him for further staging he died" The West Australian.
  21. 1935 11 6 Mukai Chukuro Australia V. R. Kepert (Darwin) S/S Air Japanese pearl diver, aged 39, became paralysed underwater and died later. No details, but reported as the 7th diver that season to have died, the majority of paralysis, one from a bite from a coral snake. Aged about 39, diving from the lugger 'Winifred', on the Bathurst Island pearl beds, "Died, it is supposed, from paralysis caused by pressure'. 'Complained of pain in his left arm. For more than 14 hours he was brought to the surface by stages, but he died in the evening"Reported in the Canberra. Times et al
  22. 1935 11 17 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air Japanese pearl diver, reported as 'became paralysed in the water and died later' Possible dual report for Sahden Bin Yachie who died 1/11/1935?)
  23. 1935 12 5 Myquick Sammy Australia BRISBANE, Saturday. — When the pearling lugger ‘Aldinia’ reached Thursday Island today she had on board two iead men. They were a Japanese diver, Ichitaro Miyao, 35, and a Mapoon native, Sammy Myquick, 17. The lugger was working at Warrior island with the diver down five fathoms. When no signals had been received for some time the captain went down and found Miyao dead in his driving dress. As the lugger was returning to Thursday Island Myquick was found dead in the hold. 'The Government officer at the island found that the diver had died from heart failure, while the aborigine had been poisoned by fumes from a broken exhaust pipe in the engine. The Mail, Adelaide, SA
  24. 1935 12 5 Miyao Shitarao or Ichitaro Australia Topsides BRISBANE, Saturday. — When the pearling lugger ‘Aldinia’ reached Thursday Island today she had on board two iead men. They were a Japanese diver, Ichitaro Miyao, 35, and a Mapoon native, Sammy Myquick, 17. The lugger was working at Warrior island with the diver down five fathoms. When no signals had been received for some time the captain went down and found Miyao dead in his driving dress. As the lugger was returning to Thursday Island Myquick was found dead in the hold. 'The Government officer at the island found that the diver had died from heart failure, while the aborigine had been poisoned by fumes from a broken exhaust pipe in the engine. The Mail, Adelaide, SA
  25. 1935 12 5 Miyao Ichitaro Australia Morey & Co. 9 S/S Air BRISBANE, Saturday. — When the pearling lugger ‘Aldinia’ reached Thursday Island today she had on board two iead men. They were a Japanese diver, Ichitaro Miyao, 35, and a Mapoon native, Sammy Myquick, 17. The lugger was working at Warrior island with the diver down five fathoms. When no signals had been received for some time the captain went down and found Miyao dead in his driving dress. As the lugger was returning to Thursday Island Myquick was found dead in the hold. 'The Government officer at the island found that the diver had died from heart failure, while the aborigine had been poisoned by fumes from a broken exhaust pipe in the engine. The Mail, Adelaide, SA
  26. 1935 12 5 Fukami Maso Australia 30 S/S Air Aged 23, Japanese apprentice Pearl diver working 30 miles off Bathurst Island. His second dive of the day, had sent up one bage of shellthen "While he was waiting for the bag, a snake, estimated to be about eight feet long and four inches around the middle of its body, and like the python which is found in the Northern Territory, swam close to him and seized his left wrist in its jaws" Hauled to deck and found to have his wrist torn apart by the snake's fangs. They put on a tournequet and put him back down to 10 fathoms but shortly after he signalled to be pulled up, but then floated to the surface unconscious. His body had turned black 'the result, his mates thought, of the poison from the snake and paralysis'. Straits Times
  27. 1936 0 0 Italian Navy Italy Submarine Italian Navy testing diver controlled "Chariot" torpedo/mine systems
  28. 1936 3 17 Yamamoto Gonzabaro Australia E. J. Hennessey 64 S/S Air Japanese, aged 28, diving from Mr. E. J. Hennessey's pearling lugger “Keriri" near Darnley Island diving at 20 fathoms when his air lines became entangled. Discarded his helmet but dead when he got to the surface�. This is the first fatality of the season. The pearling fleet has been out only four days. Reported in the Northern Times, Examiner etc
  29. 1936 6 4 Williams Roy Australia S/S Air PARALYSED DIVER. DARWIN, Wednesday. Roy Williams, the pearlshell diver, who was suspended for four days in diving dress in Darwin Harbour for diver's paralysis, was taken today to Darwin Hospital, where he will undergo different treatment. Williams was becoming weak from his exhausting treatment. He was paralysed below the waist, but he is now able to move his toes, and is given some chance of making a good recovery. If necessary, he will be staged again when he regains his strength. Reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, NSW
  30. 1936 6 14 Wakino Yasujiro Japan S/S Air Akashi diver, had spent 20 hours a day in the water off Higashidecho, Kobe, for 14 days in an attempt to treat decompression illness. "…making good progress so much so that the doctor allowed him a little rice and beef on June 13. On the following day he was able to walk. While in the water the same afternoon, however, he complained of feeling bad again. He was again taken out of the water. By the evening he was unconscious, and he finally died". Straits Times
  31. 1936 7 8 Not Recorded Spain S/S Air Newspaper headline "Octopus Seizes Diver". "A diver working on the seabed near Tarragona was attacked by an enormous octopus. He signalled frantically to be brought to the surface and was helped into the boat with the octopus clinging to him. It was killed by a boatman'. Straits Times
  32. 1936 7 11 Kumanoto Tokeo Australia E. J. Hennessey 29 S/S Air “DEATH OF JAPANESE DIVER�. BRISBANE, Sunday, - Tho pearling lugger ‘Keriri’ reached Thursday Island yesterday, with the body of a Japanese diver, Tokeo Kumanoto (28), who died while working in16 fathoms of water at Whappo Reef. The cause of his death was heart and lung trouble. He evidently felt an attack coining on, and discarded his helmet in an effort to reach the surface, but the pressure of water was too great, and he was dead when he came to the top. Reported in the Advocate, Burnie, Tas.
  33. 1936 7 22 Sakai K Australia Gregory & Co. 29 S/S Air "Diver Drowned. Whale Fouls Pipeline". "K. Sakai, head diver of Gregory and Co.'s pearling fleet, lost his life when he was below water 90 miles south of Broome. His air pipe was fouled buy a whale and torn out at the coupling in the diving helmet, thus allowing water to enter the diving dress. When he was hauled aboard, he was dead. Sakai and another diver were working in 16 fathoms near a place where two whales had been seen before the divers went below. One whale fouled the line of Sakai's companion but got free and then fouled Sakai's line. This is the first fatality caused by a whale among the Broome pearling fleet. Whales are numerous this season off the North West Coast". Reported in the Sydney Morning Herald
  34. 1936 8 5 Not Recorded Australia 40 S/S Air "Two Japanese Divers Drown When Boat Drifts" Two divers working in only helmets, corselets and flannels signalled to the tenders to slacken the air pipe to enable them to gather shell. When no further signals were received, the crew hauled up the lines the helmets came up without the divers. It is believed that the divers were following the common practice of taking off their helmets to gather shell and that the boat had drifted too far, carrying the helmets beyond the reach of the divers. The fleet spent some considerable time searching for their bodies, but without success. 5 deaths from paralysis are reported to have occurred recently among the divers of the Japanese fleet which is extimated to comprise of more than 70 boats. Reported in the Central Queensland Herald
  35. 1936 11 8 Seko Masao Australia Streeter & Male 26 S/S Air “DIVER'S DEATH. Once again the hazards of diving for pearl shell was tragically demonstrated when Messrs. Streeter and Male's pearling lugger ''Donna Francis" arrived in Darwin at seven o'clock on Monday morning bringing in the body of Masoa Seko, a Japanese, who was the second diver on the vessel. At the time of the occurrence, the divers were working in 12 to 14 fathoms, on grounds about 60 miles off Bathurst Island, which is a comparatively shallow depth for such work. After the diver's collapse was discovered his ship mates staged him for 12 hours but death took place on Sunday at I a.m. The vessel then headed for Darwin arriving as stated above. The body was immediately, conveyed to the morgue, where it was viewed by the Doctor and Coroner. At the inquest held this morning the Coroner's (Mr. G. J. Pigott, S M.) verdict was ‘I find that Masao Seko, a Japanese employed by the firm of Streeter and Male, Master Pearlers, of Darwin, died on the lugger ''Donna Francis Boo'’ at sea in the vicinity of Bathurst Island on 8th November, 1936 from diver's paralysis sustained in the ordinary course of his employment diving for pearl shell, and that his death was not due to negligence on the part of his tender, nor of any member of the crew of the lugger, nor on the part of the firm of Streeter and Male aforesaid, nor by reason of faulty dress, equipment and or gear at the time of the fatality. The deceased was born at Wakayamaken, Japan, and has been in the Commonwealth for a period of two years. He was 21 years of age�. Reported in the Northern Standard
  36. 1936 11 10 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air Pearl diver out of Darwin, reported as “15th death recently�. No details
  37. 1937 1 2 Not Recorded Australia Celebes Trading Co S/S Air Two divers drowned when waterspouts swampeds pearling boat. "Two divers drowned. While the pearling fleet of the Celebes Trading Co was fishing off the SouthEast corner of the Aru Islands, four waterspouts suddenly formed close to the fleet which were trailing slowly. The boats steeered away from the danger but the waterspouts suddenly changed direction and all fout converged into one big waterspout. This giant waterspout engulfed one vessel, the Arcadia, which foundered, and two Malay divers were drowned. Another boat canted over at a dangerous angle, but a second waterspout struck her and drove her upwards again". The Cairns Post.
  38. 1937 3 23 Yamada Kiachichi Australia Gregory 29 S/S Air Aged 52, diving off the lugger D36 'Red Bill' at the Goulburn Island Pearling beds. (Had replaced the former number 2 diver on the vessel who died of fever two weeks earlier). At the Inquest on the Japanese diver, Kiahichi Yamada, a verdict of death from asphyxia, due to drowning was returned by the Coroner, Mr. G. J. Pigott From the evidence given it appeared that Yamada had been down once that morning, and, after a spell of about 20 minutes, went down for a second trip. He mentioned that the water was very dirty, and he had to lie down to gather shell, so he asked for a slack life-line. About half an hour after his second descent, his tender got an urgent signal to 'haul up,' Quickly followed by a second urgent signal, so the tender called for help to haul Yamada up as quickly as possible. He came up, feet first but was quickly righted, and guided to the ladder, where the helmet was removed. He then appeared to be dead, but his suit was cut off him immediately, and artificial respiration tried for about an hour, but without success. As the body was growing cold, It was placed in the cabin and covered with rugs, but when all hope was abandoned, it was sewn up in canvas, and the lugger made all speed to Darwin, which was reached about two days later. The doctor who performed the post mortem said that the body was much decomposed, but it was evident that death was due to asphyxia, probably caused by drowning. The second tender, who was in charge of Yamada said that when the suit was cut off him it was found to be half full of water, and when they tried to revive him, water came from his mouth. The inquest was adjourned for a while to permit of the production of the suit the dead diver had worn and also to obtain the services of Mr. David Carruth, whose long and varied experience of diving made his evidence of the greatest value In this case. A diver showed how the suit was worn, and Mr. Carruth explained the uses of It, and the method of controlling air inlets and outlets On examining the dead diver's suit, it was discovered that the rubber cuff had a long tear In It and It was then evident that the water had entered the suit through this tear, so that when the diver capsized, either through stumbling into a hollow on the ocean bed, or through over-balancing owing to the weight of the pearl shell be had gathered, the air rushed to the bottom part of the suit (that now was upper most) and the water filled the helmet and corselet, thus drowning the diver. What the tender had mistaken for urgent signals, to haul up must have been the last struggles of the diver in his dying agony. Reported in the Townsville Daily Bulletin, Qld.
  39. 1937 5 9 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air “Mysterious Monster Feared By Divers�. Darwin, May 11. “A mysterious monster has added to the grim toll of the sea among pearl divers with the Japanese fleets. It devoured a diver on the seabed, lugger crews believe, and it has struck terror into their hearts. Crews returning today from beds north of Echo Island told how it devoured the diver and his heavy gear in one vicious attack. The first intimation the lugger's crew had of the tragedy on the seafloor was a rending tug on the diver's airline. Then – slowly - the lines floated ominously to the surface. Gone was the diver and also his heavy metal diving helmet. Next morning, the sole clue to the tragedy, a few remnants of clothing, floated on the surface. The grim toll of the sea steadily mounts. Seven Japanese divers have been lost in seven weeks. Most have died from paralysis.. Reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner, WA. (This incident was not reported in the American press until mid August)
  40. 1937 5 9 Minamie Masaji Australia S/S Air Returning crews sailed into Darwin to-day for the funeral rites of Masaji Minaraie, a Thursday Island diver. He died at the Echo Island beds, another paralysis victim. Reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner, WA. (This incident was not reported in the American press until mid August)
  41. 1937 5 10 Minami Masaji Australia S/S Air "Diver Drowns" 6 Pearling luggers arrived in Darwin with flags at half mast,with the lugger 'Medlar' bearing the body of a 28 year old Japanese pearl diver. The fleet had breen working round the English Company's islands and had intended returning to Thursday Island but the winds were adverse so had made for Darwin instead. The man was an experienced diver when using a full suit but was learning to dive with a helmet and corselet only. The crew believe that he made some mistake as the lifeline fouled a buoy and he was drowned before any assistance could reach him. The loss to each lugger attending the funeral is estimated at fully £200. One diver a week is being lost on overseas luggers on average. Reported in the Albury Banner and Wodonga Express, NSW.
  42. 1937 5 20 Sakamoto Keniko or Kinicho Australia Bowden Pearling Company 37 S/S Air "A Japanese lugger brought into Darwin the body of Keniko Sakamoto, aged 25, a diver who was drowned by the bursting of the air pipe when he was working at 20 fathoms. This is the tenth fatality this season amongst divers working the pearling grounds northwest of the Liverpool river". Reported in the Worker, Brisbane.
  43. 1937 7 9 Not Recorded Australia Topsides "News reached Darwin today that the mother ship of the Japanese pearling fleet, the 'Sanyo Maru", foundered in 14 or 15 fathoms of water off the North Australian coast about 15 miles from the mouth of the Liverpool river during a terrific squall. The purser and a diver were drowned but other members of the crew managed to get ashore. The luggers in the field have ceased work and are concentrating on salvage work as the vessel carries shell worth £42,000. Reported in the Canberra Times.
  44. 1937 8 0 Not Recorded Australia 64 S/S Air Pearling lugger out of Darwin, diving to 35 fathoms of Elcho Island, had been down 20 minutes when there was a vigorous tug on the lines they floated to the surface, no sign of diver, helmet boots etc. . Reported that a few fragments of clothing were seem floating on the surface the day after. Presumed to be an attack of “a 'white death' shark. Same article refers to this being the 7th diver fatality in the previous few weeks with the other fatalities being put down to 'diver's paralysis'. The Milwaukee Journal. This a duplicate/later report of the death of a Jaopanese diver in early May.
  45. 1937 8 19 Sakai Australia “A Whale caused the death of pearl diver who was working underwater some 90 miles south of Broome says Reuters, from Perth, Western Australia. Sakai, head diver...� No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Aberdeen Journal/The British Newspaper Archive. Is this a duplicate/alternative report of the death reported August 1937 from a shark attack?
  46. 1937 9 7 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air "Divers left to Drown", "Divers Drowned. Vessel caught fire". News of the death of three Japanese divers in the Arafura sea was brought to Darwin today. Three divers on the Dai Nippon Maru were at work on the ocean bed when the lugger's compressor burst. The lugger caught fire at such a rate that the divers could not be brought up before the crew had taken to the lifeboats. They were left to their fate". Reported in the Northern Star.
  47. 1937 10 27 Bell James Australia Commonwealth Film Pty 9 S/S Air “DEATH OF DIVER. Tragic Circumstances�. CAIRNS. October 27. “James Bell, aged 39 employed as a diver for Commonwealth Film (Pty.) died suddenly at Green Island this afternoon, while engaged on film operations (They were filming 'Typhoon Tresure"). He was in a diving suit, being filmed in about 30 feet of water. As no replies to signals were received, he was immediately pulled to the surface. On removing the helmet, he was found to be dead. The body was brought to Cairns on the Yarrabah comission launch. As far as can be ascertained, his only relative, Mrs. Fowkes, supposed to be his mother, is at Wattleglen, Victoria. Reported in the Townsville Daily Bulletin, Qld. NB 'Typhoon Treasure' is a 1938 Australian adventure film directed by Noel Monkman set in New Guinea although shot on the Great Barrier Reef and the Queensland coast. It was Monkman's first dramatic feature film after several years making documentaries. The plot involves Alan Richards as the sole survivor of a pearling lugger which has been shipwrecked on Pakema Reef during a typhoon. He sets out to recover some pearls which went missing in the wreck, crossing through the jungle and fighting headhunters. While filming underwater scenes on Green Island in October, one of the divers, James Bell, died of myocarditis. Bruce Cummings, who was in charge of underwater photography, went down in a diving cylinder, followed a few minutes later by Bell, who was his assistant. A few minutes later Cummings noticed something was wrong with Bell. When they brought him to the surface he was dead. An inquest was later held which found no negligence
  48. 1937 12 0 Nohl Max USA 128 S/S Mixed Gas First deep dive using a heliox mixture and DESCO gear (Developed by Diving Equipment and Salvage Company set up in Winsconsin by divers Max Nohl and Jack Browne with hyperbaric physiologist Edgar End) in Lake Michigan
  49. 1937 12 16 Stroud Fred UK S/S Air "Diver's Death. Engaged on operations off the Devon Coast, Mr Fred Stroud, diver employed on the salvage steamer 'Ophir' which has been…" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Western Morning news/The British Newspaper Archive
  50. 1938 0 0 Nohl Max USA DESCO 31 Saturation Max Nohl and Dr. Edgar End spent 27 hours at 101' in a decompression chamber at Milwaukee Hospital, after a 5 hour decopression, Max Nohl has a DCI.
  51. 1938 3 28 Granter Jake USA Standard Oil Company 30 S/S Air Aged 59, described as the chief underseas diver for the Standard Oil Company diving to locate a chain lost from the taqnker 'R. H. Hanna', was struck down by the bends, transferred from san Luis Obispo to Oakland by air ambulance, placed in a decompression chamber onboard the US submarine rescue ship 'Chewink' at the Mare Island navy yard. Was pressed to 125' and then gradually decompressed. He recovered consciousness but died shortly after from 'sudden cardiac failure'. San Jose News.
  52. 1938 4 3 Fujii Tohikazu Australia Wyben Pearling Company 38 S/S Air Pearl Diver Killed When Coral Fouled Air Line. CAIRNS, Friday. — When his air line became fouled in a coral outcrop in 21 fathoms of water 10 miles from Darnley Island in Torres Strait, a Japanese diver, Tohikazu Fujii, 26, threw off his helmet, corselet, heavy boots and gloves. His dead body floated to the surface as another diver prepared to go down to free the air line. The tender was still pumping air into the discarded helmet. ' The story of the latest Barrier Reef tragedy was told by passengers in the Wandana, which called at Cairns yesterday. Fujil was number 2 diver in the Wyben Pearling Company's lugger ‘Panten’, pearling off Darnley Island on April 3. Fuji had been below for 25 minutes when the tender signaled him to rise. His reply was 'Wait a minute. Believing that he had come on a patch of shell, the tender continued pumping. Shortly afterwards the lifeline became taut, and the captain (Captain Jube Nakai), ordered another diver to go down and clear the line. As he was putting on his helmet Fujii's body came to the surface. He was placed in a diver's suit and taken 12 fathoms below and then brought up in stages over a period of 30 minutes. There was no sign of life when Fujii was hauled on board again, and the lugger immediately returned to Thursday Island, where a doctor certified that the man had died from diver's paralysis. The opinion of the other divers was that Fujil became panic stricken when he felt, the air line tighten and at tempted to rise without his suit. Reported in the Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Qld.
  53. 1938 6 28 Samarkos Manuel USA S/S Air Diver off the sponge vessel 'Elini' owned and operated by his brother, suffered appendicitis whilst diving, brought ashore and taken to hospital, but did not survive the operation. St Petersburg Times
  54. 1938 7 7 Mohamet Yusop bin Australia V. Kepert & Co. S/S Air “DIVING FATALITY. With its flag flying half-mast, the pearling lugger ‘Don Percival’ returned to port from the pearling beds on Friday evening with the body of Yusop bin Mohamet, 24, a Malay diver who had died from diver's paralysis. The lugger, which is owned by V.R. Kepert and Co., of Darwin, was operating 50 miles south-west of Bathurst Island. On Thursday, Mohamet, who was recovering from a previous attack of paralysis was, staged and recovered sufficiently to resume his duties as second diver. He went down and got a basket of shell. When he came on deck he complained of giddiness, a symptom of paralysis. He was staged for 15 minutes. Receiving no reply to his signals the, tender brought him on deck. He was dead. At the time of his death Mohamet was diving in corselet and helmet only, which dress is most favoured by divers�. Reported in the Northern Standard, Darwin, NT
  55. 1938 7 13 Okada Australia 37 S/S Air “JAPANESE DIVER IS SEIZED UNDER SEA. Dragged By Groper or Shark From Helmet in 20 Fathoms� DARWIN, Tuesday: “Dragged out of his helmet and corselet by a giant groper or shark, a Japanese diver named Okada, 25, was killed on the sea-floor more than 120 feet below the surface, near Bathurst Island. When the Japanese lugger ‘Zuiyo’ reached Darwin late last night with the flag flying half-mast Captain Nakashiba said that 21 divers scoured the seabed for hours after Okada's disappearance; but could find no trace of the missing man. Captain Nakashiba said that his vessel was pearling on the bed off Bathurst Island on Monday when the first diver, who had been using a full diving dress came to the surface, and said that he was suffering from paralysis. After being staged, or decompressed, he was not permitted to dive again and young Okada an apprentice went down. As with many Japanese divers, he refused to wear full diving dress, using only helmet and corselet, the lower part of his body being naked. He was lowered 20 fathoms to the bottom and commenced picking up shell. Twenty minutes later he signalled to be pulled up. He too, was suffering from diver's paralysis. He was, therefore, lowered back to be staged. Shortly afterwards it was noticed that the lifeline had gone slack. It was pulled up and only the helmet and corselet appeared above the surface. Other loggers in the vicinity were signalled to the scene, and 21 divers were sent down to search for Okada; It is believed that one of the giant groupers which slide along the sea floor seized Okada and dragged, him out of his helmet. Another theory is that he was taken by a shark, although experienced divers say that sharks are too timid to attack a diver�. Reported in the Goulburn Evening Penny Post, NSW
  56. 1938 8 18 Jackson Roy Australia S/S Air “Diver Recovering� MELBOURNE, Thursday. ‘Diver Roy Jackson (30), of Williamstown, who had a remarkable escape from death when he was trapped in the hold of the sunken ‘Kakariki’ |(Five people died when the steel steamer Kakariki collided with another steamer, the Caradale, off Williamstown at 11pm on January 29, 1937. The Kakariki sank within minutes and later salvage operations were hampered by the vessel being stuck in four metres of mud) yesterday afternoon, is recovering in Williamstown Hospital. Jackson was semi-conscious and suffering from the effects of paralysis when he was dragged to the surface. He will remain in hospital until early next week. Reported in The Advocate, Burnie, Tas
  57. 1938 8 24 Jotana Koheharu Australia Bowden Pearling Company 73 S/S Air 30 year old Japanese diver diving from the lugger Zamia for shell off Darnley Island in the Torres straits wearing only a helmet and corselet in 40 fathoms. His lifeline went limp and then he floated to the surface without helmet or corselet, recovered by dinghy, put back in his helmet and taken to 15 fathoms before being staged to the surface but failed to revive. "The opinion is expressed that Jotana may have been overcome by sickness during staging and was unable to keep a firm grasp of the lifeline which was the only secure means of remaining in the helmet and corselet. The cause of death was certified by the Government Medical Officer at Thursday Island to be diver's paralysis and asphyxia by drowning". Reported in The Western Australian, Perth.
  58. 1938 9 0 Geoghiou Nicholas Greece "Diver Killed by Octopus. Nicholas Georghiou, a sponge diver on the Greek island of Pephos, has been …" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Evening Telegraph/The British Newspaper Archive
  59. 1938 10 20 Slessor David Dunbar UK S/S Air "Diver drowned in Loch Long. Aberdeen man working on new bridge, resided at 67 Pittodrie Street, Aberdeen". "Father sees diver brought up dead, a father, at the shore end of a diver's lifeline at Dornie Bridge, ..." (Bridge was proposed as early as 1920 to improve the road west to Kyle of Lochalsh/Isle of Skye, opposed by people concerned it would ruin the views around Eilean Donan Castle a few hundred metres to the south, the Dornie bridge was eventually opened on 30th April 1940, it was replaced with a two lane structure in 1991) No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Aberdeen Journal/The British Newspaper Archive
  60. 1938 11 25 Kakishita Tetsuo Australia Morey & Co 33 S/S Air Japanese aged 20, diving from the pearling lugger 'Thelma' at Turu cay, 90 miles Northwest of Thursday Island, was diving in just Corselet and helmet (Not full dress), appears to have flooded his hemet and was pulled up and then staged for in water decompression for 11 hours but he died. The post mortem indicated cause of death as diver's paralysis and asphyxia by accidental drowning. Reported in the Courier-Mail, Brisbane.
  61. 1939 0 0 Not Recorded USA Chamber Vessel chamber, four divers had completed surface decompression using masks and O2 had built up inside the chamber. The compressor (oil lubricated) had left a thin film of oil on the inside of the chamber. When the attendent - who was smoking a cigar - opened the external door it initiated a fire. All four divers survived though there are no details of how severe their injuries were. Sheffield and Desautels “Hyperbaric and hypobaric Chamber fires, a 73 year analysis�, Undersea Hyperbaric Medicine, 1997, 24 (3): 153-164.
  62. 1939 2 18 Rene Emile Canada S/S Air Aged 63 from Vancouver, working on the Fraser river at Kanaka Landing (5 miles South of Lytton, B C) to recover a sunken barge owned by the Fraser Alluvial Gold Mining Company. At noon, the crew pulled on his lines but no response and he could not be pulled up, lines fouled. Rescue diver, Bert Walsh, was deployed and freed him, brought to the surface but dead. Reported that the diving gear was still in good working order and the suit dry. "A veteran of undersea adventures in the Americas, the Antipodes and the South Seas, had lived in Vancouver but moved to Venice, California, were his wife still lives, had returned to Vancouver to salvage the barge". The Vancouver Sun
  63. 1939 3 14 Tsutsui Tanaishi Australia Gregory & Co. S/S Air News from the North. BROOME. From our own correspondent. Broome, March. BROOME DIVER KILLED. Tanaishi Tsutsui (26), a Japanese diver, was accidentally killed on Tuesday. March 14, whilst engaged in pearl fishing operations on one of Gregory and Co's luggers off the Lacepe Islands, some 80 miles north of Broome. Tsutsui was a young married man whose wife is in Japan and who himself had been in Broome for the past six or seven years. A very large gathering of his confreres paid their last respects at a solemn and spectacular oriental funeral on Thursday March 16th. Reported in the Northern Times, WA.
  64. 1939 4 17 Shimizer Goroichi Australia Streeter and Male S/S Air “Diver's Death. POST-MORTEM AT BROOME�. Broome, April 18. “The schooner ‘Gerado’, owned by Messrs. Streeter and Male and under the control of the fleet manager, Mr. A. C. Morgan, left Broome on April 8 with a cargo for the fleet working in the vicinity of Wallal. When it arrived there a Japanese try diver, Goroichi Shimizer (about 31) relieved one of the fleet divers. At the end of four days Shimizer returned to the schooner and complained of a slight attack of paralysis. The schooner immediately set sail for Broome and anchored off the jetty on April 17, the diver having died at sunrise. The Coroner (Mr. E. S. Reynolds) ordered a post-mortem examination, which was carried out by the District Medical Officer (Dr. V. F. Donnelly). His finding was that death was due to pulmonary embolis, which is often mistaken to diver’s paralysis. Reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner, WA.
  65. 1939 5 28 Matromoto Torakichi Australia S/S Air “Diver Suffocated� PERTH, Monday.— “A message from Broome states that the Japanese sampan, ‘Arafura Maru No. 10’, arrived on Sunday with the body of Torakichi Hatromoto, 20, who, while fishing for pearlshell 17 miles off Wallal, fouled his air pipe in the ship's propeller�. Reported in The Courier Mail, Brisbane, Qld.
  66. 1939 6 1 HMS Thetis UK Military 45 Submarine The “Thetis� arrived in Liverpool in May 1939, sea trials started on 1st June in Liverpool Bay with a tug in attendance. 59 crew, 2 caterers plus an additional 44 men aboard, bringing the complement up to 103. The boat began a dive but refused to go down. After other attempts and making some adjustments, with no other vessels in sight, the Captain ordered some of the Torpedo Tubes to be flooded. This action was not entirely successful, and suspecting that one tube had failed to flood, a valve on the tube hatch was opened to check for water. Nothing came out, and assuming the outer tube door had jammed, the hatch was opened. The valve was faulty, it was fouled with paint, and rush of water began to flood the compartment. The Torpedo room crew retreated to the next compartment and closed the hatch but it failed to work and the men from both sections retreated into the next chamber and the hatch closed. With two bow sections flooded and at a steep angle, they blew all the boats ballast tanks. The submarines bow struck the bottom, 150 feet below, leaving 18 feet of the stern above the surface. The nearest escape hatch, was just 20 feet below the surface, but following standard practice, it was not used until the vessel had been located. But the surface tug had lost track of the Submarine and it took over 17 hours for the Destroyer " Brazen " to find them, but with an emergency supply of air for just 24 hours, the extra men on board used it up at twice the rate. With rescue vessels on hand, 8 men evacuated (four drowned) before the hatches failed and the stern flooded forcing the tugs to cast off. Thetis sank with her remaining 95 men trapped onboard. Bad weather followed, making any attempt at salvage impossible. Salvage stated on 24th August (a navy diver, PO Henry Perdue, died during the operation 24/8/1939). The Submarine was recovered and refitted as the “Thunderbolt�, but suffered heavy damage during a depth charge attack in the Mediterranean and sank in over 3,000 feet of water. The only Submarine to sink twice, she cost the lives of 152 Officers and men in total. UK press and navy archives
  67. 1939 7 13 Maeda Makota Australia S/S Air Japanese, aged 18, diving from the Japanese lugger Daikoku Maru off Bathurst island. Lugger out of Darwin. Became paralysed and appeared to recover somewhat but after 10 days bunk-ridden, collapsed and was brought into Darwin, transferred to hospital 'seriously ill'. Reported as the 9th Japanese diver to be stricken by diver's paralysis since the recently started season, the other 8 died. Reported in the Age. Later report|:- “DEATH OF DIVER. The 145 miles dash by the Japanese lugger ‘Kaikoku Maru’ to save the life of a young diver has been unsuccessful. Makota Maeda, 18, who was brought into Darwin on Monday morning suffering from diver's paralysis, died at the Darwin Hospital yesterday. He became paralysed on June 30, when diving in deep water 25 miles north of Bathurst Island. When he collapsed on the tenth day after giving signs of improvement, the lugger ceased fishing and made for Darwin at full speed. Maeda was immediately admitted to hospital, but he did not respond to treatment. "He is the ninth Japanese diver to succumb through diver's paralysis, this season�. Reported in The Northern Standard, Darwin, NT
  68. 1939 7 25 Masumoto Muneo Australia 24 S/S Air JAPANESE APPRENTICE DIVER'S FATE. Mystery surrounds the loss of Muneo Masumoto. 17, Japanese apprentice diver, whose Corselet and helmet attached to lines were found in 13 fathoms near Darnley Island on July 25. It is surmised that Masumoto was seized with convulsions from diver's paralysis and twisted himself out of his helmet and corselet. The boy descended 31 fathoms at first but found the tides too strong and was brought to the surface. He complained of numbness, but later descended again to 13 fathoms. Alter five minutes he failed to respond to signals, and the captain of the lugger descended and found only the helmet and corselet. Reported in The Advertiser, Adelaide, SA
  69. 1939 8 23 Purdue, RN PO Henry Otho UK Military 45 S/S Air Aged 33, Reported as 'dying of the bends' during the salvage of the "Thetis" (Sank during sea trials in Liverpool Bay on the 1st June 1939 with the loss of 99 personnel). Because of the war, at the time, the entire tragedy was largely hidden from the public.Left surface at 06:33, On bottom 06:35 (At the stern to examine the propeller), returned to surface at 07:15, put into chamber for surface decompression. Surfacing had bbeen delayed by around 5 minutes when was fouled on a grapnel on his downline. Reported that he was unconscious when in the decompression chamber. The medics further reported that his lungs wrre congested (Diseased) and this had prevented him decompressing properly, cause of death listed as Asphyxia due to lack of oxygen during decompression owing to the diseased condition of the lungs. Thetis Families Association, navy archives, Glasgow Herald
  70. 1939 8 27 Anderson Carl USA Topsides Diver, from Staten island, diver for a marine construction Company was drowned in an accident when he came up but water poured over him after he took his helmet off. New York Times
  71. 1939 9 23 Salile Ahmat bin Australia 37 S/S Air Malay Diver Killed. PERTH. Saturday. ‘While working In 20 fathoms of water 19 miles off shore from Anna Plains pearling grounds 180 miles south of Broome, a Malay pearl diver, Ahmat Bin Salile, 24, operating from a pearling lugger, was killed when the air pipe fouled on a coral reef. Reported in the Sunday Mail, Brisbane, Qld.
  72. 1940 1 24 Jackson Roy Australia 21 S/S Air “Diver's Condition Still Serious - Although still recorded as serious, the condition of Roy Jackson (31), diver, 33 Cross St, New Town, who is in the Royal Hobart Hospital, had much improved last night. Jackson, with another diver A. H. Trotter, was working 70 feet under the water on the construction work of the Derwent Bridge on the western shore on Wednesday when his air line became tangled and his air supply was cut off�. Reported in the Mercury Hobart
  73. 1940 4 3 Fijii Tosikuzu Australia 64 S/S Air Aged 26, pearl diver, youngest son of 8 sons and two daughters, lost his helmet, managed to ditch his boots and reach the surface but died from burst lungs, buried on Thursday Island (in a cemetary containing the bodies of 800 Japanese divers.) by his elder brother Tom who was diving just a 100 metres away but took 2 hours of in water decompression to reach the surface. The elder brother dived for pearls for 23 years until 1951 and had his own hoses cut by coral three times, luckily only at a depth of 11 fathoms and was hauled up each time, his helmet flooding, surviving by forcing his headback and breathing from the small air pocket at the top of the helmet. "A lot of divers died that way, the deck crews simply just didn't get them up before the air pocket ran out". There are reported to be a total of around 1,200 Japanese divers buried on the Tores Strait Islands. The Australian
  74. 1940 6 19 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air "Diver Injured. Diver Jackson, employed by the Timms Bridge Construction Co pty Ltd., Queen's Domain, was injured yesterday while at work below the water at the main abutment of the Hobart Bridge. The accident occurred about midday, and it is understood Jackson received a knock which caused slight concussion. It is expected he will be able to resume work in a few days". Reported in the Mercury, Hobart, Tas
  75. 1940 7 31 Whipple W. O. USA Aged 32, rigger/diver employed at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, sucked feet first into a 40' horizontal pipe, around two right angle bends and then down 35 ' through a 24� pipe on a dry dock. His helmet was ripped off, possible broken neck, it took two and a half hours to extract him from the pipe. (dive was to cap the outlet of the pipe on the new dry dock). Spokane Daily Chronicle
  76. 1940 8 11 Loy Wong Australia S/S Air Evidence given in Broome at the inquest into the death of a diver who died at sea 120 miles South of Broome. "What was believed to be a form of divers paralysis is really collapse caused by depletion of the natural salts of the body as a result of excesive perspiration while working at depth. The diver, after having complained of dizziness, was treated for what is known locally as 'half-caste paralysis'. The medical officer said that during the past 40 years many divers must have died from this complaint going on to explain that the symptoms were so similar those of actual diver's paralysis that the divers could not tell the difference with any ecrtainty". As a result of the evidence at this inquest, it is now thought that if divers drank salt liquid before the day's work, this would considerably assist in replacing the body chlorines and prevent collapse which are the symptoms usually preceeding death in these cases. Straits Times
  77. 1940 9 1 Maddison Steve Canada S/S Air Aged 70, "a diver for 32 years, met his death when he was sucked into the intake of a dam at the paper manufacturing town of Ocean Falls". Edmonton Journal
  78. 1940 9 19 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air “DEFECTIVE AIR PIPE BLAMED�. BROOME, Tuesday. “A finding that a leading diver, a young Kupanger, died at sea from asphyxia caused by the bursting of a defective air pipe, was returned by the Coroner (Mr. E. S. Reynolds) at an inquest. The Kupanger died on September 19 about 127 miles south of Broome, between Anna Plains and Wallal. The Coroner said that the air pipe, opened at a place where it had burst, showed that the canvas reinforcement was of distinctly defective manufacture�. Reported in the Daily News, Perth, WA.
  79. 1940 9 24 Passaris Emanuel USA S/S Air Greek, aged 60, sponge fishing out of Tampa in the Gulf of Perry, no details
  80. 1940 10 10 Christian Captain George Parking Australia S/S Air Died on Norfolk Island (Australia territory, Polynesia) at the age of 86. He was the great-grandson of Fletcher Christian, leader of the Bounty mutineers (1789), and himself one of the migrants from Pitcairn Island to Norfolk Island in 1856. His mother was a descendant of John Adams, one of the leaders of the colony of mutineers. Captain Christian went to sea at the age of 17, when he joined an American Whaler sailing to Massachusetts. He rose rapidly to officer’s rank and for 25 years his calling took him to places as far distant as the Antarctic and Bering Straits. For five years Captain Christian was engaged as marine diver for the Auckland Harbour Board, and he also undertook pearl diving in the Torres Straits. In the 1870s he served on several sailing ships on the New Zealand coast. The last time Captain Christian went to sea was in 1926, when, at the age 72, he commanded the 70-ton schooner ‘Resolution’, which brought fruit from Norfolk Island to Auckland. He was survived by a daughter. Evening Post, National Library of New Zealand.
  81. 1940 12 1 Not Recorded UK S/S Air "Fife diver drowned at work. Strenuous but unavailing efforts were made to save a diver whose life-line…" …" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Dundee Courier/The British Newspaper Archive. Same diver as report for 13th December?
  82. 1940 12 13 Not Recorded UK S/S Air "How Fife diver met his death. Cut his air pipe when it fouled. Efforts to rescue a diver whose air pipe became fouled while he was …" No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Dundee Courier/The British Newspaper Archive Same death as reported 1st November?
  83. 1941 3 6 Tawn RN, DSM, BEM AB Robert George UK Military S/S Air British, aged 24, Rendering Mines Safe (RMS) unit (Pre-Port Part 'P' groups). - DSM awarded for coolness, courage and resource when dealing with a magnetic mine in a tideway. Performed first underwater RMS attempt (GC mine in Poole harbour) in 42 feet of water from Vernon echo-sounding yacht Esmeralda 14 Jun 1940. Mine exploded while being towed ashore by fishing boat. BEM awarded for gallant conduct and devotion to duty. Clearance diver with 'P' (Port Party) from HMS Vernon when killed in Falmouth inner harbour whist trying to defuse an unexploded parachute land-mine dropped by the Luftwaffe. Diving from a boat towed by 'The Mouse', a small motor launch fitted with a Hotchkiss propulsion unit (No Propeller). 5 or 6 other men also died in the explosion - Lt. JF Nicholson, PO Benham, RB Sutherland (another clearance diver whose body was never recovered), AB Wharton and one or two others, 5 of whom are buried in Falmouth Cemetery. MCDOA archives
  84. 1941 3 6 Sutherland RN, BEM Sub Lt. Reginald Bruce UK Military S/S Air RN Clearance diver with 'P' (Port Party) from HMS Vernon, killed in Falmouth inner harbour whist trying to defuse an unexploded parachute land-mine dropped by the Luftwaffe. Diving from a boat towed by 'The Mouse', a small motor launch fitted with a Hotchkiss propulsion unit (No Propeller). His body was never found. 5 or 6 other men also died in the explosion (Lt. JF Nicholson, PO Benham, AB Tawn (Clearance Diver) , AB Wharton and one or two others, 5 of whom are buried in Falmouth Cemetery. MCDOA archives
  85. 1941 4 2 Muthuraja Muthuswamy India Aged 40, resident of Srirangam, working locally in Tiruchchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, inside a well with four others, died of electric shock from a pump in the well at the Kambarasam Pettai Municipal water works. The others received mild shocks and survived. The Indian Express
  86. 1941 4 5 Not Recorded Uruguay Military S/S Air "Graf Spee divers trapped in wreck. Three British divers have lost their lives while working on the wreck of the sunken Nazi pocket…" (The Graf Spee was scuttled off Montevideo on the 19th December 1939 in 11 metres water depth. She was partially broken up in 1942-1943 though parts of the wreck are still visible above the water. Salvage operations contined post 2004 as the wreck is considered a hazard to shipping) No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Portsmouth Evening News/The British Newspaper Archive
  87. 1941 4 5 Martin L. W. Singapore Topsides One of two divers (The second was A. O. Griffeth) who were killed with 20 others when the 300 ton mooring vessel 'Buffalo' struck a mine. The vessel was going out to salvage a submerged aircraft that had crashed in the vicinity of a minefield. The explosion caused the vessel to break in two amidships, the stern sank in within two minutes, the entire ship within four minutes. Straits Times.
  88. 1941 4 5 Griffeth A. O. Singapore Topsides One of two divers (The second was L. W. Martin)who were killed with 20 others when the 300 ton mooring vessel 'Buffalo' struck a mine. The vessel was going out to salvage a submerged aircraft that had crashed in the vicinity of a minefield. The explosion caused the vessel to break in two amidships, the stern sank in within two minutes, the entire ship within four minutes. Straits Times
  89. 1941 6 20 Leba Ratoe Australia V. J. Clarke S/S Air Described as a Koepang diver aged about 30, working off the lugger 'Donna Matilda' west of Bathurst Island, had been in around 15 minutes when they brought him to the surface, 'staging' him for 10 minutes. He was sick when he surfaced so the crew put him back in to 10 fathoms and left him there for two hours. When they brought him up his head had shrunk down through the neck of the divers suit. "He was dead". Reported in the Northern Standard, Darwin, NT.
  90. 1941 7 26 Tesei Major Teseo Malta Military Submarine Italian human torpedo attack on Valletta harbour resulted in the death of one of the co-founders (With Major Elios Toschi) of the human torpedo unit of the Italian Navy (1 Flottiglia Mezzi d'Assalto) founded in 1938, re-organised in 1940 as the Decima Flottiglia MAS (10th light Flotilla of Assault Craft).
  91. 1941 8 26 Grieve David UK S/S Air "Inspector gives life for diver. Two dead in docks mishap. Two lives were lost in a diving accident at the docks yesterday. Victims were David Grieve (aged 31)..." "Died trying to save trapped diver. Detective inspector W. Stewart of Methil, Fifeshire, gave up his life in a vain bid to save…" or "Cupar dver honoured in recognition of his gallantry in repeated attempts to save a fellow diver from drowning in methil docks. John....." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Western daily Press/The British Newspaper Archive
  92. 1941 11 24 Shimizu Ischma Australia 57 S/S Air "Japanese Diver Dies". Brisbane, Tuesday. "Although his mates lowered him into the sea three times in an effort to ward off diver's paralysis, Isthma Shimizu (32), a Japanese diver, died while suspended 120 feet below the surface 30 miles from Darnley Island, Torres Straits. The Hobart Mercury, Tas. Another reports says: "Shimizu had been working at a depth of 31 fathoms for an hour and a half, and had sent up 3 baskets of pearl shell before being hauled to the surface. He was held for 40 minutes at 24 fathoms to avoid the effects of a sudden change in the pressure, but when he reached the deck of the boat he complained of pains in the hips, and later, at his own request, he was lowered to 25 fathoms for 6 hours. When he was brought to the surface again it was seen that he was losing the use of his legs, so he was lowered to 20 fathoms. He did not respond to a signal from the tender, and another diver descended and found him dead". The Argus, Melbourne, Vic
  93. 1942 0 0 Not Recorded USA Military S/S Air After the bombing of pearl harbour, 7th December 1941, it was estimated that the Navy and civilian divers spend about 20,000 hours underwater in about 5000 dives on major salvage operations lasting over two years. Two divers died on operations cutting into the wreck of the Arizona (referred to as 'due to air pockets' but probably underwater oxy arc explosions, TC) and after consultation with relatives it was decided not to attempt to recover any more bodies 'Enough were dead, it wasn't right to risk any more lives' and she remains a war grave. They removed parts of the superstructure and some guns, but the hulk still lies where she sank, atop the wreck is a white marble monument (Fund raising was pushed by Elvis Presley) The Arizona monument is widely reported, the deaths of the two divers was reported in the Deseret News in 1963. (As far as I can tell, these divers actually died in 1941/1942 during initial salvage operations. TC) No other details of the divers or other diving incidents.
  94. 1942 4 18 Hamilton Bernard O USA 6 S/S Air Aged 32, trapped under mud and fallen pilings in Chesapeake Bay for 9 hours, rescued by Navy divers, unhurt except for minor leg injuries.
  95. 1942 8 0 Not Recorded UK Military Submarine RN Base HHZ on Loch Cairnbawn, a British Navy diver died during training with the Mark I Chariot. No details. Wikipedia and other sources
  96. 1942 8 13 Freeman Lt. James Stewart USA Military S/S Air Helmet came off and he drowned, no details, Chicago Tribune
  97. 1942 11 9 Preston Arthur Edward Australia Chamber “Clothes Burn Under Water� SYDNEY, Tuesday. “In addition to severe burns from which he died 33-year-old diver Arthur Edward Preston was suffering also from severe cramps of muscles when he was raised from the bed of the Hawkesbury River yesterday. Cramps were due to emergency steps taken to raise him from the deep pressure of the water. Preston, who lived in Campbell Street, Gosford, had been lowered in an airlock diving chamber when it is believed smouldering embers from his pipe set fire to his clothes. Before he could be raised his clothing had been burned off and his body was scarred from head to knees. It was not until workmates saw smoke arising that they suspected that something alarming had happened�. Reported in the Daily News, Perth, WA
  98. 1942 11 12 Davis Owen USA Merrit and Chapman S/S Air American, aged 26 or 28, diving in Newtown Creek (leak in an oil pipe crossing the creek), long island,'Lost helmet'. Son of Captain W. N. Davis, US Navy Salvage Corps. 'Helmet Lost. Diver dies' New York Times Pay per view
  99. 1942 12 8 Visintini Lt Licio Gibraltar Military Submarine Three Italian Navy divers were killed by depth charges by British harbour defences at Gibraltar during an attack by “Human Torpedoes� from a mother ship (the ‘Olterra’). Among the dead were Lt Licio Visintini, commander of the torpedo unit, Petty Officer Giovanni Magro and Sergeant Salvatore Leone, from Sicily. Sgt. Leone's body was never found, he was awarded the Medaglia d'oro al Valor Militare and a memorial was erected in the Community Gardens in Taormina (his home town in Sicily) on the 50th anniversary of the attack. The memorial includes a rebuilt torpedo ('maiale', Italian for 'pig', a reference to it's poor handling) and a description of the events. Wikipedia and other historical sources
  100. 1942 12 8 Magro PO Giovanni Gibraltar Military Submarine Three Italian Navy divers were killed by depth charges by British harbour defences at Gibraltar during an attack by “Human Torpedoes� from a mother ship (the ‘Olterra’). Among the dead were Lt Licio Visintini, commander of the torpedo unit, Petty Officer Giovanni Magro and Sergeant Salvatore Leone, from Sicily. Sgt. Leone's body was never found, he was awarded the Medaglia d'oro al Valor Militare and a memorial was erected in the Community Gardens in Taormina (his home town in Sicily) on the 50th anniversary of the attack. The memorial includes a rebuilt torpedo ('maiale', Italian for 'pig', a reference to it's poor handling) and a description of the events. Wikipedia and other historical sources
  101. 1942 12 8 Leone Sgt Salvatore Gibraltar Military Submarine Three Italian Navy divers were killed by depth charges by British harbour defences at Gibraltar during an attack by “Human Torpedoes� from a mother ship (the ‘Olterra’). Among the dead were Lt Licio Visintini, commander of the torpedo unit, Petty Officer Giovanni Magro and Sergeant Salvatore Leone, from Sicily. Sgt. Leone's body was never found, he was awarded the Medaglia d'oro al Valor Militare and a memorial was erected in the Community Gardens in Taormina (his home town in Sicily) on the 50th anniversary of the attack. The memorial includes a rebuilt torpedo ('maiale', Italian for 'pig', a reference to it's poor handling) and a description of the events. Wikipedia and other historical sources
  102. 1942 12 31 Submarine P-311 Sardinia Military Submarine HMS P311, only unnamed T-class submarine (Was due to have been named "Tutenkhamen"). Fitted to carry 2 human torpedoes (Chariots). Lost while engaged in Operation Principle, a chariot attack on Italian cruisers at La Maddalena. Left Scotland in November 1942 with sister-boats Thunderbolt and Trooper after addition of human torpedo deck-mounted watertight containers direct for Malta. From there, sailed with two (Or three, accounts differ) Chariots (10 charioteers) for Operation Principle. Last signal on 31st December. Probably sunk by Italian mines in the approaches to Maddalena. Lost with all 80+ hands
  103. 1942 12 31 Stretton-Smith, RNVR Lt. S Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  104. 1942 12 31 Sargent, RNVR Sub-Lt. J Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  105. 1942 12 31 Rickwood, RN M Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  106. 1942 12 31 Revethan B Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  107. 1942 12 31 Pridham, RN P Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  108. 1942 12 31 Mappleback, RN R Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  109. 1942 12 31 Kerr, RN Lt. K Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  110. 1942 12 31 Goss, RN Sub.Lt G Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  111. 1942 12 31 Bonnell, RCNVR, DSC Lt. G Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  112. 1942 12 31 Anderson, RN R Sardinia Military Submarine One of 10 divers trained in the use of the Mark I chariots at the HHZ training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland) who boarded the 'T' class submarine P-311 with their chariots in Malta to undertake operation 'Principle', an attack on shipping in the Port of Maddalena (Sardinia). Last signal was on the 31st December as the submarine approached Sardinia. Probably sunk by a mine, submarine was reported as lost at sea with all hands. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  113. 1943 0 0 SCUBA France SCUBA Jacues Cousteau and Emile Gagnan develop the first 'demand valve' laying the way for the developmet of the 'Aqualung' and modern SCUBA gear.
  114. 1943 1 0 Not Recorded Sicily Military Submarine Operation "Principal" HMS P311 (Sunk with all hands and 10 diver/charioteers) was to attack Sardinia, HMS Trooper and HMS Thunderbolt were to attack vessels off Palermo (Sicily), one charioteer died during the Palermo attack. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  115. 1943 6 0 Not Recorded UK Military Chariot Reported that at the training base on Loch Cairbawn (Scotland), a charioteer died in an accident. No details. Underwater Trust, Wikipedia etc
  116. 1943 6 6 Novak Philip John USA Military American navy diver aged 24, died after a torpedo severed his lifeline, diving operations off Gould island, near Newport
  117. 1943 6 11 Isnor Oswald Canada Article relating to the award of a George Medal and two posthumous commendations for brave conduct to Canadian civilians. "Commendation - Oswald Isnor of Halifax, chief diver on a salvage ship, who was killed while helping to salvage a "very large and valuable cargo of rubber tires" from a grounded ship'. Reported in the Edmonton Journal in June 1943
  118. 1943 6 24 Moore Louise USA WOMAN DIVER. Louise Moore, 21-year-old Jacksonville (USA) girl, has a war job that is probably unique for a woman-that of a diver engaged in the work of salvaging sunken ships. "There is nothing to worry about in deep-sea diving if the diver is careful," she explained. "And it certainly is a thrilling occupation!� Her first salvage dive, at Cocoa, Fla., was a two-hour Inspection of a sunken freighter. "That would have been just routine work," she said, 'except that four huge tiger sharks insisted on sticking around and watching me. They kept circling around me the entire time until I neared the surface. At times they were so close I could have put out my hand and touched them-but I didn't." The feminine diver said they made no move to attack her and she was confident they wouldn't. Other sharks and other fish, big and little, watch her as she goes about her job of salvaging. She began professional diving at the age of 15. Prior to the war, however, her experience was limited to inspection work and the recovering of lost articles. She prefers salvaging to all types of diving. Miss Moore believes that she and her sister, Mrs. Fannie Peterson, 23, also of Jacksonville, are the only working professional divers in the United States. Their father worked at that profession for for many years, and two older brothers, Warren and William, have many diving years to their credit. A younger brother, Stanley, worked with Louise in Cocoa, Fla., in the recent salvage of a large British freighter that was sank off the coast after being torpedoed by a Nazi submarine. Reported in The Northern Miner, Charters Towers, Qld.
  119. 1943 9 15 Lydan Cpl. J. H. Australia Military 6 Diver Rescues Troops' Beer. SYDNEY, Wed— When the weekly beer ration of an anti-aircraft unit in a remote North-Western area fell into 20 feet of water, the troops gave it up far lost, but the fortuitous passing of a diver saved it. Diving to the bottom, Cpl. J. H. Lydan, of Sydney, located the case and brought it to shore. Lydan and Sgt. G. Urquhart, of Turramurra, are the first Australian soldiers to qualify at a Navy diving school. They are attached to an Army water transport unit. Reported in The Daily News, Perth.
  120. 1943 10 0 Dumas Frederic France 64 SCUBA During 1943 Cousteau with Philippe Tailliez and Dumas make over 500 dives off the South of France using the 'aqualung' with Dumas reaching 210' feet in October
  121. 1943 12 0 Not Recorded USA Military 3 S/S Air Naval diver, Deep Sea Diving School, Washington Naval base, training tank, welding, apparently electrocuted, only reported case of USN diver electrocution (Article by Robert Murray, US Naval Sea Systems Command).
  122. 1944 0 0 Not Recorded Egypt Military S/S Air RN Salvage diver, inspection/repair of cruiser ASDIC dome, dropped off down line and sank a reported 40 extra feet, giant squeeze (pushed into helmet by differential pressure) and died instantly. Reported in “Ordeal by Water� a description of WWII Salvage operations, by South African Lt-Cmdr Peter Keeble RN.
  123. 1944 1 21 Franklin Bernard UK S/S Air DIVER'S HEROISM. LONDON, Tuesday (A.A.P.). – “A depth charge, which fell from a seaplane in the fairway of a seaplane base was set to explode at a certain depth, and there was grave danger that as the tide rose the depth charge would explode, causing considerable damage to the base and aircraft and nearby ship ping. Bernard Franklin, who though officially a wireman is also a qualified diver, immediately went clown to search for the depth charge, which was located after 45 minutes and hoisted aboard. While he was working, the tide was rising, and any minute he might have been blown up if the charge had detonated. Franklin is awarded the British Empire Medal�. Reported in the Examiner, Launeston, Tas
  124. 1944 3 11 McKenzie George Wight UK S/S Air Aged 35, working in a diving bell at the bottom of the Clyde, killed in an explosion attributed to marsh gas from the silt at the bottom of the river, double fatality with George McCann, Inquest recorded a verdict of "Death by drowning in the river Clyde after an explosion" The Glasgow Herald
  125. 1944 3 11 McCann George UK S/S Air Aged 38, working in a diving bell at the bottom of the Clyde, killed in an explosion attributed to marsh gas from the silt at the bottom of the river, double fatality with George Wight McKenzie, Inquest recorded a verdict of "Death by drowning in the river Clyde after an explosion" The Glasgow Herald
  126. 1944 6 6 Not Recorded France Military From the Obituary of Lt Cmdr Robbie Robinson:- “As a member of a landing craft obstruction clearance unit, Petty Officer Robinson had the task of opening a path through the booby-trapped obstacles on the beaches below the high water mark. This meant defusing improvised and unfamiliar deadly explosives on the shore and underwater while being sniped at and sprayed with machine-gun fire. The unexpectedly heavy surf made his task all the more tiring, but after opening an initial path his team had cleared a gap in the enemy defences 1,000yds by 400yds by the end of the first day. Eventually, he helped to clear more than 2,500 obstacles. Two other naval divers were killed during these operations and 10 injured. Robinson himself was knocked out when six feet underwater by an explosion that left him paralysed for several hours. A Royal Engineer working close by was killed outright, but Robinson was saved by a specially designed Kapok jacket under his diving suit. Although he was left with back trouble ever after, he returned to work on the beaches and harbour of Cherbourg a couple of days later�. Reported in the Telegraph (UK).
  127. 1944 7 28 White Peter Australia Harbor Trust S/S Air “RESOURCEFUL DIVER. Peter White, of Lyons steet, Harbor Trust diver, during the week captured a giant sunfish by pushing a boathook down its throat and then roping it. The fish was hoisted with a crane�. Williamstown Chronicle, Vic
  128. 1944 8 25 Johnson John Paul Australia Topsides BROKE HIS NECK IN 5 FT. FALL. John Paul Johnson, 63, married, of Ferguson Road, Norman Park, a diver, was killed in a 5ft. fall at Borthwick's Meatworks Wharf, Queensport, Brisbane, yesterday. He struck some rocks when he fell, fractured his neck, and received a laceration on the head. He died instantly. Johnson, who was engaged in general repair work at the wharf, started work bracing the wharf planking at 7.30 a.m. yesterday, and was seen at 7.45 walking along a thrust pile. Reported in the Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Qld.
  129. 1944 10 13 Neller Horace UK Aged 62, :Diver died at work, adjusted air valves, signalled to…." No other details (Pay for access archive) Gloucester Citizen/The British Newspaper Archive
  130. 1945 2 17 Hammerberg B'suns mate 2nd class Owen Francis Patrick USA Military 12 S/S Air US Navy aged 24, post Pearl Harbour Salvage operations, awarded the medal of honour. His citation reads:- "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a diver engaged in rescue operations at West Loch, Pearl Harbor, 17 February 1945. Aware of the danger when 2 fellow divers were hopelessly trapped in a cave-in of steel wreckage while tunneling with jet nozzles under an LST sunk in 40 feet (12 m) of water and 20 feet (6.1 m) of mud. Hammerberg unhesitatingly went overboard in a valiant attempt to effect their rescue despite the certain hazard of additional cave-ins and the risk of fouling his lifeline on jagged pieces of steel imbedded in the shifting mud. Washing a passage through the original excavation, he reached the first of the trapped men, freed him from the wreckage and, working desperately in pitch-black darkness, finally effected his release from fouled lines, thereby enabling him to reach the surface. Wearied but undaunted after several hours of arduous labor, Hammerberg resolved to continue his struggle to wash through the oozing submarine, subterranean mud in a determined effort to save the second diver. Venturing still farther under the buried hulk, he held tenaciously to his purpose, reaching a place immediately above the other man just as another cave-in occurred and a heavy piece of steel pinned him crosswise over his shipmate in a position which protected the man beneath from further injury while placing the full brunt of terrific pressure on himself. Although he succumbed in agony 18 hours after he had gone to the aid of his fellow divers, Hammerberg, by his cool judgment, unfaltering professional skill and consistent disregard of all personal danger in the face of tremendous odds, had contributed effectively to the saving of his 2 comrades. His heroic spirit of self-sacrifice throughout enhanced and sustained the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country". Navydivers.net
  131. 1945 5 0 Mallows Gunners Mate First Class Earl Military Aged 26, "Diver killed in the line of duty" according to telegram from the Navy received by his family. No other details. The Nashua Telegraph (NH)
  132. 1945 8 7 Zetterstrom Arne Sweden Navy 160 S/S Mixed Gas SWEDISH DIVER KILLED ATTEMPTING RECORD DESCENT. London, August 8 (AAP) – “Arne Zetterstrom (27), a Swedish navy diver, holder of the deep sea record of 364 feet, was suffocated when ascending from a dive in which he attempted to set a new record of 525 feet. Zetterstrom made his record last December, breathing a mixture of air and hydrogen, largely eliminating the narotic effect of nitrogen�. Reported in the Cairns Post, Qld. Arne Zetterström (1917 – 7 August 1945), researcher into the breathing mixture hydrox for the Swedish Navy. Zetterström first described the use of hydrogen as a breathing gas in 1943. From 1943 to 1944, a total of six ocean dives were made utilizing this mixture with the deepest to 160 meters (96% hydrogen and 4% oxygen). On 7 August 1945, Zetterström experienced technical problems diving from the HMS Belos. His support divers misread his signals and this was followed by a rapid ascent that resulted in severe decompression sickness and hypoxia.
  133. 1945 9 8 Tate, RN PO George R Australia 12 S/S Air Aged 25, British, "Assisting the berthing of a large British aircraft carrier in Captain Cook graving dock (Elizabeth Bay, Sydney) when something went wrong with either the air pipes or his diving suit" Reported in The Advertiser, Adelaide.
  134. 1945 9 10 Cook RN PO George Robinson UK Military Aged 25, "Diver died in dock/Diver dies underwater/suffocated" No other details (Pay for access archive) Hull Daily Mail/Derby Daily Telegraph/Evening Telegraoh (Angus)/The British Newspaper Archive
  135. 1945 9 11 Not Recorded USA Military Chamber Brooklyn Navy Base, 2 divers died, one injured, possibly dead, during chamber training (simulated dive) onboard a Salvage vessel off Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Chamber fire reported as having been started by sparks from an overheating electric fan. Sheffield and Desautels “Hyperbaric and hypobaric Chamber fires, a 73 year analysis�, Undersea Hyperbaric Medicine, 1997, 24 (3): 153-164.
  136. 1945 10 4 Davis Basil USA 9 S/S Air Aged 42, from Chicago, working in the Mississippi River near Burlington (Iowa) laying a pipe along the river for the Municipial Water Company. Signalled to the surface for them to lower the piling hammer, stopped responding to signals at which stage another diver was sent to assist, apparently killed by the pile driver, broken neck, crushed chest. The Telegraph Herald, Dubuque, Iowa.
  137. 1945 11 19 Hamilton George Norman Australia RAN 15 S/S Air Balmoral Naval Base (Now HMAS Penguin) in Sydney Harbour, Navy diver drowned diving on an anchor near the Balmoral Naval Base. "Reached the seabed and then failed to respond to line signals". A second diver was sent down and found him lying on the bottom, recovered to surface and taken to the navy base where a doctor said he had been dead for several minutes. Air hose had been severed by the anchor he was working on. Sydney Morning Herald
  138. 1945 12 0 Dalley Joseph Papua New Guinea Navy Topsides “Two Survivors Of Perils Die� SYDNEY, Tuesday “Two Australian divers of the Commonwealth Salvage Board have lost their lives in the last month, but through all operations during the war and since not a man of the team of over 30 has been killed during diving operations. (Macka Graham, in India) Other diver to lose his life was Joseph Dalley, also of Melbourne. He was in the messroom of the salvage ship Cambrian Salvor in Rabaul making some toast when a detonator from a Japanese bomb being handled by some of the men exploded and killed him�. Reported in the Daily News, Pert, WA
  139. 1945 12 5 Graham Macka India Navy Topsides “Two Survivors Of Perils Die� SYDNEY, Tuesday “Two Australian divers of the Commonwealth Salvage Board have lost their lives in the last month, but through all operations during the war and since not a man of the team of over 30 has been killed during diving operations. Diver Macka Graham, of Melbourne, died of meningitis in hospital in Calcutta on Wednesday (5th December). He was one of the crew working under Captain J. P. Williams, under loan from the Australian Government, in raising the British India liner ‘Santhia’ which was on her side in the Hoogli River. ‘Santhia’ has been brought to an upright position ready for refloating. (The other was Joseph Dalley in Papua New Guinea). Reported in the Daily News, Pert, WA
  140. 1946 0 0 Browne Jack USA 168 Saturation DESCO Shareholder and inventor of the lightweoght full face mas, made a simulated 'wet pot' dive to 550'
  141. 1946 4 16 Donovan Fred USA 11 S/S Air American, aged 48, veteran of the first world war, diver for 18 years, trapped underwater for three hours, 'hauled up dead' from Lake Moraine State Reservoir. Although not feeling well, descended to repair a dam (Valve in a large pipe) , stopped responding to signals but then could not be pulled up. Eventually pulled out by surface crew. Survived by wife and 11 year old son. Schenectady Gazette.
  142. 1946 8 26 Carlson Andrew Anthony USA S/S Air Aged 27, sponge diver out of Tarpon springs diving off the 40' boat 'Kaliopi' North West of Big Banks. Began working as a diver in 1942, joined the army in 1944, worked on the clearance operations of the river Passig in Manila, left the army in March 1946 and moved to Dunedin with his wife and three year old son. Air hose severed by boat's propeller. St Petersburg Times
  143. 1946 10 5 Lam Thin Yaw Singapore Paraphrased from press reports:- "Chinese diver who submerged in his diving suit off St John's Island to cut away a pillar preventing ships coming alongside and was hauled up dead. The air pump, air line and diving suit were stated to be in order at the time. In recording his verdict of 'death by drowning', the coroner remarked that evdence did not show definitely how Lam came by his death though he did not hold any suspicions about the incident". Straits Times
  144. 1947 0 0 Dumas Frederic France 94 SCUBA Using the Aqualung, made an air dive to 307' in the mediterranean.
  145. 1947 2 5 Fenemore Harry Australia S/S Air Aged 46, Former RAN diver or 25 years, awarded DSM for work on delousing magnetic mines in the Red sea and Suez canal during the war, inspecting piles under the wharf of the Borthwick Meat works, Murrarie, in preparation for an 83 ton lift to be landed for the City Electric Company works at Hemmant on the Brisbane river. Inexperienced assistant (who had already been told off for letting out too much line/hose), diver had been in the water only a couple of minutes when he signalled to be pulled up but it took 5 minutes to bring him to the surface. Although his head was above water, they could not bring him out so the assistant unscewed his faceplate and described the diver as blue in the face, slumped forward, eyes closed. The diver slipped back into the water and the suit filled and it took them another 5 minutes to get him up. He was put in an iron lung in Brisbane hospital but did not respond to treatment. The inquest was told that the equipment was functioning correctly but that the diver had dropped suddenly and had been subjected to a squeeze. Survived by his wife. The Courier-Mail, Brisbane
  146. 1947 4 21 Saman Mat Malaysia Penang, Reported as "Dived to free a rope which had been entangled and he asked for the ship's engines to be restarted. A few moments later the water was red with blood". At the inquest 'the theory was advanced that he was killed by the ship's propellor when trying to free a rope' Straits Times
  147. 1947 9 19 Fargues Maurice France Military 119 SCUBA From the French Naval Vessel 'Timing' off Toulon. Experimental dive “in connection with the planned Bathysphere dives to the Ocean floor by the Belgian Professor Picard� described as 'Frances leading deep sea diver'. Reported as diving with goggles and three Oxygen tanks on his back. Reached 300' (which set a world depth record)', signalled OK and went on down to 390'. Signals stopped and he was hauled up. A colleague dived down and found him at 200', goggles off, mouthpiece out, apparently unconscious. Hauled to the surface, still unconscious, died in hospital. “Experts“ quoted as saying that “either the lifeline swung against his mouthpiece ripping it from his mouth or Fargues was seized with what divers call 'deep sea drunkenness' Reported in the Sydney Morning Herald
  148. 1948 0 0 RN UK 165 RN diver sets open sea record depth dive to 540'
  149. 1948 3 25 Ingle or Ingles Floyd USA Aged 22, From Rhode, Michigan, working in a 23' cistern at the Consumer's Power Company 'John C Weadock' Power plant at the mouthy of the Saginaw River. Had been underwater for about 10 minutes then failed to respond to signals, was brought up but failed to respond to treatment. “drowned when his face mask apparently knocked off�. Oswosso Argus Express.
  150. 1948 4 23 Christiansen Edward USA 9 S/S Air American, aged 49, in the Kill Van Kull, a channel in the bay between Staten Island and New Jersey, cutting a telephone cable trench, it collapsed trapping him completely by cave in for three and a half hours, guided rescuers by phone. Rescuers largely a USN diving team. During the rescue had to flag down a passing tug and send it to a nearby dredger to tell not to set of underwater explosives. St Petersburg Times.
  151. 1948 5 25 Not Recorded France S/S Air "A diver is missing and three workmen were slightly injured after an explosion aboard a destroyer in Toulon Naval Harbour. The vessel was being dismantled when the explosion occurred. The cause was not known" Reuters/Straits Times
  152. 1948 7 2 Boosinger Harry 'The Monk' USA S/S Air Aged 48, from Santa Catalina islands, professional diver, undertaking a dive described as a film stunt man. , apparently air lines fouled lost mask. No details. Reported in the Los Angeles Times.
  153. 1948 7 16 Katelino Leonard Australia W. Scott 18 S/S Air "Malay fiver dies. Drowned in diving suit". "Killed when his diving suit became flooded with water while he was diving in 10 fathoms of water off Mango point. According to other Malays onboard the vessel, the helmet was screwed onto the corselet with a crossed thread and when he was submerged water poured into the suit. He was drowned before he could be raised to the surface. Reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner.
  154. 1948 7 18 Not Recorded Australia "Three pearl divers have died". "Three divers for pearl shell have lost their lives in Northern waters in a fortnight. On July 18, a diver died in Darwin Harbour (Do Pang) and another at Broome. On Friday the lugger 'Plover' returned to Darwin to report the death of William Djawa, 28, a Koepanger". Reported in the Singleton Argus, NSW
  155. 1948 7 18 Do Pang Australia Ah Dep 20 S/S Air “FATALITY AT DARWIN� Darwin, July 18. “With its flag at half mast, the pearling lugger ‘Zephyr’ berthed at Darwin to-day carrying the body of a Koepang pearl diver, Do Pang (45), who died aboard the vessel, after having been brought to the surface in a state of collapse. It was the first post-war diving tragedy in these waters. The Zephyr, which is owned by an Australian born Chinese, Ah Dep, was opeating to-day in 11 fathoms in the Darwin harbour. The pump attendants became anxious when Do Pang, who was being tried out in a headpiece only, did not respond to signals�. Reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner, WA
  156. 1948 8 1 Djawa Willem Australia 50 S/S Air "Diver's Death". Darwin - "Carrying the body of the third pearl diver to have died on this coast in eight days, the lugger 'Plover' berthed here. The diver, Willem Djawa, 28, died after four 45 minute dives to 28 fathoms of water off Melville Island. He complained of headaches after the last dive. He was weraring a full suit" The Barrier Miner, Broken Hill, NSW. DIVER LOSES GRIM BATTLE - DARWIN, Aug. 4: Fighting a losing battle for life a Koepang diver was suspended, staging, for several hours in his diving suit nine fathoms below the pearling lugger ‘Plover’ riding on the blue seas near Bathurst Island. The story of his fight was told in the Coroner's Court here today by Yussif Bin Hassim, No. I diver on the ‘Plover’. The inquest concerned the death of the second diver of the ‘Plover’, Willem Djawa (28), who died on her deck last Thursday. Hassim told the Coroner (Mr. C. K. Ward) that he was diving in 28 fathoms of water, the deepest he had ever been in. He could see Djawa in the clear water nearby on the sea floor. Djawa had never been below 12 fathoms before. Three times they went down together and stayed down each time, about 45 minutes. After the last dive Djawa complained of a "sore head." To counteract the effects of deep diving, Djawa and Hassim were "staged" nine fathoms below the lugger. "I watched Djawa hanging there for 41 hours," said Hassim. Two men pulled them up and Djawa, still sick, was lowered again in an attempt to fight off the effects of submersion. For another 2 hours he hung there while the lugger plant pumped down air. Pulled on to the deck again, Djawa said: "No more." The crew closed him up in his suit again and pumped air into the suit, but he died and the ‘Plover’ headed back, to Darwin. The Coroner found that no blame was attachable to anybody. Reported in the West Australian. Perth.
  157. 1948 8 28 Ballard Petty Officer W. UK Military 163 "Diver Descends 535 Feet". LONDON, August 28. "Petty Officer W. Ballard descended 535 feet from a submarine rescue ship into Loch Fyne, Argyllshire, and set up a new world record dive, which an American held at 440 feet. Ballard wore a specially adapted diving suit. His object was to enable naval technicians to perfect a diving suit in which rescuers can work at crash-dive depth of submarines". Reported in The Morning Bulletin, Rockhampton, Qld. Curiously, this record was also reported on the 10th of March 1950 in the Horsham Times (Victoria) with a photograph of Bollard being congratulated by fellow Royal Navy diver W. Soper who had also broken the previous record with a dive to a depth of 454 feet.
  158. 1948 10 19 Roberts Bernard USA 36 S/S Air Aged 27, Sponge diver, 'Stricken with severe headaches after making a series of dives' on the 11th October, taken to hospital with a cerebral haemorrhage, died 9 days later at Bay Pines veteran's hospital. St Petersburg Times
  159. 1948 10 20 Nimmock Wilfred Australia 16 S/S Air “Diver disappears� CAIRNS, Wed. ‘A Torres Strait native diver, Wilfred Nimmock, 24, dived into about nine fathoms from the pearler ‘Penguin’, He surfaced 50 yards from the boat without helmet or corselet, then sank. Some of the Penguin's crew dived but found no trace of Nimmock, his diving gear, or shell bag. Reported in The Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Qld.
  160. 1948 12 9 Not Recorded Russia Headline "Seabed fight with octopus" A seabed fight between two deep sea divers and a giant octopus in the depths of the Pacific Ocean harbour of Nevel in the Soviet Far East is told in the Soviet Navy Paper 'Red Fleet'. Straits Times
  161. 1949 1 22 Noor Ahmat bin Mohamed Singapore Singapore Harbour Board 15 S/S Air Malaysian aged 25 diving off the harbour approach in Tanjong Pagar salvaging a truck. Had attached two lifting wires but then stopped giving signals. Another team member dived in (without gear) but could not reach 50' but noticed the diver's helmet floating free in mid water, dived again and put it on his head and went down. "I could not see the bottom as it was not clear. I felt something with my feet. It was the diver's body". The second diver suggested that "the diver might have collapsed from fatigue and then his diving gear came off". Returning a verdict of "Misadventure", the coroner said there was no evidence to show the diving helmet was faulty. Straits Times.
  162. 1949 4 30 Burnett George E USA 9 Aged 20, professional kelp fisherman with two years working experience, diving off San Pedro Pier, body recovered from under a rock ledge, drowned, no other details. Los Angeles Times
  163. 1949 6 4 Huerta Chief Machinist's Mate Ignacio L. USA Military 150 Chamber Aged 28, described as a veteran Navy diver with the diving experimental unit at the Naval Gun Factory in Washington DC., Blown down to a pressure equivalent to 490' in a wet pot, reported dizzy and was brought out. He recovered and returned to the chamber, but passed out. Water had got inside his breathing circuit/helmet and got into contact with his air purifier, and he had "burns about the neck". Treated at Bethesda Naval Hospital but died. "Officers said the lye burns caused death" (Sodium Hydroxide/caustic soda, burns to the throat). The Milwaukee Journal.
  164. 1949 8 12 Not Recorded "Diver killed by wreck blast.."No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Aberdeen Journal/The British Newspaper Archive
  165. 1949 8 18 Kada William Australia 15 Indonesian Pearl diver aged 37, diving off the lugger Twixteen out of Thursday Island. Signalled to be brought to the surface but as he reached the surface his helmet and corselet came detached and he was swept away. His body was recovered by divers from another lugger later. Barrier Miner, NSW, Australia Another report states:- Pearl Diver Drowns. Thursday Island.-Two Indonesians tried pluckily to rescue a fellow pearl diver when he was swept away in heavy seas while diving off Thursday Island. Sgt. H. Mumford, of the Thursday Island police, returned with the story. The diver, William Kada, 37, who was also an Indonesian, was found drowned in eight fathoms of water at 1 p.m. on Thursday. The Indonesians went out from Thursday Island on the lugger ‘Trixteen’. Kada was down pearling about eight fathoms at 11.30 a.m. when he signalled to be brought to the surface. When he reached the surface his diving helmet and corselet broke loose. He called to the men on the lugger as he was swirled away. Two other divers, Enus Euan, 22, and Markus Oben, 42, went to Kada's rescue, but were unable to reach him in the heavy seas. A Torres Strait aboriginal from another lugger which arrived later recovered Kada's body. Reported in the Barrier Miner
  166. 1949 8 26 Rasmussen Hans Kristian Krogh Denmark Military Aged 45, Danish Navy diver (First grade Torpedo quarter-master) reported as having died in a diving accident in Aarhus Bay. Reported in navalhistory.dk
  167. 1949 9 24 Fois Lani Australia Topsides The pearling lugger 'New Moon', valued at £3,000, was lost in rough seas off Mangrove point, 130 miles South West of Broome. Lanis Fois, a 33 year old Koepanger river diver, is missing, believed drowned. The other members of the crew have been rescued. Reported in the Canberra Times.
  168. 1949 9 26 Jorgensen Robin Claude Soren USA 15 S/S Air Aged 20, professional abalone diver, was drowned in 50 feet of water in Little Harbor on the west side of Santa Catalina Island when his air compressor failed. No other details.
  169. 1949 10 13 Wila Poeloe Australia N. Paspali S/S Air "Death of a Diver". Darwin, Friday, pearling from the lugger 'Pam'. "Stricken with diver's paralysis, a Koepang pearl diver died on the pearling grounds west of Bathurst Island, yesterday. It was the first case of paralysis since the war". The Advocate, Burnie, Tas.
  170. 1949 12 14 Boitelle Andre Australia S/S Air “Thursday Island Diver Paralysed. A French diver, Andre Boitelle, aboard the lugger ‘Kingfisher’, working new ground at 15 fathoms, fell a further three fathoms in an unexpected crevice on the ocean bed. He was brought to the surface paralysed from the waist down, and at present is in the Thursday Island Hospital. His condition is serious�. Our Thursday Island correspondent. Reported in the Cairns Post, Qld. Another report stated:- DEPTH BEAT WHITE DIVER. One of the few white divers engaged in pearling operations at Thursday Island was admitted to hospital severelv paralvsed with 'diver's bends,' according to information received in Townsville on Thursday. The victim is the French diver, known as Andre, who was brought to Thursday Island by the lugger ‘Kingfisher’ on Sunday night. This is believed to be the first case of the 'bends' this year at Thursday Island. Andre, a former sponge diver from Normandy, has been diving at Thursday Island for about six months. Mr. E. A. Duffield, who has pearling interests at Thursday Island, and is at present visiting Townsville, said on Thursday; 'diver's bends' were usually suffered by divers when about the 13 fathom murk. Present operating depth was about 8 fathoms. Mr. Duffield said susceptibility to 'bends' depended on the diver's stamina. He said the usual practice was to depressurise the victim by raising him by degrees to the surface. Reported in the Townsville Bulletin
  171. 1949 12 22 Whap Tom Australia “Diver Finds £3000 Pearl� Darwin, December 28.— “The largest pearl ever found off Thursday Island was recovered last week by diver Tom Whap, in the lugger ‘Galton’, owned by Burns, Philp. It is worth approximately £3000, but owing to its shape it could be worth £4000. It is pear-shaped, of perfect lustre, weighs 40 carats, and is an inch long. The diver, a full-blooded Torres Strait native, will receive 75 per cent, of the value of the pearl�. Reported in the Kalgoorlie Miner, WA.
  172. 1950 3 10 Bollard Petty Officer W. UK Military 163 Reported as "Petty Officer Wilfred Bollard recently set up a new world record when he reached a depth of 535 feet in a rubber diving suit. Petty Officer Bollard is attached to the Research ship "Reclaim" at Loch Fyne, in Scotland. The previous record of 440 feet was held by the United States of America. This picture shows Petty Officer Bollard, on left, being congratulated after he broke the world diving record by fellow officer W Soper, who himself broke the previous record with a depth of 454 feet." in the Horshan Times, Victoria. Curious as this is a repeat report of this same record being set in August 1948 but by 'Petty Officer W Ballard".
  173. 1950 3 15 Not Recorded UK "Diver killed in old warship". Diving on the wreck of the 'Warspite" (Went aground off Prussia cove, Cornwall in 1947 on her way to the breakers yard). Another six men were trapped below water in the hulk of the 30,600 ton baatleship for two hours. The explosion was an air blast that blew out an air lock as the men were making the vessel airtight for lifting operations. The Windsor Daily Star
  174. 1950 3 17 Nunn J Australia Topsides “Shark Dynamited At Glenelg. While waiting to be lowered from a pontoon during diving operations at Glenelg on Thursday, a Harbors Board diver blasted with dynamite and killed an 11-ft. shark close to the pontoon. The diver, Mr. J. Nunn, of Solvay road, Osborne, was about to have his headpiece fitted at the edge of the pontoon when the shark, attracted by a string of fish hanging over the side, swam alongside. Retreating to a safe distance on the pontoon, Mr. Nunn and the crew loaded one of the fish with dynamite, hooked it to an electric cord, and threw it to the shark. After nosing the bait for 15 minutes, the shark grabbed it and dived for the bottom. The exploding charge blew shreds of its head over a wide area and the carcass sank in 14 feet of water. Efforts lasting more than an hour to retrieve the carcass, which could be seen on the bottom, were unsuccessful. Fresh efforts will be made today�. Reported in The Advertiser, Adelaide, SA
  175. 1950 3 25 Ayerst Syd Australia S/S Air DIVER HAS TOUGH JOB Sydney, Saturday. A daring Public Works diver, Syd Ayerst (26), of Newcastle, today battled for 10 hours against Murrumbidgee floodwaters racing at 10 to 15 knots to successfully restore domestic water supplies. Ayerst had to lash himself to an underwater pipeline and take down extra weights to withstand the surging waters. Silt blocked pumps at a pumping station some days ago, cutting off supplies to many towns including Cootamundra Young, West Wyalong, Harden and Temora. Reported in the Sunday Times, Perth, WA.
  176. 1950 4 21 Borden Ralph E USA 5 S/S Air Unemployed war veteran, aged 40. Reported as :- “Four boys aged about 13 were looking for a swimming hole along the Muddy Run Creek when they came across the veteran standing by the bank with a diving suit and pump. He told them he had heard a tale from an old man about a barrel of gold bars lying under 15' of water. The boys agreed to operate the pump but after about 15 minutes got tired and pulled him up but he was dead.� . He was pronounced dead of drowning. The Evening Independent
  177. 1950 5 7 Otari Keichi Japan Topsides Hiroshima. Diver aged 48, found a Torpedo. He hit it with a hammer and it exploded killing him and 7 others. No real details. Reported in the New York Times.
  178. 1950 7 1 Palazzi Angelo Italy Chamber "Two deep sea divers were burned to death in a decompression chamber at Bari, Italy. The two divers had just entered the chamber when the fire broke out. By the time attendant had got the doors open, the two men were dead" The Milwaukee Journal
  179. 1950 7 1 del Cargo Marcisco Italy Chamber "Two deep sea divers were burned to death in a decompression chamber at Bari, Italy. The two divers had just entered the chamber when the fire broke out. By the time attendant had got the doors open, the two men were dead" The Milwaukee Journal
  180. 1950 8 31 Not Recorded France "Diver Blown up in Launch Explosion. A diver was blown to pieces at St. Nazaire yesterda when the …" Report dated 1st September 1950. No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Western Morning News/The British Newspaper Archive
  181. 1951 0 0 Fleig Peter Corsica Topsides Czech professional diver, last known survivor of the party that was actually on site when Erwin Rommel's treasure was hidden underwater off Bastia in 1943. Frequenting local bars boasting that he had discovered the treasure. Disappeared in strange circumstances, whispered to have been 'The Mafia'. See 1961, Andre Mattel
  182. 1951 5 7 Clark Roy T USA Military S/S Air Lake Michigan, small salvage boat (LCVP – Landing Craft, Vehicles, Personnel) working on a salvage operation to recover a jet fighter that had crashed into the lake a few days earlier. The boat overturned drowning 1 crewman and the Navy diver trapped underneath who “was just emerging from the water in full regalia� . Two other crewmen missing. Chicago Tribune.
  183. 1951 8 24 Saunders John Alfred India Aged 25, Described as "Born in Bombay, a deep sea diver who died in an accident whilst working for the Bombay Port Trust. No details.
  184. 1952 0 0 Owen, RN, DSM Norman Warden UK British Rail S/S Air Holyhead, pier demolition using a hundred ton crane, sent in to unsnag wire, trapped two fingers of his right hand between pile and crane wire. "Unable to reach his exhaust valve to adjust the pressure in his suit or speak to the surface. With no chance of cutting the heavy wire, Owen reached for his diver's knife with his left hand and began to saw off his fingers, but as the blood billowed up past him he could not cut through the bone. In desperation Owen signalled to be pulled to the surface and two of his fingers "came away like pegs from a cribbage boar". He collected his tools and surfaced, where the men in the tender complained about his late arrival at the surface. Owen was rowed ashore and walked to the hospital 500 yards away: He remembered being told not to drip blood on the floor".
  185. 1952 2 23 Foord PO R Australia Military “Diver's escape�. SYDNEY. Sat. — “Petty Officer R. Foord, 24, a Navy diver, was swept from his feet to-day in a Bunnerong water tunnel 72ft. underground while trying to clear an obstruction. After half an hour he was hauled to the surface by a mobile crane�. Reported in The Sunday Mail, Brisbane.
  186. 1952 4 5 Sailor Fred Australia Gregson and Lindley S/S Air “Death Of Dive�. THURSDAY ISLAND. April 7. “Fred Sailor, of Cairns, aged about 24, employed as a diver on the pearling ketch ‘Saratoga’, owned by Messrs. Gregson and Lindley was brought in from work on Saturday night dead. About 5.30 on Saturday afternoon deceased was down wearing his helmet and corselet, working in five fathoms at the Barrier Reef, when he gave the signal to be pulled up. The tender commenced hauling in the lifeline, when deceased shot to the surface, with out his helmet. Two men dived overboard and caught him and a third man went over with a line. He was brought on deck, but was apparently then dead�. Reported in the Townsville Daily Bulletin, Qld.
  187. 1952 6 11 Borradaile Lt-Cmmdr Edward L Canada Military Explosion Aged 42, Royal Canadian Navy diver and mine disposal officer working on a wartime mine reported by fishermen on the beach of Boilla Island, 70 miles from Prince Rupert, BC. He was killed by the explosion, his assistant, PO D Ross, aged 30, suffered a serious leg injury. Ottawa Citizen
  188. 1952 7 28 David Jack Australia R & H Hocking 31 S/S Air Diver's Death. THURSDAY ISLAND, July 31.— “On Monday afternoon the pearling ketch ‘Trixen’, owned by Messrs. R. and H. Hockings, arrived in port flying the flag half-mast, indicating a dead diver. The dead man was Jack David, married, and aged about 27 years, of Yam Island. The boat was working in about 17 fathoms of water around Darnley Island, when the air and life lines apparently became fouled. It would appear that the deceased shed his helmet with the object of coming to the surface, but on reaching the surface he was beyond human aid. His body was taken to Yam Island for burial�. Reported in the Townsville Bulletin, Qld.
  189. 1952 8 1 Malone Hilary Australia DIVER FREES ‘MALOJA'S’ PROPELLER. The services of a diver were required at Fremantle yesterday before the liner ‘Maloja’ could sail for the Eastern States. Her port propeller blade was fouled by a steel towline from the tug ‘Uco’ when she berthed from London in the morning. The ‘Uco’ was immobilised to prevent further tangling, and the ‘Maloja’ - which had more than 1,000 passengers on board - berthed with the aid of two other tugs. Summoned from Garden Island, a Fremantle diver, Mr. Hilary Malone, went down from the vessel ‘Agnes’ at about 5.15 p.m., and using a special underwater oxy-acetylene torch had the blade cleared by about 6 o'clock. The liner sailed at 7.45 p.m. two hours late. Reported in The West Australian, Perth
  190. 1952 9 10 Not Recorded USA S/S Air Surfaced at end of dive, either unscrewed face plate or took off helmet, sat on gunnel of small dive support tender boat, it capsised. Diver drowned. No details. Reported in the Chicago Tribune.
  191. 1952 10 15 Motlop Harry Australia Dept of Native Affairs S/S Air “THURSDAY ISLAND�. October 15— Harry Motlop, a half-caste island diver, attached to the lugger ‘Ella’, owned by the Department of Native Affairs, was brought in the early hours of this morning, and died in hospital. The lugger was working in the vicinity of Mabulag Island. Reported in the Townsville Daily Bulletin, Qld
  192. 1952 11 1 Albert Bernard Australia M & W Scott 24 S/S Air “NATIVE DIES OF DIVER'S PARALYSIS�. BROOME, Thursday. Bernard Albert (26), a native employed by Messrs. M. and W. Scott, pearlers, of Broome, as a second diver, died of paralysis late yesterday afternoon. On Tuesday he and the first diver, an Indonesian named Bernardus Senge, were diving for pearlshell from the lugger ‘Bin Tang Putteh’ off Bard Creek in 13 fathoms of water. Albert had previously worked in only five to six fathoms. At the conclusion of the day he came up, apparently suffering no ill effects, but after midnight it was found that he had diver's paralysis. He was dressed in a diving suit and lowered into the water to the depth he had been working, where he went through the treatment of staging. When raised Albert appeared to have recovered, but later his left leg was paralysed. The lugger at once returned to Broome, where Albert died in hospital. Reported in the West Australian, Perth, WA.
  193. 1953 4 4 Not Recorded France Le Havre, Three divers were killed and two missing, presumed dead, after dynamite exploded in the port of Le Havre. The men were preparing to blast a channel leading to the docks.
  194. 1953 6 19 Not Recorded Australia S/S Air Report of a Japanese diver who died at sea being cremated. No details
  195. 1953 7 10 Not Recorded Malta RN 52 Chamber Paraphrased from paper:- “Within 2 minutes of commencing pressurisation an unprotected 100 Watt bulb imploded at between 5 and 6 bara (!34-170 fsw) and incandescent ignited the canvas floor. The five occupants unsuccessfully trued to stamp out several small fires which rapidly spread to the wooden floor and benches. Within 1 minute flames engulfed the chamber and the pressure rose to 9.2 bara (265 fsw). The chamber was surfaced 5 minutes into the dive and when opened flames came out of the open doorway requitring extingushing by fire hose. Within 6 hours all 5 occupants had expired from their 90-100% total body surface area burns�. Sheffield and Desautels “Hyperbaric and hypobaric Chamber fires, a 73 year analysis�, Undersea Hyperbaric Medicine, 1997, 24 (3): 153-164.
  196. 1953 7 10 Not Recorded Malta RN Chamber Four Naval ratings, 3 British and 1 Indian, killed in a explosion in the decompression chamber of the 1440 ton RFA Salvage vessel 'Sea Salvor' during diver training whilst in Valetta harbour. A fifth Naval rating died a day later. No Details, but believed to be the same incident reported by Sheffield and Desautels in which 5 people died . The Glasgow Herald
  197. 1953 8 22 Jacob Abou Australia S/S Air “Whale Snaps Diver's Line�. PERTH, Monday. – “A whale became tangled in the lifeline of a Malay diver as he was working off 90 Mile Beach on Saturday. The line was broken and carried away by the whale but the diver, Abou Jacob, was brought to the surface on his airpipe. He was taken to Broome Hospital suffering from shock and some injuries but was later discharged, it is expected that he will resume work in about a week. Jacob is employed by Mr. L. Placanica, of Broome�. Reported in The Mercury, Hobart
  198. 1953 9 15 Nellman Tom Jack Australia Duffield Brothers 37 S/S Air “PEARL DIVER DISAPPEARS. THURSDAY ISLAND, Fri. “A Torres Strait Islander, Tom Jack Nellman (30) disappeared last Tuesday while diving for pearlshell in about 20 fathoms off Bobo, near Daru Island, from the launch ‘Laura’, owned by Duffield Brothers of Thursday Island. The ‘Laura’ returned here late last night. The police are investigating�. Reported in the Northern Miner, Charters towers, Qld
  199. 1954 5 8 Sutrick Gabriel Australia 17 S/S Air Aged 28, single, from Yam, pearl diving from the Hosking Brothers lugger 'Panton' on Warrior Reef, 86 miles from Thursday Island in the Torres straight, died after the vessel's propellor cut his airline. Adelaide Advertiser
  200. 1954 5 31 Barker Paul S USA Rebreather Aged 38, Brown Mills, Mirror Lake, “A member of the volunteer first-aid squad died here today during an underwater dive to test a new oxygen rescue device� No details
  201. 1954 7 28 Larkin RN Leading Seaman Charles Brian Singapore Aged 20, serving on HMS 'Terror', one of two divers searching for contraband suspected of being dropped overboard from ships at the inner roads of Singapore harbour. Surfaced suddenly waving his arms, water around him stained with blood. Gashed from hip to thigh, died from loss of blood and shock. Reported as shark attack. Coroner recorded a verdict of misadventure. Straits Times
  202. 1954 7 29 Perkins RN PO John Singapore 5 Aged 35. Reported as drowned at the Seletar Naval Base (HMS Cossack?), Singapore, during diving exercises the day after seaman Charles Larkin died in a shark attack during a contraband search in Singapore harbour. The exercise was to remove mines from ship's hulls, his lifeline got entangled in the propeller shaft. Stand-by diver found him with his mask off, not breathing when recovered to deck, did not respond to treatment. Coroner recorded a verdict of misadventure. Straits Times
  203. 1954 9 17 Pepper Frank USA Merritt Chapman and Scott 45 Aged 46, working on installing one of six support piers for the Mackinac Straits Bridge, died in the decompression chamber. No details. Windsor Daily Star.
  204. 1954 9 24 Motlop Fred Australia Haritos Brothers 34 S/S Air Aged 32, diving off the pearl lugger “Fram� off the Arhem coast (Off Maroonga Island between Millingimbi and Elcho Island missions). Some reports are more complete than others. One just says :- “A deck-hand lost his balance in heavy seas and in an attempt to save himself dragged the tender operator overboard with him. The tender lost Motlop's air and life lines and the diver sank to the 'bottom. Before he could be raised again he tore off his helmet and rocketed to the surface. The crew did not realise his lungs had burst. They fitted another helmet on him and lowered him to the bottom to "stage' him. (Staging is a treatment to prevent "bends," a form of paralysis, caused by bringing a diver to the surface too quickly.) The crew 'staged" Motlop for about an hour, (but they found he was dead when they raised him to the deck)�. As reported in the Canberra Times. A second report says:- "His air line became entangled in the propeller and Motlop was dragged towards the surface (from 17 fathoms). He was pulled up to 6 fathoms before the crew could stop the lugger and free his line. The diver's tender was holding Motlop's line keeping him steady at 6 fathoms when the lugger pitched badly in a heavy sea. A native crewman slipped and grabbed the tender and both fell overborad. Motlop plummeted to 17 fathoms before the crew could gab the lines. Before they could bring the diver up slowly he hsad thrown off his helmet, apparently in panic, and shot to the surface. The crew fiitted him with another helmet and sent him down for an hour or so in an effort top avoid bends." He was dead when brought up, a post mortem completed by a visiting Docor Langsford from Darwin concluded the divers lungs were ruptured. Sydney Morning Herald
  205. 1954 10 11 Reed Jerry B USA 4 S/S Air Aged 32, Captain of the Ohio River boat 'Martha Green',working at an underwater sluice on a backwater at the Indiana-Kentucky Electric Company plant at Evansville. He had hired a man to handle the surface equipment - who knew nothing about diving equipment - whilst he was diving, the equipment broke down, his air was cut off and he drowned. The News-Sentinel
  206. 1955 0 0 Not Recorded Australia Japanese. Reported as dying of diver's paralysis. Buried at Piper's Head on Melville Island alongside the bodies of two other diver one who died in 1953, the other Satihel Iwanoto who died in June 1957. Reported in The Age.
  207. 1955 7 30 Byrnes Michael USA SCUBA Aged 15, SCUBA training in a YMCA swimming pool in San Bernardino drowned when his arm got sucked into an outlet pipe. “The boy's parents watched while three doctors and fire department resuscitator crew worked over the body for an hour after he was pulled from the water�. Reported in the Spokane Daily Chronicle.
  208. 1955 8 11 Not Recorded Germany “Wilhelmshaven. An Underwater explosion today killed a diver working on the wreck of the submerged German cruiser Koln in the harbour here� Reuters
  209. 1956 0 0 RN, NEDU UK Military 183 Saturation RN diver reaches 600' in open sea on heliox, the same year the US Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU) publish the USN Standard ecompression Tables
  210. 1956 3 23 Joost Russell USA Military US Navy diver training, taking a test one month into his course, died, no details. Chicago Tribune
  211. 1956 4 19 Commander Crabb, RN, GC, OBE Lionel "Buster" UK Military Rebreather British Royal Naval diver, aged 46, disappeared in Portsmouth Harbour, rumoured to be spying on the visiting Russian navy cruiser "Ordzhonikidze" that had brought Khrushchev to the UK for cold war talks. Headless body washed up on Chichester beach 14 months later assumed to be Crabb. In 2007, Eduard Koltsov, retired Russian diver claimed to have killed him and cut his head off after he caught Crabb placing a mine on the hull. MOD admitted previous underwater surveys by RN divers on visiting Russian vessels. Other memos released in 2007 indicate that MI6 recruited Crabb for a separate mission and that he was not alone.
  212. 1956 5 0 Kontoyannis Kristos Australia S/S Air 45 year old Greek sponge diver from post war depressed Mediterranean island of Kalymnos, chief diver in one of two teams of Greek divers transported to Australia at government expense to replace the Japanese divers working off Australian pearl luggers out of Darwin and Broome. Air line was cut by the propeller of the lugger 'Postboy' and he died ("Asphyxia, due to sudden damage to the lungs when the propeller cut the airline. The accident was caused when the lugger, proceeding at very pace, was forced backwards by 3 heavy and unexpected waves, thus fouling the airline which was in its position protruding from the stern"). His death highlighted the bad feeling between the lugger operators (who resented losing their cheap Japanese divers) and Greek divers. There were rumours that the death may not have been accidental. Rubicon Research Repository
  213. 1956 8 1 Edgerton Wiliam USA 4 Rebreather Aged 23, part of a 20 man, privately funded, team that had chartered the 60' diving tender 'Capt Samuel Jameson' engaged to take photographs of the sunken liner 'Andrea Doria' which lies about 45 miles south. He was undertaking a training dive in Nantucket harbour. Dr Christian Lambertson, the team physician who had developed a type of mixed gas diving kit for the US Navy, and who was diving with Edgerton at the time of his death ("diving in about 12 feet of water tp familiarise Edgerton with the type of 'mixed gas' cylinders that Lambertson had developed for Navy divers"), said that a valve on his diving equipment had somehow become partially closed ("Edgerton may have accidently struck the valve against the side of the boat or become confused and closed it himself"). Died from "Lack of oxygen in the blood". Daytona Beach Morning Journal.
  214. 1956 8 10 Sedco No 8 / Rig 22 USA Jack Up, sank during cnstruction, 4 fatalities
  215. 1956 8 13 Lund Captain Ove Norway Military Aged 32, Norwegian Navy diver, died in Horten harbour, Oslo. 'in the line of duty' though the authorities branded reports that he died diving under the hulls of visiting soviet fleet vessels as "Sheer madness". His death was announced shortly after the departure of a Russian cruiser and two destroyers. The announcement co-incided with reports that an unidentified submarine was follwing the Russian flotilla. Pittsburgh Press
  216. 1956 8 23 Yanase Masumi Australia Topsides “Japanese Diver Found Dead� BROOME (WA), Wednesday. — A young Japanese pearl diver, Masumi Yanase. 23, was found dead in the water alongside his boat today. He had noosed a rope around his neck which was made fast to the lugger's diving platform. It is thought Masumi Yanase jumped overboard and accidentally strangled himself. He had been in Broome for the past year and was considered an efficient diver�. Reported in The Canberra Times.
  217. 1956 10 2 Jacob Bull Hassan Bin Australia 27 S/S Air Malay, aged 26, pearl diving out of Broome, surfaced with paralysis on Saturday, still ill Sunday, lugger made 80 mile dash to Port but he died. 'Third pearl diver dive that year to be killed on the luggers working out of Broome (Konjtoviannis, in May, the other? Unknown, TC)'
  218. 1956 12 1 Rig 'Qatar 1' Arabian Gulf Jack Up, collapsed and sank during towing. 20 fatalities
  219. 1957 0 0 Rig 'Deepwater II' USA, GOM Jack Up, caught in a hurricane, sank
  220. 1957 3 12 Not Recorded Mexico Saturation Acapulco, a diver, described as an ex-Olympic diver and trainer of navy frogmen, died on a dive into Acapulco bay in a search for the bodies of two wealthy American tourist thought to have been murdered on a glass bottomed boat. No other details. Reported in the Los Angeles Times.
  221. 1957 3 31 Rig 'Mr Gus 1' USA Jack Up, punch through, listed, collapsed, 1 fatality
  222. 1957 4 5 Smith Eldon W USA 62 S/S Air American, aged 31 or 51 (Reports are conflicting) from Wilmington, diving off Southern California from the Oil Exploration Vessel "Submarex", end of dive, ascending, suffered apparent in-water decompression illness, brought to surface and transferred to US Navy DDC at naval base (inference is no DDC on the vessel), died 8 hours into 165' therapeutic treatment, Diver Bill Biller who went into the DDC as assistant had to share the chamber with the body for another 30 hours of decompression. Reported in the Herald Tribune
  223. 1957 6 25 Iwanoto Satehel Australia Japanese, diving off the pearling lugger 'Hakucho Maru' out of Darwin. Reported as dying of diver's paralysis. Buried at Piper's Head on Melville Island alongside the bodies of two other diver who died in 1955 and 1953. “Modern equipment and methods now used prevent the fearful loss of life experienced off Broome and in territory waters before the war�. Reported in The Age.
  224. 1957 7 14 Not Recorded UK Military Royal Marine taking part in a combined operations exercise in Portland Harbour, failed to surface after three and a half hours, found dead at the bottom of the harbour. "It was in no way associated with any explosion". "Naval authorities are satisfied that the man's death was an accident". The Bulletin
  225. 1957 10 11 Williamson Stephen I USA Daspit Bros Marine Divers American, court case quote "engaged in the clearing of a pipe line of debris in navigable waters,and that an employee of Daspit was lifted too rapidly, causing a release of his diving mask and belt, that the vessel and its appurtenances were defective and unseaworthy and that these circumstances were the cause of decedent's death"
  226. 1958 3 11 Not Recorded USA Boston Naval Base 4 A civilian diver employed by :contractor working for the Navy at the South Boston Naval Shipyard became wedged at the bottom of piling, twelve feet below the surface within inches of rescue, but drowned. No details. New York Times
  227. 1958 6 24 Mott Leonard K Canada Seaboard Marine Divers SCUBA Aged 26. Following the collapse of the new Second Narrows bridge being constructed over Burrard inlet with a loss of 18 lives on the 17th, a commercial diver died two days later during body recovery operations. He had come to the surface to change cylinders, wearing a heavy weight belt, slipped and went down, drowned. Reported in the press on the occasion of the 50 anniversary ceremony in 2008 (CTV.ca). "Mott, formerly of Nelson, BC., worked as a stand-in for actor Peter Lorre in the movie 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. Wife and two children. Calgary Herald
  228. 1958 7 0 Oppey John UK "Extraordinary Death of a Diver. An inquest was held at Dover on Friday (14th July 1958) on the body of John Oppy, a diver employed at the Admiralty Pier works...." No other details (Pay for access archive) Reported in the Birmigham Daily Post/The British Newspaper Archive
  229. 1958 8 23 Sambo Kallu Australia S/S Air Torres Strait Islander, diving off the Native Affairs Department lugger 'Macoy' died on 'death Reef, off Darnley Island. 120 miles north-west of Thursday Island. Described as the fifth diver fatality off Darnley Island that year, all fatalities put down to 'diver's paralysis'. Reported in The Age
  230. 1959 0 0 Rig 'Transgulf 10' Jack Up, punch through, capsised
  231. 1959 2 5 Curray Franklyn Dwight USA Florida Power and Light Aged 26, reported as swept away by the current. Witnesses reported 'He bobbed to the surface, tore off his breathing gear and fought off three other swimmers who attempted to rescue him'. He had been working on a submerged cable. The search for him continued the day after. Unclear from the reports whether his body was ever recovered. Miami News
  232. 1959 4 25 Gause George USA 25 S/S Air American, aged 56 (or 57), professional sponge diver (Most sponge divers at this time were of Greek descent) with 23 years experience, diving some 30 miles North of Big Bank off the St. Nicholas V, air hoses severed by support vessel propeller (Guard basket had been damaged earlier in the trip “but repaired to the skipper's satisfaction�. Recovered to surface dead. Ruled as 'accidental death'. Reported in the St Petersburg Times.
  233. 1959 8 21 Mathews Raymond USA Commercial Abalone diver off the vessel 'Ray Rock' off Point Loma, presumed drowned after being found on the seabed with his mask off. Second diver (Hart) treated for DCI aboard the Submarine tender USS 'Nereus'. Lodi News sentinel
  234. 1959 9 21 Hart James F USA Commercial Abalone diver off the vessel 'Ray Rock' off Point Loma, treated for DCI aboard the Submarine tender USS 'Nereus' after recovering the body of partner Raymond Mathews from the seabed. Lodi News Sentinel
  235. 1959 10 25 Hayashi Sanza Australia Fujita Salvage Company 18 S/S Air Japanese salvage diver, aged 48, inquest held in Darwin on 3rd November where it was reported that he drowned in his helmet after being knocked unconscious by falling pieces of metal in Darwin harbour. May have had his air line dislodged/knocked off. Straits Times/Canberra Times
  236. 1959 11 21 Gavenman Harold B USA SCUBA “Skin Diver, Hit by Boat, Falls From Copter, Dies�. Skin diving off Santa Barbara Island. one of several diving from a barge (the Villaron) in an island cove. He surfaced in front of an oncoming lobster boat and “was sucked into the propeller.� The lobster boat operator jumped in and pulled him onboard, radioed for help, and took him by boat to the barge. An Air Force helicopter made 30 attempts to secure a line to him. Once they were successful, when he was raised about 100 feet in the liter basket, the cable broke and he was dropped onto the barge and rolled off the side. Those on the barge were able to recover him, then took him by a fast power boat cruiser to Santa Catalina Island, he was then life flighted from to Newport Beach and pronounced dead on arrival at Hoag Memorial Hospital. Los Angeles Times
  237. 1959 11 30 Not Recorded USA Comment is the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in an article referring to a state weekend death toll of 20, “Florida traffic accidents killed 13, a professional diver drowned and two men were fatally shot in hunting accidents�. No other details or reports.
  238. 1959 12 22 Mielke Donald USA 1 SCUBA Aged 17, diving under ice on the Wolf River at New London with Steven Austen, aged 15, as part of an ongoing search for the body of a three year old boy who apparrently fell into the river a month earlier. Suffocated under the ice when his regulator apparently froze. He was shared regulators with his dive partner, who also nearly sufficated but was rescued by other divers. The Milwaukee Sentinel
  239. 1960 0 0 Cartright Denis Trinidad Cartright or Carnright? Came out of saturation with "symptoms of pneumonia", died in a hospital in Trinidad.
  240. 1960 1 9 Shaw Clarence USA Merritt Chapman and Scott S/S Air Aged 53, working on the downstream side of the Priest Rapids dam construction site on the Columbia River. Confused reports, but appears to have been trapped underwater for two hours by a falling object. When pulled to the surface by two rescue SCUBA divers his helmet was off, drowned. Falling object may have severed or blocked his air line. Reported in the Freelance Star
  241. 1960 5 1 Arakawa Hirochi? Australia 66 S/S Air Singapore Free Press "An Okinawan pearl diver died of divers paralysis near Thursday Island". "The first pearl diving fatality of the season ocurred at the weekend in the Darnley deeps, 55 miles off Thursday Island. Aged 26, Okinawan, diving in 36 fathoms at 2pm from the lugger 'Sedney'. He was brought to the surface in easy stages but was dead when he reached the surface. The Sydney Morning Herald
  242. 1960 7 15 Bybee Herbert E USA Military SCUBA American police officer, Kansas, Missouri, died during a training dive
  243. 1960 7 15 Burris Sgt. Kiefer C USA Military SCUBA American police officer, Kansas, Missouri, died during a training dive
  244. 1961 2 27 Smith Leading Seaman Allan Leslie Australia Military 10 SCUBA Aged 24, Diving 'fairly shallow routine dive' alongside HMAS anti-submarine frigate 'Quiberon' berthed off Rushcutter Bay at Garden island. 'Had been underwater about 15 minutes when he floated to the surface unconscious' Reported as “air embolism� but no details. At the preliminary inquest his father asked if the Navy were aware that another Navy diver had died under very similar conditions a day later in New Guinea They were, but no details were given. Reported in the Sydney Morning Herald.
  245. 1961 2 28 Not Recorded Papua New Guinea Military SCUBA At the preliminary inquest into the death of Leading Able Seaman Allan Smith (Died during a training exercise alongside HMAS anti-submarine frigate 'Quiberon' berthed off Rushcutter Bay at Garden island. (Had been underwater about 15 minutes when he floated to the surface unconscious' Reported as “air embolism� , but no details) it became apparent that another Navy diver, a member of the Papua new Guinea Naval Division, had died under very similar conditions a day later at the Manus Naval Base. No details were given. Reported in the Sydney Morning Herald.
  246. 1961 6 2 Ward James UK Kirkaldy Corporation 6 S/S Air Diving from a tug near the dock gates in Kirkaldy Harbour, alarm raised when tugman could not get response on lifeline. A team of divers from HMS Safeguard, Rosyth, raced to the harbour and located the diver trapped by his left arm under the sluice gates and by water pressure. In addition to his lifeline, a further two ropes were tied to him and the sluice gates lifted until he could be pulled clear. On deck, he was cut out of his suit and a doctor attepted CPR, but he failed to respond. Evening Times. His widow was awarded £3,487 and 10 shillings. The jury assessed the damages at £4,650 but held that the deceased was 25% to blame for the accident that led to his death. Unknown to the diver the sluice gates had been left partially open. As soon as he approached the bottom of the gate he was caught in the current of water passing through thr sluice and asphyxiatyed. The Corporation denied responsibilty and claimed Ward stumbled and fell. The Glasgow Herald
  247. 1961 6 15 Missa Roy Australia 62 S/S Air Aged 36, Torres Strait Islander, diving in the Darnley Deeps, 150 miles off the island, got into difficulties at depth, apparently ditched his helmet, surfaced, paralysed from the waist down, died in hospital. “He also received damage to the brain from water pressure after removing his diving helmet to help himself surface� Reported in The Age.
  248. 1961 7 28 Beghtol Robert G USA Military SCUBA American police officer, Arvada, Colorado, aged 26, died during a training exercise
  249. 1961 10 11 Barron, RN Lt. Julian UK Military Aged 27, drowned at Rosyth Dockyard whilst trying to rescue a trainee diver. Trainee diver's lifeline 'appeared to be fouled and broke', Lt Barron was the standby and was sent into assist, gave a thumbs up and submerged. There was a terrific jerk on his lifeline and then his line broke too. It was later found that both men had been sucked through an open penstock (equalisation pipe between two docks). Diving instructor admitted no diving flag was being flown, civilian dockyard foreman in charge of the sluices stated that he was not aware of diving operations being conducted in the main basin and would have considered the dive site as hazardous because of the penstock (Diving in that area had been stopped two years earlier because of the penstock). No formal communcation link between divers and dock personnel. Following the incident Admiralty orders were put in place covering operation of diving in the docks and civilians in the dockyard also had definite instructions
  250. 1961 12 0 Matel Andrew Corsica Topsides Frequenting local bars boasting that he had discovered the fabled sunken treasure of General Erwin Rommel. After a couple of nights of such behaviour his bullet riddled body was found in a field near Propriano. Whispered that it was 'the Mafia'. (See 1951, Peter Fleig, another diver who disappeared in strange circumstances)
  251. 1962 0 0 Link Edward USA 61 Man in the Sea programme' used heliox to dive to 200'.
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