Incidents List
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Year Month Day Surname Forenames Location Contractor Client Depth Type of Diving Details -
2009 11 15 Morales Miguel Angel Chile 2 SCUBA Aged 49, Cleaning operation in a 'pond' (9 billion m3 storage facility) owned by the National oil Company, described as having 30 years diving experience and working for a diving sub-contractor. One other team member (A none-diver, so effectively a solo SCUBA dive) raised the alarm when he failed to surface. Body recovered 7 hours later. No other details. La Estrella/Cronica -
2009 11 22 Allen Steve UK RBG 15 S/S Air Aged 43, Braefoot terminal (Fife, Scotland), last dive of the day, completed his dive without comment, reported having difficulties removing his fins at the bottom of the ladder, assisted by stand-by and hoisted to jetty, unconscious, failed to respond to treatment. Update January 2013:- A Fatal Accident Inquiry has ruled that the death of a commercial diver at a Fife harbour was not the result of an accident or any kind of medical or professional malpractice. The inquiry at Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard evidence from 13 witnesses over five days. The Sheriff concluded that the death was as a result of “some kind of cardiac event or arrhythmia� resulting from existing heart and liver problems, not the result of any diving-related procedures, and that he could have died at any time. The inquiry also dismissed criticisms from a Health and Safety inspector that no rescue practice had been rehearsed on the day of the incident. He held a valid certificate of fitness to dive and was a qualified and competent diver, diving as part of a six-strong dive team, the diving operation had started on November 20 and involved an inspection to ascertain the condition of the piles supporting the jetty and, in addition, the installation of a new current-monitoring buoy on the seabed next to the jetty. During the morning he was inside dive control on board the diving vessel. At 5.02pm he entered the water to carry out the final dive of the day to undertake an “as left� survey of the cable installation for the buoy. At no time did he indicate to any of the team or any other person that he was unfit to dive. At 5.07pm he reached the seabed at a dive depth of 15 metres. He then carried out a video survey by slowly ascending the pile and demonstrated that the current-monitoring buoy cable was securely attached to the jetty pile. At 5.21pm he surfaced and swam to the bow of the diving vessel to access the deck via a vertical ladder. At 5.22pm he reported that he was having difficulty removing one of his fins. Given assistance, as he lifted his left leg for fin removal, he continued to roll backwards and started to invert in the water. He appeared to have lost consciousness and emergency recovery was initiated. He was not breathing and there was no carotid pulse, members of the diving team gave CPR. Paramedics then took over but he was pronounced dead at 6.05pm. The Sheriff noted medicine was an “inexact science� but concluded that he could have died at any time. There was no evidence of anything related to the diving operation which might have caused death. The Sheriff concluded: “There is no evidence that the failure to have a diver rescue practice on the day in question was relevant to his death. There were no other facts relevant to the circumstances of his death. The Courier -
2009 11 30 Quntana Nenito Philippines CJMS Diving Services Topsides Dive team working at the gas powered power plant in Limay. Paraphrased from press reports:- “A diver died while a colleague is in critical condition after they entered a nine-meter chlorination tank inside the power plant in Alangan, Limay, Bataan, last Monday. The newly designated police chief reported that Peter Jao, a diving expert of the CJMS Diving Services, did not reach the hospital alive. He suffered broken ribs and skull. The police report stated that the cause of the falling incident was due to a foul odor that the victim inhaled while climbing the ladder on his way out of the chlorination tank. As Jao fell into the cemented flooring of the chlorination tank, his companion identified as Nenito Quintana, also a diver, went down the tank and tried to rescue him. Quintana was assisted by other employees using a crane. As Quintana was climbing the ladder on his way out, he also fell. Rescuers rushed Quintana into the St. Michael Hospital in Orion town. Investigation showed that the two victims proceeded to the chlorination tank at around 9 a.m. Monday to open the water intake valve from the sea. After opening the valve, Jao climbed the ladder but fell after he allegedly inhaled a poisonous substance inside�. Reported in the Manila Bulletin. NB. The power plant uses LPG from the local refinery which reported a death and two unconscious at the sour water treatment plant in September and a vessel chief officer and two seamen injured when a loading hose parted in August (Manila Times) -
2009 11 30 Jao Peter Philippines CJMS Diving Services Topsides Dive team working at the gas powered power plant in Limay. Paraphrased from press reports:- “A diver died while a colleague is in critical condition after they entered a nine-meter chlorination tank inside the power plant in Alangan, Limay, Bataan, last Monday. The newly designated police chief reported that Peter Jao, a diving expert of the CJMS Diving Services, did not reach the hospital alive. He suffered broken ribs and skull. The police report stated that the cause of the falling incident was due to a foul odor that the victim inhaled while climbing the ladder on his way out of the chlorination tank. As Jao fell into the cemented flooring of the chlorination tank, his companion identified as Nenito Quintana, also a diver, went down the tank and tried to rescue him. Quintana was assisted by other employees using a crane. As Quintana was climbing the ladder on his way out, he also fell. Rescuers rushed Quintana into the St. Michael Hospital in Orion town. Investigation showed that the two victims proceeded to the chlorination tank at around 9 a.m. Monday to open the water intake valve from the sea. After opening the valve, Jao climbed the ladder but fell after he allegedly inhaled a poisonous substance inside�. Reported in the Manila Bulletin. NB. The power plant uses LPG from the local refinery which reported a death and two unconscious at the sour water treatment plant in September and a vessel chief officer and two seamen injured when a loading hose parted in August (Manila Times) -
2009 12 6 Not Relevant James Edward USA SCUBA or snorkel James Edward XXXX, aged 61, who was found dead at Swami's Beach in Encinitas in December, drowned in the ocean while under the influence of methamphetamine, the Medical Examiner's Office said Friday. Along with "acute methamphetamine intoxication," cardiovascular disease was a contributing factor to the drowning, the medical examiner said. A surfer found XXXX's body facedown in the sand about 7:40 a.m. on Dec. 9, "clad in a full wet suit and flippers and obviously dead," the medical examiner's report said. His brother told reporters at the time that James XXXX had gone lobster diving late Dec. 6 or early Dec. 7 before a rainstorm hit the county. San Diego Union-Tribune -
2009 12 7 Azoulay Sgt. Gal Israel Naval Commando 3 Rebreather Aged 19. Night training dive for Israeli Naval Commando, simulation of combat dive in enemy port. “The dive was a group exercise, carried out in pairs, simulating a combat dive at an enemy port. The divers had completed similar exercises dozens of times since the beginning of the course. The exercise was supervised by Navy commandos on boats as well as on the beach, and an ambulance and a medic were standing by. The dive was supposed to last two or three hours, and each diver was to take turns being the lead diver. Some 90 minutes after the dive began (Around 02:00), when Azoulay became lead diver, he stopped responding to the routine once-a-minute check. When his partner realized that he was not responding, he carried him to the surface and fired a flare gun to mark their location. Within seconds, a boat arrived and Azoulay was given CPR. He was pronounced dead on shore 40 minutes later.' investigation by Israeli Defence Force concluded that he died from oxygen poisoning. One press reports that this was the first fatal accident in training for the unit since 1995, another states that an 18 year old soldier from the same unit was killed during a training exercise designed to “test underwater breathing about three years ago� Jerusalem Post -
2009 12 8 Kelly Stephen Australia Arafura Pearls Arafura Pearls pearling (farm) operation at Elizabeth Bay, about 50km northwest of Gove in Arnhem Land, 3.15pm on Tuesday. Aged 36, "He had come up from Victoria� (reported as new to the job, had started less than 12 months previously) and “was performing routine farm maintenance work, the water wasn't exceptionally deep but he went down, came up six minutes later, went down again and then when they pulled him back up he wasn't breathing." Transported 48 km to Gove Hospital failed. Doctors declared him dead on arrival in the emergency ward. Awaiting incident report. Reported by NT News.com.au -
2009 12 13 Kumar Mukesh India Grafftech Marine and Engineering 37 S/S Air Paraphrased from press reports: Purulia, India .An Indian diver who had is right foot stuck in a pipe for more than two days has died. Rescuers were forced to amputate his leg in order to recover the body after 72 hours. He was attempting to fix a leak inside an underwater chamber of the Purulia Power Project reservoir first noticed in March (The leak was reducing efficiency). The Mumbai-based engineering Company assigned the job to a diving team from Visakhapatnam The job was to locate the leak in the inundated reservoir chamber, find out what had caused it and carry out repairs. The repair work was to have been recorded on camera but there is no footage of Mukesh's dive. During the dive his right foot was sucked into a pipe. A specially trained diving team from Barrackpore called in to assist in the rescue got stuck in a road blockade and took more than 33 hours to reach the accident site. The diver was underwater well over 48 hours before he died. The project manager said amputation was the last resort and a move not without complications. "We had to eliminate all other options and proceed step by step", he said. According to reports Kumar was an experienced diver with 10 years of diving behind him. Purulia, Dec. 16: "Diver Mukesh Kumar's right leg was sawed off and his lifeless body pulled out, 72 hours after his foot got sucked into a drainage pipe in an underwater chamber. The suction at the mouth of the drainage pipe was so great that it had drawn in the leg till almost the thigh, though it was only till the ankle that his had foot got stuck initially. Officials of the Purulia Pumped Storage Project said "The task of locating and repairing the leak has been shelved for the time being". Reported by AHN -
2009 12 17 Peralta Juan Chile Fisherman Topsides Nine miles north of the town of Iquique (Punta Colorada), three man shellfish diving crew in a small (home-made) boat that sailed without authorisation (Port Captain was anticipating storms), vessel overturned in the rough seas, two divers made it ashore - one with a broken arm and were later rescued by helicopter - but the the diver's assistant was swept out to sea and drowned. Body recovered some hours later. Latercera.com -
2010 1 4 Renou Simon Italy Fireman 1 Paraphrased from Italian Press Reports:- “ROME - a diver was trapped underwater while working on the maintenance at the dam Castel Jubilee to the north of the capital, where he was working to unlock one of the four sluices which had been raised to drain the high water from recent heavy rains and had not closed completely His diving partner immediately gave the alarm and have started relief operations. 
Attempts to rescue the diver were made difficult by the water pressure that passes through the slot of the lock, pinning him against t. e wall. Initial rescue attempt failed and a rescue diver from the fire brigade went in with a rescue rope which he secured to the cylinder harness and the diver was successfully pulled to the surface (Hospitalised with hypothermia, but recovered). As the working diver was recovered, the fireman disappeared from sight (the torrent was rising) in a cascade of logs/debris. He was eventually recovered by pulling on his surface line. Might have been sucked into a suction pump that was put into operation to lower the water level or simply hit by debris. “Something had ripped off the mask and his face was cyanotic and blood was pouring from his nose." working diver might have had surface supply (he had comms and a lifeline, Fireman appears to have been on a lifeline but might have been on SCUBA gear. Reported in 'La Repubblica' -
2010 1 6 Bonifacio Petty Officer 3 Armand Philippines Coastguard 68 SCUBA Aged 42, 18 year veteran Coastguard diver working on recovering bodies from the wreck of the MV Catalyn B which sank off Limbones Island (Cavite Province). Volunteered to dive to about 221 feet, as another PCG colleague was unavailable. On the first of three scheduled dives for the day, Bonifacio, along with his dive buddy, retrieved a woman’s body. On their second attempt, the two reached the ship’s wreckage again. On their ascent, however, diver felt Bonifacio shake his hand at about 170 feet deep, a signal that he was not feeling well. Bonifacio reportedly increased his ascension speed, which was against basic diving safety rules. “He wanted to speed up his ascent, which would put him more in a very compromising situation. He was held back although his buddy assisted him in breathing in air)," SOG diving team head Lt. Commander said in a GMA News’ 24 Oras report. At around 140 feet, Bonifacio lost consciousness. He was resurfaced and brought to a decompression chamber for first aid. Inside the chamber, things went well as Bonifacio regained consciousness and was reportedly still able to follow orders. Two hours later, Bonifacio succumbed to cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center. In an ABS-CBN newscast, Bonifacio’s grieving wife rues the death of her husband, who had been in the service for 18 years and was already looking forward to retirement. “I wanted to stop him, as he was getting weak physically," the wife was quoted as saying. Bonifacio had been an integral member of the SOG diving team, had been trained by the Philippine Navy and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. He participated in the relief operation for the typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, which hit the country in 2009. He was also part of the rescue operation for MV Princess of Stars, which sank in Romblon in 2008, where 300 of the 800 passengers remain missing. “We checked the equipment. It’s not the equipment," but a PCG spokesperson admitted in the newscast that government divers do not have the required gas mixture for deep-sea diving. GMA News -
2010 2 8 Not Recorded Kuwait Quote from the Arab Times “An Egyptian diver in his 40s died while doing maintenance work on a huge gate in Al-Zour, reports Alam Alyawm daily�. However, the Al-Seyassah daily said �The diver fell off a boat and drowned. The corpse was fished out of the waters by divers from the Coast Guard� No details though this potentially conflicting description brings to mind a significant reporting issue in that I have heard several unofficial rumours that diver fatalities are regularly being reported as 'sailor in the sea, drowned' rather than 'diver killed at work' – a rather convenient tactic for avoiding investigations, bad press and awkward questions. (Though for 'half a story', the events on the pearler 'Dart' off Australia reported in December 1895 take some beating!) .............................TC -
2010 2 11 Gonzales Enrique Atila Avalos Mexico Police Federal police dive aged 35 taking part in a search pf the river Tuxpan in the area of La Florida, Jungapeo, for workers of the National Water Board (Conagua) who disappeared when their dredger sank whilst working near a dam (Four workers on the dredger, the supervisor survived and one person drowned but was recovered at the time, two others disappeared). During the search two police officers were swept away, petty Officer Eduardo Lledis Aspiro, aged 41, managed to struggle ashore, bur Gonzales disappeared. His body was found two days later. Reported in El Sol de Morelia. -
2010 2 15 Usimewa Henry Fiji High San Trading Aged 19, had been employed as a diver for three years, diving off the 'Grace III' on Nara reef off Yadua island for sucuwalu (beche-de-mer or sea cucumber). His crew members reported that he was dragged under by an unseen creature leaving only his diving gear behind (Hookah? TC). Search called off two days later, body not recovered. Presumed shark attack. Reported by the Fiji Times online -
2010 2 16 Woodle PO Ronald Tyler USA US SEAL SCUBA Known as Tyler, Aged 26, Enlisted in 2007, Special warfare operator 2nd class (SEAL) died during a diver training exercise near Key West. Found unconscious in the water, failed to respond to treatment. Citizen times -
2010 3 2 Dongwoon Kim Philippines Conclinic SCUBA Aged 34, Korean, Doosan Heavy Industries, working as the site manager at a power plant in Cebu (Not employed as a diver, expired work permit and visa). Apparently he 'insisted on fixing a a leak in the cooling water pump area himself' 'with the pump running'. Quote from colleague:- 'When we tested the pump (with the diver still in the water...) he was probably taken by the vacuum to the water pond which is really deep, he must have lost his oxygen in his tank and drowned'. After 15 minutes and he had not surfaced, the crew started to get worried and stopped the pump to carry out a search. Body recovered and taken to hospital but declared dead on arrival. ABS CBN News -
2010 3 7 Sanchez Lareo Anxo Miguel Spain 9 SCUBA Aged 40, asked to free the anchor of a sports boat by the owner 'who knew he was a diver' in the River Ares Estuary at 2 o'clock on a Sunday afternoon (Galicia), failed to surface. Rescue services found his body entangled in fishing gear on the seabed. Reported by gspbuceo.com -
2010 3 17 Not Released Australia Tasmanian Seafoods Aged 45, diving for trepang (sea cucumber) off the Cobourg Peninsula when the crocodile struck. Working from a Tasmanian Seafoods boat with a group of divers in Knocker Bay, about 112 miles north-east of Darwin. The saltwater crocodile, which police said was believed to be anywhere from 6 feet, 5 inches to 9 feet, 8 inches long, and managed to escape. It bit him on the head, neck, shoulders and arms, the Northern Territory News reported. A district Ranger said the man's diving companions rescued him and took him to the Black Point ranger station “Another person on the boat... dragged him out of the water," he said. "He'd got bitten a few times by the croc. He's just been in the wrong place at the wrong time." The man was flown by helicopter to Royal Darwin Hospital. He is in a stable condition and doctors say he won't need significant surgery. Saltwater crocodiles are considered extremely dangerous, and although rare, most attacks by adult 'salties' are fatal given the animals' strength and size. Tasmanian Seafoods Darwin manager visited him and said he was recovering. "He's going all right," he said. “He was an experienced diver who had requested anonymity�. Sky News on-line -
2010 3 22 Medina Daniel Choquehuanca Renzo Peru Aged 21, from La Bocana, shellfish (Scallops) diving operation off the island 'Lobo de Mar' (Or Isla Lobo de Tierra) 8 hours out of Parachique from the vessel 'Brandon IV', reported as a long dive, surfaced with a pulmonary embolism and died. Body brought ashore and taken to the central morgue in Piura, pronounced cause of death as lung collapse. Reported in La Primera, Peru -
2010 3 24 Canales Rodrigo Varas Chile Surface Swimmer Aged 28, shellfish diver off Caldera (El Morro), disappeared. Not counted as a commercial diver for our purposes as this was free diving. Noticia Relacionada -
2010 3 30 Not Recorded South Korea South Korean Navy 24 SCUBA Two members of the 170 divers in the underwater demolition teams injured attempting to rescue potential trapped survivors in the hull of the 1,200 tonnes Naval vessel “Cheonan� (Sank late 26th after an explosion split her in two 105 miles from the west coast port of Incheon just south of the disputed border line, 58 crew rescued, 46 missing). Reported as being hospitalised on the same day as a colleague, warrant officer Joo-Ho Han, died. AP. Later reported that the Cheonan was sunk by a mine or torpedo. -
2010 3 30 Han Warrant Officer Joo-Ho South Korea South Korean Navy 24 SCUBA Aged 53, a member of one of the underwater demolition teams attempting to rescue potential trapped survivors in the hull of the 1,200 tonnes Naval vessel “Cheonan� (Sank late 26th after an explosion split her in two 105 miles from the west coast port of Incheon just south of the disputed border line, 58 crew rescued, 46 missing). Reported as becoming unconscious in the water after a dive to 24 metres, brought up and transferred to a nearby US Navy hospital ship 'Salvo', but died. He joined the Navy in 1975 when he was 18, survived by his wife and two children. A South Korean fishing boat that participated in the search operation went into missing 01/04/2010, killing two people and leaving seven others missing. AP Later reports that the Cheonan was sunk by a torpedo. Strategy World, Los Angeles times, Telegraph etc -
2010 3 31 Casagrande Jean Christophe, known as 'Cox' Morocco Hydrokarst 53 SCUBA French (Albigensian) , aged 42, dive to recover a current metre at the site of the commercial freeport 'Tangier med 2000' at Ksar Sghir. Sub contract from SRPTM (Société Réalisation Port Tanger Méditerranée, a Saipem/Bougues company). Reported that his cylinders came to surface and he was found unconscious on the seabed, recovered to the surface by diver two, did not respond to treatment. Experienced diver, had been working with the same contractor since 2004. Engaged to be married. Ongoing investigation. PC plus Bladi.net and ladepeche.fr -
2010 4 7 Al-Trabulsi Jonas USA S/S Air Aged 26, of Kemah, drowned while cleaning the hull of a boat and was found floating in the water, was pulled from the water near Waterford Harbor Marina after police were called to investigate. An autopsy performed Thursday listed the cause of death as a drowning, He was a contract hull cleaner and was cleaning a boat in the marina. The compressor he was using to get air was laying on its side when police arrived but it was unknown if that contributed at that time because there was some pressure left. Associated Press. -
2010 4 8 Ojeda Rodrigo Argentina 30 Apparently the 32 year old diver was killed during construction of the Maldonado tunnel in Buenos Aries, possibly a decompression incident. All we know is that city mayor went into print in August saying he found it 'serious' that they had “failed to inform the company�, that the urban development minister and director of works “have concealed the death of a worker on the site that is the most important of his administration�. No other details. Reported in Diario Cronica and Partido de la Cuidad -
2010 4 9 Bondrescu Sergeant-Major Emilian Marius Romania Fireman 5 Aged 35 or 36, had worked as a diver for 15 years with the Dolj fire services (ISU), on his day off, hired to work at the village of Radovan on the dam on lake Fantanele, asked to seal the entrance to a drainage pipe. Sucked under, drowned. Took two days to recover the body as nobody could safely get near the outlet. Diving solo, no team, no lifeline. Wife and four year old daughter. www.gds.ro -
2010 4 23 Salas Jonathon Michael Botello Panama Braswell Shipyard Int SA Aged 21, had been diving at the Braswell shipyard in Balboa (South East entrance to the Panama Canal) for just three months. Apparently ate a meal at noon and after a brief rest, entered the water, 'had a seizure' (Vomited) and drowned. Reported by critica.com.pa -
2010 4 24 Sims Christopher USA Louisiana Oilfield Divers Topsides Aged 39 from Florida, returned onshore due to bad weather, went for a motorcycle ride, crashed off the road into a bayou, body found a day later after reported as missing. Reported as accidental drowning, not wearing a helmet. Houma Today. In March 2011 it was reported in the Louisiana Record that:- The family of a deceased seaman has filed a lawsuit against the man's employer for allegedly allowing him to drive a motorcycle while heavily intoxicated. “He was employed as a seaman, commercial diver and crewmember. When the vessel was ordered to return to shore because of inclement weather, he, along with his co-workers, were taken to the home of a Louisiana oilfield diver's supervisor where they were to remain on call and "on the clock" for further instructions'. The lawsuit claims that the diver's supervisors served their employees alcoholic beverages while waiting to return offshore. A supervisor allegedly supplied him with the keys to a motorcycle despite knowing that he had been drinking heavily. The defendant is accused of negligence for failing to properly plan for the evacuation, bunking and quartering the crew, providing alcoholic beverages to its crew, allowing and providing him with the keys to a motorcycle knowing that he had been drinking and failing to provide him with a safe and nonhazardous workplace� -
2010 5 3 Blake Petty Officer Craig Afghanistan Canadian Navy Topsides Aged 37, father of two, Navy clearance diver with the Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic based in Nova Scotia, seconded to Afghanistan because of his mine clearance training, killed by a remote operated roadside bomb as he and colleagues were walking back to the Sperwan Ghar forward Operations Base having successfully defused another IED in Panjwai, 25 miles South west of Kandahar. Wife and two sons, had only been in Afghanistan a couple of weeks, he was the first sailor to die in Afghanistan, killed the day before the Canadian navy celebrated its centennial. He was the 143 member of the Canadian forces to be killed there since 2002. (Included for information, a diver, but not working as a diver so not counted as a diving fatality TC). Reported in the Canadian Press -
2010 5 18 Carvalho Sgt. Andre Luiz dos Santos Brazil Navy Navy diver, Rio Naval base on the Island of Mocangue, went missing during a diving exercise, body found by SAR team three hours later. No details -
2010 5 22 Smith Gary USA SCUBA Aged 61, founding member and chief officer of the Lacey Township Dive Team, diving off the 'Dina Dee', a 42' charter vessel out of Barnegat Light, not clear if it was a Search and Rescue dive or training dive (He was an SAR diver Instructor), surfaced unresponsive, did not respond to treatment. Atlantic City Press. -
2010 5 23 Eves Stephen James UK Topsides Aged 26, car crash on his way to work at Connah's Quay at 07:35 on a Sunday Morning. Reported in the Liverpool News -
2010 5 25 Costa Dr. Paolo Italy 107 Rebreather Aged 60, dive team of 4 people filming for Rai 3 programme "Geo and Geo" on Sardinia (Oliena, Nuoro) in an underwater spring (Su Gologone). Reported as becoming ill (Heart attack) during the ascent, failed to respond to treatment. A companion who assisted him up was treated for omitted decompression. Vip.it -
2010 5 27 Orellana Luis Alberto Romero Chile 7 SCUBA Iquique, Chile. Shellfish diver with 30 years diving experience, Luis Alberto Romero Orellana, died yesterday at 11 am in a diving accident. At the time of the incident Luis Alberto was doing scrap recovery work for a fishing company. His teammates gave notice of the accident via mobile to the Maritime authorities, the patrol vessel "Defender" and a rescue RIB/divers of Harbor Master recovered the diver's body. Diving solo, no stand-by. Reported by gspbuceo -
2010 5 31 Not Recorded Greece Press report stating that “a diver working for Hellenic Petroleum in Aspropyrgos (West of Athens) died while working on repairs to a water tank� reported as lost consciousness underwater, taken to hospital but did not respond to treatment. No other details. Ekathimerini.com -
2010 6 2 Kumar Krishan India Indian Navy Topsides Aged 26 from Patna, a Navy diver, killed whilst three others, including the pilot and co-pilot, were injured when an Indian Navy Chetak helicopter crashed near the coastal city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The helicopter, deployed at INS Dega, crashed into a stream at Ankapalle, about 50 km from Visakhapatnam, although the cause of the crash was not immediately known, a police officer at the crash site said that the helicopter was on a route familiarization mission. It hit a high-tension wire while flying low to locate a landing spot to be used in case of emergencies, spiralled out of control and plunged into the river. Fishermen and locals informed the police who rescued the four Naval personnel from the wreckage in the water and rushed them to Anakapally hospital but Kumar died as they reached the hospital. Express News Service -
2010 6 7 Beare Lloyd USA Dryden Diving 4 S/S Air Aged 45, one of a team that had been diving at the Indian point Nuclear Power Station in Buchanan for a couple of weeks. Working on a retaining wall between the Hudson River and a discharge channel. Stopped responding to surface, pulled up but did not respond to treatment, thought to be natural causes but examiner reported cause of death was not a heart attack. Waiting on reports. NBC News -
2010 6 10 Levican Juan Bernado Chile Aged 30, Town of Quemchi, Butachauques Island, shellfish diver. Surfaced and reported not feeling well, taken ashore by the vessel "Dona Amelia" but arrived at the Metahue medical centre dead and was then transferred to Isla Grande. No other details. GPS Buceo -
2010 6 19 Nasca Michele Italy Aged 57, 7 o'clock in the morning, snorkel diving with his brother to collect seafood near a pier near in the town of Zapponeta (Foggia, Italian East Coast north of Bari), sucked into into the 1 metre diameter inlet of a pump 2.5 metres below sea level (grill may have been faulty) supplying salt water to the 'Margherita di Savona' natural salt drying pans. Reported as 'shredded' by the impeller which was located only 30cm from the entrance. Apparently there was a sign prohibiting swimming in the area at the head of the pier, but not on the beach either side of it. A local fisherman was reported as saying that many years ago another spear fisherman had died at the same place in the same manner. Reported by Stato quotidiano -
2010 7 2 Hollifield Chris USA Veolia 76 Saturation Aged 33, former US Marine, Post 'Katrina' remedial works off the 'Normand Clipper', possible u/w oxy/arc diving explosion. Standby diver was deployed and located diver unresponsive on the seabed, did not respond to treatment. No details. Survived by wife and unborn son. Personal communication -
2010 7 12 Not Recorded Germany 39 year old commercial diver disappeared whilst working on clearing fishing nets from the propeller of the liner 'Noordam' in Bremerhaven (Crew had complained of vibration). Not clear whether propeller rotated or fell off, but diver disappeared in the fast flowing current of the Weser Police report, no other details -
2010 7 13 Not Recorded Finland S/S Air Reported as a 43 year old diver working at the oil port of Kemi (checking port sonar equipment) became distressed in the water whilst working on Monday 9th July, was pulled to the surface and taken to hospital in a critical condition, died on the following Friday. Dates are confused (Monday was 5th July?) No other details. Reported by hlb.fi -
2010 7 21 Wesley Skiles USA 21 Rebreather Aged 52, Professional underwater photographer and explorer of underwater caves in Florida, diving 3 miles off Boynton Beach, found unconscious on the seabed by colleagues, did not respond to treatment. Gainsville Sun -
2010 7 22 Torres Luis Martin Cohuo Mexico From Celestun but resident in Hunucma, wife and two children aged 14 and 7, shellfish diver, died in a decompression incident. No details. Reported by Yucatanalamano.com -
2010 7 24 Costello Patrick Germany Nordic Dive Enterprise 41 S/S Air 27 year old Swedish air diver working for a Danish contractor on a windfarm project in German waters. Reported as drowned in the last week of a six week diving job, had been airlifting from the DP II 'Maersk Tender', umbilical entangled one of the valves on the airlift. Did not activate his bailout, recovered to surface by the stand-by diver. Translated from German
Press reports dated Monday 26 07 2010:- “Diver dies when working in the offshore windfarm near Borkum. (Bard Offshore). The accident happened on Saturday at 40 meters in depth work. 'Aged 27, a professional diver from Sweden' said a police spokesman, confirming corresponding media reports�. Source: n-tv.de Other press reports indicate a possible lifting incident (TC)<br />UPDATE: The Danish Maritime Authority have released a Casualty Report regards this incident available from: http://www.dma.dk/news/Sider/Casualtyreportaboutdivingaccident.aspx<br />Also see topic in Incidents Diving Forum. -
2010 7 25 Alajbegovich Samo Italy 7 Rebreather Aged 41, Slovenian biologist working at the Piran Marine Biology centre, diving on a 'Trieste HDT' rebreather off Miramar, body located in 7 metres of water 200 metres from the beach location where his diving partner, Ziga Dorajc was pulled alive, but unconscious (He subsequently died in hospital), from the water 4 hours earlier. Reported in Slowwwenia.enaa.com -
2010 7 27 McCullough Mike USA SCUBA American, mid twenties. Paraphrased from press reports:- “A SCUBA diver retrieving golf balls at The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course drowned Tuesday afternoon, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department said. "The lady driving the boat to the green said she had seen him at the back edge of the green diving for balls but hadn't seen him in an hour and half," said one golfer. “We started looking around to see if we could see him and when we looked over the left side of the green, we saw his face down body limp under the water, about 15 feet (offshore). But he wasn't moving and there weren't any bubbles coming out. The witness and a staff member took a boat out, pulled the body aboard and took the victim to an adjacent dock around 4 pm. The witness said the body was without diving gear when it was spotted. He was pronounced dead at Kootenai Medical Center around 5 p.m He was working for a contractor who picks up golf balls and other debris from the lake bottom in the area. Tuesday afternoon his gear was still at the bottom of the lake, said the sheriff's department. “Our divers will recover that and investigate this as the case goes on�. CDA Press. -
2010 7 29 Dobrajc Ziga Italy 4 Rebreather Aged 31, Slovenian biologist working at the Piran Marine Biology centre, diving on a 'Trieste HBY' rebreather off Miramar, injured in the same incident that killed Samo Alajbegovich on the 25th July. He was recovered from the sea unconscious by rescuers 10 metres from the shore in less than 4 metres of water. On life support in hospital for 4 days, declared brain dead, life support switched off. Reported in Slowwwenia.enaa.com -
2010 8 4 Not Recorded Luis Mexico Rubi Munoz Chan Aged 25 from Seibaplaya, Campeche, diving for sea cucumber off the Rubi V as one of a three man crew. Vessel returned to port at 11:30 with his body, press commented on poor equipment and lack of knowledge of diving, but no details. Second diver to die in 15 days (Luis Torres. 22nd July) Reported by Yucatanalamano.com -
2010 8 5 Not Recorded Japan SCUBA Japaneses, aged 58, a diving instructor giving tourists a diving lesson off Koki Beach in Nago, standing barefoot in shallow water at 9 a.m. stung by a stonefish. Suddenly felt a sharp pain on the bottom of his left foot and quickly lost consciousness. Another instructor at the beach provided first aid but the victim stopped breathing before an ambulance arrived later died. A spokesman for the Okinawa Health Department’s pharmaceutical team said this was the first reported death caused by the venomous fish in 27 years. Reported in Stars and Stripes (Big American forces base in the Area). Sports SCUBA, but professional instructor and at work. -
2010 8 6 Not Recorded Switzerland Aged 47, Conny-Land theme park in Lipperswil, Norther Switzerland, cleaning a dolphin tank on Friday night, apparently pulled from the water unconscious but failed to respond to resuscitation. Later reported that cause of death was a heart attack. No other details -
2010 8 8 King Patrick Donald USA Forever Resorts 18 SCUBA Aged 30, killed in an accident while diving at Lake Nacimiento in the Bee Rock Cove area. His diving partner, aged 18, was injured and taken to U.C.L.A. Medical Center after initially being treated at the scene. The diver was pronounced dead at the lake after apparently attempting to salvage a sunken boat. According to sheriff's department officials, it appeared that a tether line that linked the divers became tangled in a separate line between the salvage boat and the sunken vessel. King ran low on air and was attempting to "buddy breathe" with Burgess when there may have been an equipment failure that caused Burgess to jettison his dive gear and began to surface from below 60 feet. Burgess was able to surface and call for help, The other diver later surfaced unconscious and was given CPR prior to paramedics declaring him dead at the scene, according to a press release. Both men worked for the resort company that runs the lake. -
2010 8 9 Castro Antonio Romero Mexico Almeja Caterina 36 S/S Air Paraphrased from press reports:- “Aged 47 years (or 50 years, depending on report), from Cuidad Constitucion, scallop diver working out of Ensenada Blanca at the Magdalena Bay Complex, went home after work, felt ill, went to the Port of San Carlos hyperbaric centre. A health official in the hyperbaric chamber located in the port said that it must report that this unfortunate diver did not die in the hyperbaric chamber as previously reported due to lack of oxygen and much less about the lack of timely patient care but to the seriousness of the symptoms caused by severe decompression, this being the cause of death, according to the opinion of the medical examiner who performed the autopsy. Cause of death listed as 'inadequate decompression, decompression illness, massive pulmonary thrombosis and oedema' It was stated that prior to the this person had been working for 4 hours at 30 meters when the compressor stopped. Dive related to the fishing industry of the municipality of Comondu. No other details. Reported by Peninsulardigital.com -
2010 8 17 Diaz Lt Mejia Honduras Navy SCUBA A Navy diver from Honduras today drowned while trying to salvage a narcotics plane from the Ulua River in Choloma Cortes in northern Honduras. Authorities reported that he and other colleagues had found the twin-engine craft and were preparing to salvage it when his safety rope was caught in the aircraft. Police seized 500 kilos of cocaine which they believe came to Honduras in the aircraft. Reported in Elheraldo.hn -
2010 8 21 Hussein Mahmoud Ali Egypt Paraphrased from Press Reports:- Port Suez saw a tragic accident that claimed the live of a 40 year old vessel maintenance diver when the crew of a cargo ship waiting to transit the canal started the engines. A team from the Maritime Rescue Police recovered the body which was found to be badly damaged by the effects of the large propellers. The authorities detained the Iraqi Captain and ordered his prosecution (charged with negligence at work and killing the diver). Rosaonline.net -
2010 8 30 Mieses Kelvin Dominican Republic S/S Air Aged 24, reports unclear, but appears to have been a decompression incident related to long or deep surface supplied air dive during which the compressor failed preventing him from undertaking decompression stops. Treated at the local El Seibo hospital and referred to regional hspital in San Pedro de Macoris where he died. Unclear if there was a back up air supply, a bailout or if there was a DDC on site or at either hospital. Reported in diariolibre.com -
2010 9 6 Giogine Augusto Brazil Aged 50, diver charging diving cylinders onboard the trawler 'Luz do Dia' port of Saco de Bananal (Near Rio). 04:30 on a Sunday morning, reported as compressor explosion, a splinter of wood hit him in the neck causing massive bleeding. Reported in Angranews -
2010 9 6 Deep Sat Dive China Navy Medical Research Institute 491 Saturation 4 Chinese divers reported to have reached a storage depth of 480 metres with an excursion to 493 metres on heliox. The 'Atlantis' trials (Duke University, USA,) reached 686 metres in 1981, Comex ran a series of deep diving programmes (Physalie, Janus, Sagittaire, Hydra, etc) mostly in France and finally Aurora at the NHC in Aberdeen reaching 470 metres in 1993. The deepest took place in France in Toulon with the Hydra programme reaching 701 metres in 1992 (the diver was Theo Mavrostomos, 20th November 1992) using Hydreliox. Deepest hydreliox working dive is still Comex with a simulated pipeline intervention in the Mediterranean in 1988 with the Hydra 8 dives to 534 metres. -
2010 9 7 Villalobos Roberto Antonio Chile S/S Air Aged 36, one of three brothers (Victor Manuel, Julio Humberto and Roberto Antonio) crewing the fishing vessel "Manchita" out of the port of Ovalle (La Lobera) in Talcaruca inlet harvesting limpets. Victor and Robrto dived, but after 20 minutes it was noticed that Roberto's umbilcal was not moving, pulled to the surface but appeared already lifeless. Taken to port where paramedics confirmed him dead. GPS Buceo -
2010 9 9 Zarafu Cristian Romania Hunter SRL 40 SCUBA Turkish cargo vessel 'Medy' sank six miles off Constanta breakwater on the 1st September 2010. Private diving contractor put 4 divers onboard an ARSVOM (Navy) vessel to do a pollution survey to establish a contingency plan. First team dived successfully, second team (Ispas and Zarafu) followed, but nether surfaced. Romanian authorities intervened to remove the 22 tons of fuel and about two tons of oil and hired in a specialist Turkish diving contractor. To reach fuel tanks and engine room of the wreck, divers made a hole in the hull and began emptying the fuel tanks. The body of Ispas was found inside the engine room on the 12th December (Drowned, but with 20 bar air pressure still in his cylinder). Attributed to Nitrogen Narcosis. Apparently entered the wreck without using a lifeline (Ispas worked for the emergency services but worked also for the diving contractor, unclear if he was a qualified commercial diver, Zarrafu was a full time commercial diver. No DDC, no medical back-up. The body of Zarafu was recovered on the 23rd December. Reported by Jurnalul.ro -
2010 9 9 Ispas Lt. Catalin Romania Hunter SRL 40 SCUBA Turkish cargo vessel 'Medy' sank six miles off Constanta breakwater on the 1st September 2010. Private diving contractor put 4 divers onboard an ARSVOM (Navy) vessel to do a pollution survey to establish a contingency plan. First team dived successfully, second team (Ispas and Zarafu) followed, but nether surfaced. Romanian authorities intervened to remove the 22 tons of fuel and about two tons of oil and hired in a specialist Turkish diving contractor. To reach fuel tanks and engine room of the wreck, divers made a hole in the hull and began emptying the fuel tanks. The body of Ispas was found inside the engine room on the 12th December (Drowned, but with 20 bar air pressure still in his cylinder). Attributed to Nitrogen Narcosis. Apparently entered the wreck without using a lifeline (Ispas worked for the Naval emergency services but worked also for the diving contractor, unclear if he was a qualified commercial diver, Zarrafu was a full time commercial diver. No DDC, no medical back-up. The body of Zarafu was recovered on the 23rd December. Reported by Jurnalul.ro -
2010 9 10 Lower Rob USA Self Employed 23 Rebreather Aged 29, professional rare fish collector (selling to the aquarium trade) reported as diving to 75m to 100m on a daily basis.. Diving for Masked Angel Fish, a rare species off the island of Kauai. Mild DCS symptoms from a dive the previous day to over 90m depth, he dived to 75m without a viable dive computer (Dive computer failed a few days prior to the accident, reported that the replacement computer either did not support a fixed PPO2 or was not available - conflicting reports). Replacement computer would not have his very high tissue compartment loadings in any case. Surfaced from the 75m with DCS symptoms which became worse on the boat, flown to a chamber and recompressed, stopped breathing in the chamber and failed to respond to reatment. Reported Cerebral Embolism. Reported that he had been tol that his dive practices were extremely hazardous but chose to dive when he knew he did not have adequate decompression data and was already suffering from DCS, also reported to have claimed he could "feel the nitrogen coming out of him", so did not need a deco computer. Reported by reefbuilders, hawaiiskindiver etc -
2010 9 14 Rine Duane 'Charlie' USA Fisherman 3 SCUBA Aged 51, Long-time crew member on the 164' Herring boat 'Western Venture', pair trawling out of Gloucester, 150 miles offshore. Nets caught around rudder/propeller. Paraphrased report:- "He had dived on the boat before and was willing and able to clear the net from the rudders. Around 7:30 or 8 p.m. he got into the water, immediately cleared the port rudder, but the starboard rudder is more difficult. He was under for around 10 to 15 minutes, and when he surfaced had abandoned all of his dive gear (tank, weight belt, etc.). Conscious and shouting to the crew when he surfaced, but after they lifted him out of the water with the sling he quickly lost consciousness and stopped breathing. The crew of the boat performed CPR for over an hour. They failed to resuscitate him and with no help on the way stopped CPR after 9 p.m. As we drifted by their stern. I could see the crew carrying his body to shelter from the back deck. At 9:30 p.m. the captain of Western Venture told us that we had lost him. When the Venture was able to pick up her gear, they found all of his dive gear tangled in the net. That he became entangled in the net under the boat is a fact. The rest can only be speculated upon." Gloucester Daily Times -
2010 9 14 Barrett Mark D USA State Police 23 SCUBA Aged 41, Died during a training dive in Lake Anna, reported as deep diver training with 16 other members of the Virginia State Police search and recovery team, ascending, seen to have difficulty breathing, assisted to surface, CPR, taken to hospital but died. Reported as drowned. First fatality on the dive team since it was established in 1962. The Munz -
2010 9 17 Todirel Iulian Romania Fireman Aged 25 diver in the ISU (Emergency services) with two colleagues went down into a well in the village of Radauti Prut to recover a man, overcome by CO fumes from a water pump. One colleague (Sergeant Marius Loghin) died, Iulian Todirel, along with and the section leader, Major Narcis Jachal were hospitalised first in Darabani City Hospital then transferred to Botsani County hospital. The 33 year old man they went to rescue also died. Discussion after the event centred on apparent lack of training (recognising a contaminated environment) and failure to intiate/use Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment (HBOT) for CO poisoning. Realitea.net -
2010 9 17 Loghin Sergeant Marius Romania Fireman Aged 32, diver in the ISU (Emergency services) with two colleagues went down into a well in the village of Radauti Prut to recover a man, overcome by CO fumes from a water pump, pronounced dead after an hour and a half artifical respiration. Two colleagues (Iulian Todirel aged 25 and the section leader, Major Narcis Jachal aged 33) were hospitalised first in Darabani City Hospital then transferred to Botsani County hospital. The 33 year old man they went to rescue also died. Discussion after the event centred on apparent lack of training (recognising a contaminated environment) and failure to intiate/use Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment (HBOT) for CO poisoning. Realitea.net -
2010 9 17 Jachal Major Narcis Romania Fireman Aged 33, section leader of three man diving team in the ISU (Emergency services) with two colleagues went down into a well in the village of Radauti Prut to recover a man, overcome by CO fumes from a water pump. One colleague (Sergeant Marius Loghin) died, section leader, Major Narcis Jachal and diver Iulian Todirel were hospitalised first in Darabani City Hospital then transferred to Botsani County hospital. The 33 year old man they went to rescue also died. Discussion after the event centred on apparent lack of training (recognising a contaminated environment) and failure to intiate/use Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment (HBOT) for CO poisoning. Realitea.net -
2010 9 24 Not Recorded Croatia Tourists SCUBA A SCUBA cylinder exploded as it was being loaded onto to a diving bost in the Port of Komiza killing a 48 year old Polish woman, three other people were injured and taken to hospital in Split where a 43 year old man who had received head injuries died overnight. They were part of a 12 person group of Polish tourists on a SCUBA diving holiday. AFP -
2010 9 27 Paillacar Victor Javier Chile Fisherman SCUBA Aged 24, scallop diver from the 'Luisa' 30 minutes transit out of Puerta Natales, brought ashore dead after what was described as a 'decompression problem'. No other details. Reported by Polar Radio -
2010 10 2 Barrientos Jose Ascensio Chile Aged 54, Shellfish diver onboard the vessel "Seno Vera" 13 miles off Puerto Aguirre suffered fractured left leg and serious cuts to both legs from the vessel's propeller. Transferred ashore (seems to have taken over six hours to get the rescue boat there and back to port) and to hospital. No other details. Armarda.cl -
2010 10 13 Muller Travis USA Ron Perrin Water Technologies 9 SCUBA Paraphrased from press reports:- “A 28 year old diver from Arlington died at about 09:45 this morning while working inside a nearly full City of Richmond municipal above ground water storage tank in Richmond this morning. The diver worked for a contractor who was performing routine (Two yearly silt removal) maintenance on the 500,000 gallon tank, which is about 50 feet tall and was three-quarters filled with water. The diver descended into the tank in SCUBA gear (09:15) and went to the bottom (09:18) was vacuuming the bottom of it to clean it. His partner who was outside the tank on the top noticed the diver's tether line became slack (09:28). He then also put on scuba gear and went into the tank to find what was wrong. He found the man unresponsive with his mask off but started having regulator problems and surfaced. The Richmond fire Department responded and recovered the diver’s body (10:50)". Declared dead. Houston Chronicle. -
2010 10 15 Allan Stephen 'Darby' Sudan Mine Action Group Landmine British, aged 52, ex marine clearance diver who had spent 30 years with the Royal Navy as a highly commended explosive ordnance expert, before joining MAG in 2006, with whom he led mine clearance teams in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Underwater Port Clearance), Lebanon and Sudan (Surface ordnance). The chief executive of MAG, said his team had cleared 1,500 explosive items in Sudan since last August and the work of the organisation had saved countless lives. (Included for information, a diver, but not working as a diver so not counted as a diving fatality TC). The News, Portsmouth -
2010 10 18 Tiffin CPO Andrew Afghanistan Canadian Navy Topsides Canadian, 42-year-old father of two, naval clearance diver and explosive ordnance disposal technician. (Friend and colleague of Craig Blake - killed 3rd of May - whose coffin he escorted home). He specialized in the analysis of explosive devices, based in Kandahar, working on a seemingly disabled device when it blew apart in his hands. Severely damaged left hand, also arms injuries, medivac to Germany and then onward to Canada. The Star.com. (Included for information, a diver, but not working as a diver so not counted as a diving fatality TC) -
2010 10 19 Alarcon Mario Peru Aged 48, had stopped diving 'but for financial reasons' moved from 'the slums of Lucy Villanueva' to the Island of Parachique (Province of Sechura) to work in the pearl shell extraction industry. Surfaced in a rush and complained of chest pains, died diuring the transfer to Parachique. No treatment equipment on the boat. Wife and six children. Elregionalpiura.com -
2010 10 22 Demian Jorge Argentina Fireman Aged 24, fireman based at Caleta Olivia on a rescue diver course in Puerto Santa Cruz, appears to have died in an accident at the Juan Carlos Narvaez sports centre swimming pool during training, but no details. Reported by GPS Diving -
2010 10 23 Copeland Mark Eugene USA Greg's Marine 12 S/S Air American, aged 45. Paraphrased from reports "On Oct. 23 at approximately 11:34 a.m., units from the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office and Maryland State Police responded to the Dominion LNG Plant Gas Dock to investigate a reported industrial accident. The victim was later pronounced deceased at Calvert Memorial Hospital. The preliminary investigation revealed he was working for Greg’s Marine as a labourer. His duties this day were to chip away old cement jackets placed over pilings at the gas dock, preparing these pilings for new jackets, approximately 1 mile off the coast of Calvert County. While conducting this task, he was equipped with a neoprene wet suit, fins, a harness, and a diver’s helmet. He slipped underwater and continued to the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay, approximately 40 feet. After several attempts, the supervisor finally rescued his unconscious body from the Bay’s floor. CPR was conducted by his co-workers as well as medical staff and members of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office. Forensic investigation revealed there were no signs of trauma to the body. This is an on-going investigation handled by the Calvert Investigative Team (CIT) and the United States Coast Guard" -
2010 11 2 Tejeda Miguel Angel Molina Chile Chilean Navy Aged 23, Salvage diver, Chief of staff stated that he made a very shallow dive but afterwards reported not feeling well. He was sent to the Naval hospital 'Admiral Nef' in Vina del Mar but during the transfer suffered a possible cardiac arrest. No other details. Reported by GPS Divinig -
2010 11 4 Not Recorded Earl'? USA, New York Reicon S/S Air American, aged 35. Paraphrased from reports:- “Commercial diving team working at a restoration project at Chelsea Pier 59 on the Hudson River. End of dive, divers were being pulled back to the barge they were working from, fellow workers saw that one of the divers was in distress. Police said his umbilical had become entangled in the pier and was frantically waving his hands as he was pulled in along the 250’ umbilical and had taken off the mask that presumably because he was not able to get air through it. He was pulled out of the water blue and unconscious about 5:45 p.m. Police said that attempts by his fellow workers to revive the man were unsuccessful, but that emergency crews responding to the scene were able to resuscitate him. He was incoherent at first, but was brought to Bellevue hospital in stable condition, police said�. DNAinfo (Manhattan Local News) Unsubstantiated rumours of no standby diver, no bail out, self tending, pulled out by another (none diver) worker, possibly a 'single man dive team', but no details in the public domain. In hospital recovering, breathing tube removed 5 days later. -
2010 11 4 Dau Nguyen Van Vietnam Cienco No 1 32 S/S Air Paraphrased from press reports:- "A diver drowned in Da Nang Thursday while fixing a broken drill tip at a bridge construction site. The Diver, aged 33 was paid VND10 million (US$513) to bring up a drill tip from 32 meters below the surface of the Han River. His first dive was successful; and he surfaced after 15 minutes with part of the tip. He descended once again and didn't resurface. Another worker from  the Tran Thi Ly bridge construction site dived to check on Dau and found his dead body. Some of the workers said the tube supplying oxygen to Dau was narrow and might have twisted, diminishing Dau's air supply. Workers also said the cold water might have weakened him. Rescuers managed to bring his body to the surface on Thursday evening, seven hours after the event. First investigation showed that Dau had been stuck in a pipe, which is part of the bridge construction�. Thanh Nien News.com -
2010 11 13 Rain Javier Gueichapiren Chile SCUBA Shellfish diver working on the 'Westhoff' 20 miles south of Puerto Melinka Weste, disappeared. Search by Navy personnel located his body on the North coast of Puerto Llancos two days later. www.armada.cl -
2010 11 18 Wilbert Valiente Zapata Peru SCUBA Aged 38, one of two shellfish divers (Roberto Villata Nolesolo was seriously injured) diving from the scallop boat 'Robert Alexander' off the island 'Lobos de Tierra' involved in a decompression incident. No details. Reported by GPS Diving -
2010 11 18 Nolesolo Roberto Villata Peru SCUBA Aged 38, one of two shellfish divers (Valiente Zapata Wilbert was killed) diving from the scallop boat 'Robert Alexander' off the island 'Lobos de Tierra' involved in a decompression incident. No details. Reported by GPS Diving -
2010 11 27 Not Recorded Norway Aged 47, Reports described him as 'A professional diver in his 40s was killed during a working dive at a pumping station at the Husqvarna factory in Sarpsborg, Ostfold on Saturday morning'. Possibly trapped underwater and/or lost air supply, but no details. Checking the factory inlet was an annual job he had done several times previousl. Water was ice covered at the time. The diver appears to have been a volunteer/sports diver from the Sarpsborg diving club but employed to undertake a commercial (water inlet) diving job. Does not appear to fit in with Norwegian regulations. No published incident report found to date. Reported by NTu -
2010 11 29 McCarthy Peter Joseph Thailand 80 Rebreather British, aged 47, diving instructor, disappeared on an 80 metre deep dive into the mouth of a submerged volcano off the Thai island of Koh Tao with a party of eight other British and Italian divers at about noon, local time, on Monday. The other instructor on the dive told Thai media that Mr McCarthy did not come up after the nine man hour-long dive. Each of the divers had two hours of oxygen. The other divers used up their remaining oxygen in searching for their instructor, reports said. The instructor was described as a very experienced technical diver - expert in a specialised type of scuba diving that uses a mix of gases to allow divers dive go deeper and for longe (Technical diving). The original diving group consisted of the two instructors, four men and three women. Mr McCarthy had a diving licence issued in the Gulf of Thailand province of Chumpon. Daily Mail UK -
2010 12 0 Not Recorded Georgia Paraphrased from press reports:- “In December 2010, a 25-year old diver was badly injured when working underwater at the oil port of Kulevi�. Reported in the press articles reporting the deaths of Erkan Karsky and Murad Oglu in January 2011 -
2010 12 2 White Danny Williams Nicaragua Pasenic SCUBA Aged 31, diving to retrieve two anchors from the fishing vessel “Lady Sylvia� owned by Pasenic (Nicaraguan Shellfish growers). Solo dive, 30 minutes into the dive was found by colleagues dead on the seabed between the two anchors. Medical examiner stated cause of death was a heart problem. Survived by wife, 3 year old son and 1 year old daughter. Had worked for Pasenic for 11 years. Reported by GPS Diving -
2010 12 8 Lightfoot, US Army Captain Juan E USA US Army SCUBA Capt. Juan E. Lightfoot, 34, died at Womack Army Medical Center four days after an accident during pre-SCUBA training. The former Marine who had arrived at the battalion in November, commanded a Special Forces detachment of Fort Bragg's 7th Special Forces Group. As the incident was under investigation, no details were available, including the place or nature of the accident and whether it took place in the water, said a spokesman for 7th Group. The training was intended to prepare soldiers to attend the Combat Divers Qualification Course held at the Special Forces Underwater Operations School in Key West, part of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg. Reported in the Fay Observer. -
2010 12 8 Agustin Mike Nicaragua Alberto Woo SCUBA Diving off the fishing Vessel 'Marco Polo' for Lobster, they lost his bubble trail, diver disappeared/failed to surface, presumed dead. A few days earlier, another fishing vessel sank, the Captain was never found but two crew members got ashore. The search for the missing diver and Captain was abandoned after 5 days. laprensa.com. No other details. -
2010 12 9 Perez David Venezuela Alianza Servicios Marinos del Lago 7 S/S Air Diving Contractor working for Petrolos de Venezuela. Reported as “Died whilst inspecting oil pipelines in Lake Maracaibo at 12:05 hours�. Reported by La Verdad. Another report indicates that neither the diver nor supervisor had no training certifcates and that the diver got entangled in a downline to the pipeline, lost his helmet and drowned (Longstreath) -
2010 12 14 Not Recorded USA 26 Two Bremerton commercial geoduck divers were taken to hospitals Tuesday after their support boat dragged them into deep water in Port Madison. A 50-year-old woman was flown from Suquamish to Harborview Medical center in Seattle at about 1:30 p.m. The woman was in stable condition as of 7:15 p.m. Her diving companion, a 27-year-old man, was driven to Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton. The divers were working in about 50 feet of water when strong winds pushed their support boat into deeper water. The divers were tethered to the boat, which dragged them to a depth of about 85 feet. They were then pulled to the surface by workers on the support boat. -
2010 12 20 Bartolome 02 Juan Spain Albaladejo Fishfarm 0 SCUBA 34 Year old diver employed by a fish farm in San Pedro del Pinatar in Murcia, initially reported that he died after accidentally shooting himself in the chest with his own harpoon. See first report (Bartolome 01, above). 15 months after his death, following investigation "Jaula 23", two co-workers were detained in connection with firing the harpoon that killed Juan Bartolome. They were subsequently charged with negligent homicide, despite initially claiming that the accident was caused by the victim himself and reported as an accident in the workplace. The two witnesses said at first that he had died by accident when putting on his diving equipment prior to entering the water, but their statements contained contradictions and contrasted with evidence found in the boat and the diving equipment and investigators soon began to suspect the two of homicide by negligence. Forensic and reconstructive investigation concluded that the harpoon had been fired from a distance and under the surface of the sea, presumably by accident, by one of the diver's companions. The case against IHV, aged 58 from San Pedro del Pinatar and JFMN, aged 37, from Murcia is being held at the Magistrates' court in San Javier. Case ongoing (April 2012). Murciatoday.com -
2010 12 20 Bartolome 01 Juan Spain Albaladejo Fishfarm 0 SCUBA 34 Year old diver employed by a fish farm in San Pedro del Pinatar in Murcia, initially reported that he died after accidentally shooting himself in the chest with his own harpoon. It happened shortly before 9.30 on Monday morning when an emergency call came through that the diver was seriously injured when in the water and was being transferred by boat to the local port. All attempts to revive the man, both on board the boat and after reaching port, were however unsuccessful�. 'Accident in the worplace'. Reported by Typicallyspanish.com. See second report (Bartolome 02, below) -
2010 12 22 Nikolaev Alexander Vietnam Tourist SCUBA Russian tourist diving off the island of Cu Lao Cau, double fatality (with Frenchman Philippe Busso). Another diver reported being knocked unconscious by a powerful explosion, local police blamed poachers 'blast' fishing. Voice of Russia -
2010 12 22 Busso Philippe Vietnam Tourist SCUBA French tourist diving off the island of Cu Lao Cau, double fatality (with Russian Alexander Nikolaev). Another diver reported being knocked unconscious by a powerful explosion, local police blamed poachers 'blast' fishing. Voice of Russia -
2011 1 1 Lemos Jorge Luiz Brazil Vilasub on contract to Flexibras Aged 44, married, two children, experienced diver (In 2002 he recovered the bodies of two fireman killed in the sinking of a vessel in the Port of Tubarao), owner Vilasub based in Vila Velha (Only diving company in the state licenced by the navy to train commercial divers for the fire brigade, police, Navy and Petrobras) providing underwater ship's husbandry services. Accident happened in the Port of Victoria (Porto de Vitoria) during preparatory works for a dredging operation, early afternoon solo dive to check the results of earlier blasting work but drifted away from the boat. Other divers went in and pulled him to the surface, bleeding from ears and almost unconscious. Taken to hospital but died later that evening. Gazetaonline -
2011 1 5 Flores Alvaro Hernandez Mexico Aged 28, diving under the fishing boat 'Joisafco III' that had run aground near a packing plant assessing hull damage and preparing to refloat the vessel. The Captain started the engines and the rotating propeller immediately sliced off the diver's left arm. His brother on deck reached in to try to pull the diver out but the propeller dragged him under and inflicted a fatal cut to the throat that virtually decapitated him. Fire department divers recovered the body and severed arm. Reported by Hoy Tamaulipas.net -
2011 1 8 Smock Mathew 'Matt' Alexander USA T & T Bisso S/S Air Aged 28, Married with 4 children. The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the death of a diver who was found unresponsive after cleaning a ship's hull, authorities said Monday. The diver, from Houston, was working offshore from a service boat. Crews performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on him until the boat docked at Pier 9 in Galveston. Galveston firefighters took over the lifesaving maneuver and an ambulance took the diver to the University of Texas Medical Branch. The incident stemmed from what was believed to be a mechanical malfunction with diving equipment, a fire official said. The diver was pronounced dead at 1:37 p.m, by the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office. He was diving about 10 miles out from the jetties in an area where ships anchor, cleaning the hull of a ship with a scrubbing machine. He was working on the King Arthur, a commercial diving vessel. Galveston Daily News. Other sources indicate he lost his helmet (PC) 2012 USCG/ADCI Safety Partnership Casualty Statistics Paper also reported the incident adding he requested 'Up and out' but surfaced the opposite side of the ship, the supervisor reported that the diver wanted to ditch his hat. Rescue diver found him on the bottom without helmet, unresponsive. -
2011 1 12 Not Recorded USA S/S Air Paraphrased from press reports “ Juneau, Alaska. The Coast Guard is investigating the death of commercial diver off a boat southeast Alaska� The 68-foot fishing vessel “Island Dancer� was diving for sea cucumber in Chester bay, off Annette Island. Crew told investigators that the diver surfaced at about 1 p.m. Wednesday, took off his mask and immediately sank. They pulled the diver out of the water using the air hose and gave first aid but he did not respond to treatment�. Alaska daily News -
2011 1 13 Araya Hernan Alvarado Chile Aged 40, died in the regional hospital of Copiapo (Where there is a hyperbaric centre) at 11pm. He was suffering from acute decompression illnesss after working at the Seafood site of Caleta La Ovillina, 30 km north of Caldera. Press report inicated that he might have survived if there had been a DDC on site. Reported by GPS Buceo -
2011 1 17 Oglu Murad Kara Georgia Kuzeyin Marine SCUBA Paraphrased from press reports:- “Two Turkish scuba divers were been killed (Double fatality, Erkan Karsky) in an underwater explosion working on the salvage of the sunken Ukrainian ship '�Skaldovski� that sank in 2008 during a storm outside the Georgian Black Sea oil-export port of Kulevi. Preliminary probe indicated that the explosion could have been caused by hydrogen accumulated inside the ship The two divers were supposed to use a welder to fix the ship. Representatives from Georgia Petroleum, the owners and operators of the terminal, ruled out the possibility that the leak-out of oil products had caused the underwater explosion saying that the reservoirs on the vessel were emptied.
This has been the second similar incident in Kulevi for recent months. In December 2010, a 25-year old diver was badly injured when working underwater. -
2011 1 17 Karsky Erkan Georgia Kuzeyin Marine SCUBA Paraphrased from press reports:- “Two Turkish scuba divers were been killed (Double fatality, Murad Oglu) in an underwater explosion working on the salvage of the sunken Ukrainian ship '�Skaldovski� that sank in 2008 during a storm outside the Georgian Black Sea oil-export port of Kulevi. Preliminary probe indicated that the explosion could have been caused by hydrogen accumulated inside the ship The two divers were supposed to use a welder to fix the ship. Representatives from Georgia Petroleum, the owners and operators of the terminal, ruled out the possibility that the leak-out of oil products had caused the underwater explosion saying that the reservoirs on the vessel were emptied.
This has been the second similar incident in Kulevi for recent months. In December 2010, a 25-year old diver was badly injured when working underwater. -
2011 1 19 Saes Sandro Brazil 26 SCUBA Aged 42, city of Florianopolis, carrying out survey for repairs to the Hercilio Luz bridge (Longest suspension bridge in Brazil at 821 metres long, built 1922) with one other diver but appears to have been a solo dive. Dive was meant to last 20 minutes, after 35 minutes partner asked for help. As fire brigade commenced search operations, diver's body came to the surface. No response to treatment. Reported as acute respiratory failure by drowning. Equipment reported as being in order. Work was resumed a month later with a new diving contractor (North Star) using three divers and a supervisor with a DDC on site. No other details. Reported by Terra Noticias -
2011 1 25 Rouxhet Olivier Belgium Fireman SCUBA Paraphrased from press reports:- Aged 39, a Civil Protection Force Fire Rescue FF/Diver was killed in the Line of Duty during the search for 2 children in the Meuse River. The 12 and 6 year old children had been missing since January 16 when the oldest girl jumped after her sister who fell into the water were swept away by the current of the river in the vicinity of the eastern city of Liège.. The crew-chief of the diving operation over the the previous days got into trouble going down in the man-made barrier (Sluice gate) complex on the river. He gave alarm signals by his security line, but the surface-crew couldn't free him. They immediately started a rescue operation but it was too late. He had been smashed to a pier of bridge by the flow and lost a part of his diving equipment, most importantly his breathing mask. A diver of the Liège Fire brigade was also injured bringing the unconscious diver to the surface. An medical crew start life saving measures but he died on the way to hospital. The diver was divorced and leaves a 7 year old daughter. Reported on Flanders News. -
2011 1 25 Castro Policcarpio UAE Amasco, Dubai SCUBA Personal Communication “A diver was killed carrying out a hullscrub on the offshore anchorage Fujairah – date of incident 25th Jan 2011. Filipino diver, one of four using brush carts, crushed on surfacing between dive boat and tanker 'Najm' (Maltese flag, Iranian National Oil Company) in rough seas� PC. Waiting on further details -
2011 1 27 Not Recorded USA, Washington S/S Air Paraphrased from press reports:- “A 30-year-old commercial diver was taken to a hospital Thursday after his breathing apparatus malfunctioned near Suquamish. The Port Orchard man was harvesting geoduck while tethered with an air hose to a boat, said a North Kitsap Fire & Rescue spokeswoman. The diver was at a depth of 60 feet at about 11:30 a.m. when his breathing apparatus malfunctioned. The malfunction forced the diver to surface faster than recommended to avoid decompression sickness. He was driven by boat to a dock at Kiana Lodge in Suquamish where he was evaluated by medics. The man showed no symptoms of sickness and was transported to Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton as a precaution. Reported as the second geoduck diving accident in as many months in the Suquamish area. (Two Bremerton divers were hospitalized Dec. 14 after the support boat they were tethered to drug them into deep water in Port Madison). North Kitsap Herald -
2011 2 9 Rodriguez Norlan Jose Vasquez Nicaragua SCUBA Aged 28, rescue drill training exercise from the vessel "La Novia del Xolotlan" in the port of Managua, came to the surface calling for help but submerged before they could get to him. Body recovered two days later. No details. Nicaraguan Press -
2011 2 12 Montecinos Juan Francisco Vejar Chile 8 SCUBA Aged 34, volunteer with the town of Chol Chol fire team, training exercise off Lican Ray, reported as having lost consciousness underwater, brought to the surface by other team members but did not respond to treatment. No further details. Reported in El Diario Austral. -
2011 2 17 Deep Sat Dive India Indian Navy 233 Saturation Indian Navy DSV "Nireekshak" (DP vessel built by M/s Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai, to support ONGC's offshore oil exploration work. Launched in June 1989 on lease with an option for purchase by Indian Navy. The ship was modified and fitted with the diving system and other equipment removed from the Russian Submarine rescue vessel INS Nistar (Decommissioned in 1989). In March 1995 the purchase option was invoked and the vessel was formally re-commissioned on 15 September 1995. The ship is equipped with two Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles (DSRVs), capable of taking 12 men to 300 meters, two six-man recompression chambers and one three-man diving bell. Used for submarine rescue and training saturation divers) set a new National deep diving record. A 5 man team reached 233 metres in a dive off Kochi. ANI -
2011 2 17 Clarkson Peter Australia SCUBA Aged 50 with 27 years diving experience, two man commercial abalone boat out of Port Lincoln (200 miles West of Adelaide). Reported as being attacked by two great white sharks as he surfaced. The skipper (who lost diver Danny Thorpe when his boat overturned in 2000 – he risked the long swim ashore leaving Danny Thorpe with the boat but 'when help arrived all they found was Thorpe's shredded life vest and a beat up old lunchbox, but that was all') said 'I saw the beast come up and take him. There was no way he could have survived'. Last August, the diver had described a previous close encounter with a great white during a diving ascent when endorsing a shark deterrent system. 'The search for the victim's remains ongoing'. Reported by the Mail online, Herald Sun etc -
2011 2 19 LaClair Patrick J USA Paraphrased from press reports:- “Coast Guard officials said a 54-year-old member of the Skokomish tribe ran into trouble while out on the water with a geoduck boat in the Hood Canal, near Hazel Point The man had two spotters, who saw that he was struggling and called 911 at around 4 p.m. A Navy rescue boat pulled the man out of the water and administered CPR while heading back to shore. Central Kitsap Fire whilst Rescue and Navy paramedics tried to help the man. The Kitsap County Coroner's Office declared him dead at about 7 pm� No other details. Reported by AP, Komo News, Kitsap Sun etc. -
2011 2 19 Coliboro Carlos Isaias Melipillan Chile Aged 50, Shellfish diver onboard the 'Nortwester Matricula' working in the Falcon Estuary (36 hours sailing time from Puerta Natales). Expired certificates, no permit to be at sea, autopsy indicated that he suffocated after vomiting underwater. Reported in El Pinguino. -
2011 2 23 Garvizo Roberto Rojas Chile Acuinova A shellfish diver, net/cage inspection dive, failed to suface, body recovered by dive team. The incident occurred on the Wednesday evening at Quitralco 7, reported as 'dying after swallowing water underwater' and listed as 'drowning'. No other details. Reported by Radio Santa Maria -
2011 3 10 Pendleton Vance Wayne Canada 14 SCUBA Aged 56, experienced diver and owner of a dive shop. Diving for Sea Urchins of l'Etete, New Brunswick, failed to surface, located on the seabed 'initial information is pointing towards drowning' but coroner to confirm cause of death, Worksafe and RCMP to determine whether the diver was working at the time. He was diving with 4 other commercial divers on a commercial harvesting operation. Lost sight of the group, they surfaced, at first nor concerned because he had a bigger air tank. When he failed to surface after 10 - 15 minutes, they went back in to look for him. He was found and brought to the surface but failed to respond to treatment. Reported in the Telegraph-Journal, Brunswick -
2011 3 16 Rosita V Chile Salmon Company owned motor vessel 'Rosita V', registration 1871, sailed from Quellon at 15:00 0n 15th March will 11 persons onboard, shipwrecked on rocks 03:00 on Locos Island (15 miles NorthEast of Melinka) in heavy rain and strong wids, 8 persons survived - including all 5 members of the diving team - two crew died, one missing. Not enough lifejackets onboard for all persons, lights and flares did not work, vessel documentation incorrect (Listed as sailing with a crew of 4 but later confirmed it sailed with 11 onboard). "The Maritime Office has launched an investigation" NB Another crewmember aged 23 who was taken off this vessel when moored in Quellon harbour in October 2010 died in hospital. Chilean Press -
2011 3 18 Marin Antonio Argentina Aged 43, carrying out underwater repairs to the bow of the "Golestan" moored in the port of Quequen, recovered to deck but failed to respond to treatment. No other details. Reported by DiarioNecochea.com -
2011 3 23 Macias Javier Diaz Spain Macpherson Servicios Subaquacuaticos Aged 26, from El Puerta de Santa Maria (Cadiz), carrying out repair works on the (upstream) Analucian water board (Agencia Andaluza del Agua) Los Melonares dam gates near Castilblanco de Los Arroyos (North of Seville). One of a four man team. Emergency services called a 17:00 hours, body recovered downstream of the dam. No other details. Reported in Europa press/www.internetnews.tk. -
2011 3 24 Irvine James UK 6 SCUBA Aged 42, from the Glenrothes area of Fife, disappeared at 13:00 GMT on Thursday off the coast at Lower Largo. "The two men who remained on the boat reported that the man had surfaced during the dive and requested more weights, but did not resurface after this." Paraphrased from AP/STV reports: “Police have confirmed that a body recovered from the water at 19:30 GMT on Friday was that of a missing scallop diver. Extensive searches had been carried out by police divers supported by the Central Scotland Police Diving Team, a Royal Navy rescue helicopter and Kinghorn Lifeboat were also involved. HSE investigation ongoing, unclear if this was a commercial dive, but is one of two scallop diving fatalities (the other was Graham Mackie, 11th June) that led to the HSE issuing a safety alert on the 22nd June -
2011 3 28 Mayo Hector Luelmo Spain Military 35 SCUBA Aged 24, Soldier with the V Batallon de Intervention en Emergencias based in El Ferral de Bernesga, Leon. Diving exercise, lost contact with his 4 man group. His three companions were treated for decompression illness. Body recovered the next day. No details. Reported in GPS Buzeo -
2011 3 30 Bradley Richard Australia Technip 240 Saturation Aged 35, Australian from Broome, sat diving operations off the DSV “Oceania Venturer� (Ex CSO 'Venturer', ex Seabex 1'?), marine growth cleaning with an HP water jet. Gun mechanical failure, severe left forearm wounds (water, debris etc). Emergency decompression, medivac, will be off work six months. Reported in the Western Australian -
2011 3 31 van Delft Anton Lybia Aged 62, dive team leader working for Zwaytina Zwaytina Oil Company near Ajdabiyah. With two diving companions stayed on site rather than evacuating during the civil war. Compound was raided/looted by government supporters, detained two days, all three escaped to Benghazi. Reported that most of his medicines were lost/confiscated, rationed himself but suffered seizures and died of 'epilepsy'. Reported by Nu.nl -
2011 4 10 Mitchell David UKCS Acergy Saturation Aged 49, bell run from the Acergy Osprey, returned to the bell, fell ill and died. Initial reports indicate a heart attack -
2011 4 14 Schneider Louis Cameroun Pecten Topsides Aged 60, Pioneer deep saturation trials diver with Comex (Janus, Aurora etc). Stabbed to death in a late night mugging in Douala. Cameroon.net -
2011 4 19 Enriques Jesus "Chuy" Mexico 9 Aged 28 from Holbrox, Quintana Roo, sea cucumber harvesting 24 miles off Celustan, died underwater at about 14:00 hours. No details. Reported by Sipse.com -
2011 4 21 Catalan Hugo Amaliel Soto USA Erosion Barrier Installations 5 SCUBA Aged 23, employed out of Fort Lauderdale as one of a two man diving team surveying erosion on a man made lake at the Stoneybrook Golf and Country Club in Estero, surfaced and waved in distress but sank from sight before his partner onshore could reach him and could not be found in the murky water. His body was located 3 hours later by rescue divers. As the resue diver brought the body ashore they were followed by two snakes believed to be water moccasins (Shot and killed by shoreside deputies on alligator watch, one with a shotgun, the other an AR-15 rifle) His ditched gear was also recovered. 5 days after the death, Lee County Medical Examiner determined it was an accidental drowning. Reported in the Naples Valley News. -
2011 4 26 Pizanias N Greece Topsides Aged 29, commercial diver/diving school instructor. Throwing dynamite sticks at an Easter clrebration, expolded in his hand, hospitalised in Kalymnos, transferred to Athens but lost his hand and permanently blinded in one eye. Two other men died in similar Easter celebration incidents on Rhodes. Reported by Kalymniansvoice.gr -
2011 4 27 Baumgartner Ottavio Italy Arte sub (La Specia) 4 S/S Air Aged 21, Edipower plant at Sermide near Mantova in Northern Italy. Cleaning water inlet grill. Scubapro full face mask, bailout, wet suit, air hose and communications line (but no strength line, video or pneumo). Reported that topsides heard his breathing rate rise, could not pull him out and put in the stand-by. After a 5 to 7 minute delay, the diver was found with his mask off. Did not respond to treatment. Three man team, IDSA qualification early 2010, water inlet from the river Po. PC and Gazzetta di Mantova -
2011 5 1 Makuch John USA Police diver SCUBA Aged 56, collapsed during a training exercise at Port Huron YMCA, 'massive Heart Attack', other team members (trained paramedics) were unable to save him. He had joined the St. Clair County Sherriff's Office dive team in 1991 and had worked his way up through the ranks to Assistant Chief. First recorded fatality since the team was founded in 1969. Reported in the Daily Tribune -
2011 5 5 Not Recorded Brazil Navy Diver Navy 6 man team on a training exercise on Petrobras platform 'Cherne I'. Initial reports indicate surface supplied air and that they pulled up the umbilical but the diver was missing. Had a bailout but appears to have ditched his gear. Body recovered early hours of the follwing day. Waiting on further details. PC -
2011 5 9 Not Recorded Spain During an audit in Algeciras, a diving contractor discussed 5 incidents that had occurred over the previous 18 months with another diving contractor in the port. As the author commented, “it shows how much we are missing and how important it is to use competent diving contractors�:- 1 Dive on a tanker at night. Tender comes up on divers umbilical and recovers hat and bailout. Diver has jettisoned his equipment and swum to the shore (established later). Algerciras port closed in while search is carried out for diver. 2 Dive carried out following 30’ decompression profile. Diver had worked at 60’ for an hour and profile not adjusted for deeper depth. Diver collapses on deck after dive. Paralysis of lower limbs, tongue and visual disturbances. Type 2 decompression sickness, diver evacuated to chamber to Malaga hospital, 3 day treatment. 3 Diver carrying out propeller polish on Tanker – propeller starts while diver working and pushes him away – ripped shoulder and leg muscles. 4 Diver carrying out our hull scrub wearing Aga mask – tangle with hull scrub brushes/ loose rope and Aga locating straps (spider). Mask ripped from divers head. Diver makes it to surface – partial drowning and hospitalized ( 3 months off work). 5 Three bailout delivery whips blow off the mask on the same day. PC -
2011 5 14 Cetz Joshua Mexico Aged 37, sea cucumber harvesting off Celustun from the vessel 'Dick Tracy', transferred to chamber ashore but died. Reported as the third diver to die of DCI this season (which finished on the 15th May). Reported by Por Esto -
2011 5 15 Palma Miguel Angel Cupul Mexico 15 SCUBA Aged 60, 25 miles offshore from Merida (Yucatan penninsula) collecting sea cucumber, rescued alive and taken ashore for treatment but died. Causes reported as cerebral anoxia/acute decompression illness. Reported by Sipse.com -
2011 5 23 Strakele Sean USA 11 SCUBA Aged 37, Diving for lobsters out of Provincetown off the commercial fishing vessel "Chase" in the vicinity of Race Point Lighthouse. Entered the water at 06:30, failed to surface an hour later. Diving solo on single SCUBA cylinder. Coastguard searches called off after two days. Body located the day after in 56' of water by another lobster diver from the fishing vessel 'Mad Dog' in the same area he had dived in, half a mile south of the lighthouse. Reported as 'drowned'. Cape Cod Times -
2011 5 24 Barbieto Jeffrey USA Grove Farm Fish Poi / Hukilau Food SCUBA Aged 41, Honolulu Fire Department Firefighter and part time commercial diver working at a fish farm 2 miles offshore Pearl Harbour. US Navy vessel 'Salvor' responded to a 2:30 pm emergency call and was on site in 5 minutes. The diver was given hyperbaric treatment onboard before being transferred onshore to the Pali Momi Medical Centre where he was declared deceased. Honolulu medical Examiner's office confirmed the cause of death as accidental drowning. 6 months later HIOSH proposed $50,000 penalties against Hukilau foods on the grounds that the death was preventable and that equipment and procedures were inadequate. 19 citations: 1 Failure to prohibit a dive team member from diving during the period that the diver was sufficiently impaired as to adversely affect his/her safety and health. 2 Failure to develop and maintain a safety practices manual, which shall be made available at the dive location to each dive team member. 3 Failure to inquire into the dive team member’s current state of physical fitness prior to each assignment and failure to indicate to each dive team member the procedure for reporting physical problems or adverse physiological effects during and after the dive. 4 Failure to provide a means for exiting the water that extends below the water surface and a means for assisting an injured diver from the water. 5 Failure to provide decompression, repetitive, and no-decompression tables at the dive site. 6 Failure to maintain a depth-time profile, including when appropriate, any breathing gas changes for each diver during the dive including decompression. 7 Failure to check the physical condition of the diver after each dive, including instructing the diver to report any physical problems or adverse physiological effects as well as the location of a decompression chamber which is ready for use. 8 Failure to provide a decompression chamber capable of recompressing the diver at the surface to a minimum of 165 fsw (6 ATA) at the dive location. 9 Failure to limit SCUBA diving at depths deeper than 130 fsw. 10 Failure to limit SCUBA diving at depths deeper than 100 fsw, or outside the no-decompression limits, where no decompression chamber was ready for use. 11 Failure to provide a clean standby diver to assist a diver in the water at any time during the diving operation. 12 Failure to require a diver to be accompanied by another diver (buddy system), maintaining continuous visual contact during the diving operations, or alternatively, line tending from the surface. 13 Failure to provide a diver-carried reserve breathing gas supply for each diver consisting of a manual reserve (J valve) or an independent reserve cylinder. 14 Failure to provide every diver with a buoyancy compensator device, aka BCD and require the diver to use the BCD for SCUBA diving. 15 Failure to provide and maintain a list of emergency contact numbers for an operational decompression chamber, accessible hospitals, available physicians, available means of transportation and the nearest U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center at the dive location. 16 Failure to record and maintain accurate dive logs as required by the HIOSH Standards. 17 Failure to record and maintain depth-time and breathing gas profiles, decompression table designation, and elapsed time since last pressure exposure if less than 24 hours or repetitive dive designation for each dive outside the no-decompression limits, deeper than 100 fsw. 18 Failure to maintain records for each dive in which decompression sickness was suspected or symptoms were evident. 19 Failure to maintain records for each equipment modification, repair, test, calibration or maintenance service. Reported in the Pacific Bulletin -
2011 5 25 Not recorded Nigeria Subsea 7 S/S Air Pipeline intervention in shallow water from the "Acergy Hawk", unbolting a pig receiver on a pipeline replacement project. Using air bags, as the pig receiver was freed from the pipeline end flange it rose to the full extent of the hold back line trapping the divers leg resulting in a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula. Although weaknesses were identified in the procedures and RA process, essentially this incidents highlights the risks of of using airbags in shallow water and near zero visibility where the rigging and airbag cannot be fully monitored. Source:- A good and well circulated Oil Company report -
2011 5 25 Chavez Angel Lopez Mexico Construcciones Mare Aged 29, diving at the Ensada Marine Terminal. Reports indicate that the Federal Department of Labour laumched an investigation following an accident that was hidden from the authorities and that at that time the construction company had not allowed inspectors from the Ministry to enter the site (Companies are required to notify the authorities within 72 hours, the accident happened on the 25th May and apparently as of 4th August - the date of the report - authorities had neither been informed nor allowed access to the site). Autopsy listed causes of death as due to rib and spine injuries, lacerations to the chest, Accident occurred during cutting operations, injuries caused by a falling metal bar hitting the diver in the chest. No other details. AFN/Ensenada.net etc -
2011 6 4 Gallo Julio Da Costa Spain Jerez e Hijos 6 Aged 52, Zamakona Shipyard, Port of Santurce, Bilbao, cleaning the propellers of a Tug. He was in the nozzle with his colleague (J A Andres) was outside when the propellers were started. Andres was injured but blown away, da Costa was killed when sucked into the blades. Reportd by GPS Buceo -
2011 6 4 Andres J. A. Spain 6 Zamakona Shipyards, Port of Santurce, Bilbao, cleaning the propellers of a Tug. Julio Da Costa was in the nozzle with his colleague, J A Andres outside, when the propellers were started. Andres was injured but blown away, Da Costa was killed when sucked into the blades. Reportd by GPS Buceo -
2011 6 7 Garrido David Mato Portugal Marcor Xove SRL SCUBA Aged 30, Acuinova Fish Farm in the town of Myra, Coimbra, Portugal. Working for a Spanish Company. Sucked up a cleaning water inlet pipe. Body recovered an hour later by firemen. Reported by GPS Buceo -
2011 6 10 Quiroz Edixon Venezuela Topsides Aged 48, Diving supervisor, Flow station 57 on the Rosa Mediano production system near the town of Simon Bolivar on lake Maracaibo. Reported that he was at the bow giving directions to secure a 2" riser to the wellhead platform when the PDVSA diving vessel went out of control (Went full ahead when the clutch control wire broke) trapping him between the vessel and a barge anchor wire. Broken ribs, internal bleeding, crush injuries. The diver was taken to the PDSVA clinic at Tia Juana but was declared dead on arrival. Reported by GPS Buceo, Longstreath. -
2011 6 11 Mackie Graham UK SCUBA Aged 31, commercially qualified diver, diving for scallops off Methil in Fife. Paraphrased from press reports:- The diver had gone into the sea at the start of his shift, but colleagues became alarmed when no bubbles came to the surface. Crew members on the fishing vessel ‘Rob Roy’ issued a mayday call to Forth Coastguard shortly before 2:30pm. Two divers on a nearby catamaran went down to bring the unconscious man to the surface. A spokesman for the Coastguard and Maritime Agency, which co-ordinated the rescue, said: "The unconscious diver was transferred on to the Kinghorn inshore lifeboat, which had a paramedic and oxygen on board, and was taken into Methil. When the lifeboat arrived at Methil, a decision was made to transfer the diver on to the helicopter and take him to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary." The diver died a short time later in hospital. His identity has not been released. A spokesman for Fife Constabulary said: "Fife Police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 31-year-old male, who was diving off the coast of Methil this afternoon. A report is being submitted to the procurator-fiscal’. Reported in the Scotsman. One of two scallop diving fatalities (the other was James Irvine, 24th March 2011) that led to an HSE safety alert (22nd June 2011) -
2011 6 13 Herrera Victorio Argentina Almiron Y Cia SRL Aged 32, Wife and 6 year old daughter. Pipeline (sewer) blockage work for Aguas Argentinsa (Argentinian public water utility), caught in strong current which pulled him 25 metres up a 50 cm diameter pipe, current prevented rescue. Pulled out alive but died some hours later, no real details but most likely was not in full gear, no life line. Reported by Diario Cronica -
2011 6 19 Kruckenberg Kenny Netherlands Titan Topsides American aged 29, salvage diver. Killed on deck by a chain that parted under load during salvage operations on the wreck of the MV Vincs Gorthon. The Ministry of Waterways North Sea Division, part of the Dutch, Ministry of Waterways, awarded Titan the wreck removal project. The Vinca Gorthon lies approximately 29 kilometers off the Netherland coast at a depth of 24.5 meters in a shipping traffic lane. The vessel protruded 10 meters from the seabed and had become a danger to modern ships with a draft of 15 meters or more. The Vinca Gorthon weighed approximately 19,000 tonnes with cargo, and measured 166 meters long and 23 meters wide. The ship, which was laden with rolls of paper and tank trailers with paper pulp, was enroute from the Swedish port of Oskarshamn to Antwerp, Belgium when she sank. Sources:- Crowley and Dutch press -
2011 6 21 Surasin Indonesia S/S Air Aged 54, Port of Tanjung Perak, Surabaya, scrap metal diving off Jamrud pier from a small boat with two of his children, compressor may have failed, body floated to the surface, recovered and brought ashore by the children. Surabaya News -
2011 6 22 HSE Safety Alert UK UK HSE Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued a safety alert to remind the industry of the essential aspects of safe diving operations after two shellfish divers died in separate incidents (at Methil -Graham Mackie, 11th June 2011 - and Largo Bay in the Forth estuary - James Irvine, 24th March 2011, both fatalities still under investigation, facts surrounding the deaths have yet to be established) in inshore waters in Scotland. Its guidance makes clear that:- “The minimum team size normally required when diving for shellfish is three – a supervisor, a working diver, and a standby diver, and that additional people may be required to operate the boat and to assist in an emergency. The standby diver should be in immediate readiness to provide any assistance to the diver in the water. Those not employed by the diving contractor but who are included in the dive team must also be competent for the work they are going to do. They should be familiar with the diving contractor’s procedures, rules and the diving equipment being used� -
2011 6 25 Said Egypt Seapro 30 S/S Air Diving off the Cosmos 1 for GPC, two man dive. LS 09:25, AB 09:27, LB 09:35, AS 09:40, divers in distress at depth. Reported as having switched air supply mid dive (HP bank to diesel compressor?). Appear not to have had medical oxygen or working DDC on vessel, nor access to onshore medical suppport so used mobile phone to call the supervisor of another diving contractor at approx 10:30, vessel with full IMCA compliant dive system and personnek in transit to July field (mid point) at 10:45. Arrived in field renezvous 11:40, Cosmos tied up alongside 11:55. 12:00 injured diver transferred and receiving oxygen (transferred ashore and on to hospital, suspected pneumothorax), Second diver declared dead on site (by doctor flown out by helicopter). Possible contaminated air but no reports or information from the contractor. Not reported in the public domain. PC -
2011 6 25 Abdeen Massoud Egypt Seapro 30 S/S Air Diving off the Cosmos 1 for GPC, two man dive. LS 09:25, AB 09:27, LB 09:35, AS 09:40, divers in distress at depth. Reported as having switched air supply mid dive (HP bank to diesel compressor?). Appear not to have had medical oxygen or working DDC on vessel, nor access to onshore medical suppport so used mobile phone to call the supervisor of another diving contractor at approx 10:30, vessel with full IMCA compliant dive system and personnek in transit to July field (mid point) at 10:45. Arrived in field renezvous 11:40, Cosmos tied up alongside 11:55. 12:00 injured diver transferred and receiving oxygen (transferred ashore and on to hospital, suspected pneumothorax), Second diver declared dead on site (by doctor flown out by helicopter). Possible contaminated air but no reports or information from the contractor. Not reported in the public domain. PC -
2011 6 28 Not Recorded UK Mylor Marine Maintenance SCUBA Falmouth contractor fined £10,000 with costs of £2,000 after admitting breaching r.6(2)(a), 6(3)(a), 6(3)(b) and 6(3)(d) of the Diving at Work Regulations 1997. The prosecution arose from a spot inspection by HSE at underwater maintenance work on moorings in the St Mawes area of the Falmouth estuary during which an inspector observed breaches of the regulations. ‘The dive was being carried out without essential equipment, using only one cylinder of breathing gas, when a secondary supply is mandatory, and the diver only had a mouthpiece demand valve when a full face mask was required. There was no standby diver, a lifeline or a line for voice communications with the diver who was only qualified to carry out recreational dives, not commercial ones. The diver did not possess a valid certificate to prove his medical fitness to dive. He was diving without the benefit of a plan for the work being carried out, which should have included a risk assessment and a project plan.’ Reported in Safety News UK -
2011 7 9 Alvarez 'Dani' Daniel Spain 2 S/S Air Aged 35, married, 11 month old twins, Seaweed extraction (Agar "Ocle") operation, diving from the Biempica III two miles off Gijon (North Coast of Spain), vessel reported the diver was unconscious, transferred ashore but did not respond to treatment. Recorded as 'death by drowning'. Basic kit (SCUBA style second stage/mask, air hose and rope, Full face mask or helmet, no comms, no bail out, no harness,no surface stand-by no medical O2 onboard. Probably kinked hose but no details. GPS Buzeo/Spanish Press -
2011 7 15 Martinez Edgar Saul Reyes Mexico SCUBA Aged 22 from Hermosillo, Colonia Oriente, clam diver, died at Puerta Penasco on La Cholla beach. No details. Reported in La Policiaca -
2011 7 19 Banaga Carlos Lucero Mexico Baja Acuafarm Aged 42, decompression incident onboard the vessel Buenaventura II 25 miles off the island of Coronado, evacuated by helicopter to the Ensenada Naval hyperbaric centre, successfully treated and discharged. Mexican Press -
2011 8 0 William Sabri Qatar El Safwa Topsides Egyptian diver working on the Pearl Island residential development, working in a confined space, gas leak. Triple fatality with two killed on site, the third died in hospital. Initially not reported in the public domain but Qatari authorities now investigating. PC -
2011 8 0 Himden Ashraf Qatar El Safwa Topsides Egyptian diver working on the Pearl Island residential development, working in a confined space, gas leak. Triple fatality with two killed on site, the third died in hospital. Initially not reported in the public domain but Qatari authorities now investigating. PC -
2011 8 0 ?? Shafiq Qatar El Safwa Topsides Egyptian diver working on the Pearl Island residential development, working in a confined space, gas leak. Triple fatality with two killed on site, the third died in hospital. Initially not reported in the public domain but Qatari authorities now investigating. PC -
2011 8 2 Marzouk Ismail Egypt Blue O2 60 Rebreather Aged 33, IANTD technical diving instructor working out of Hurgada died on a deep wreck dive (90 metres?) dive off Marsa Alam with three British tourists, apparently stopped breathing at 60 metres (suspected oxygen toxicity) and dropped into the depths, the three tourists surfaced without incident, instructor's body not recovered. Family raising questions about about lack of any SCUBA/Sports/Tourist/Technical diving standards or enforcement in Egypt. Wife and baby daughter. A second fatality - that of a Russian diving instructor - was reported on the same day but no detailed reports located to date. NB, Tourist diving instructors - esppecially technical diving - appear to have a very high fatality rate but are not generally reported. Reported by ahramonline -
2011 8 4 Cordova Gabriel Humberto Delgadillo Mexico SCUBA Aged 24, clam diving off La Cholla, Puerta Penasca. Reported as 'lost his life by drowning' in 'Los canales de la Choya' (The La Choya Channels). No details. Reported by La Policaca -
2011 8 12 Saavedra Janus Chavez Peru SCUBA Aged 27, scallop diver working on the sechura coast near Lobos Island, (Piura province), reported as dying of DCI, survived by wife and children aged 5 years and 2 years. RPP News -
2011 8 12 Alonso Roberto Lopez Moroyoqui Mexico SCUBA Aged 17, living in Colonia Nueva Penasco, possibly his first trip as a working clam diver, diving 10 km off La Cholla, ill when surfaced, transferred to the Penasco hyperbaric centre, reported as having died of 'severe decompression sickness type 2' Nuevodia.com.mx -
2011 8 22 Soto Luis Enriques Cabrales Mexico SCUBA Aged 30 from Guaymas, living in El Desemboque (Caborca), clam diver 'decompression illness'. La Policiaca -
2011 9 1 Not Recorded Tonga Aged 54, reported as having died from decompression after diving for sea cucumbers near the island of Leleka in Ha'apai on the late afternoon of Thursday, September 1. Police confirmed that the deceased from Ngele'ia in Tongatapu died shortly after surfacing from diving. Tonga News -
2011 9 1 Bentabet Khaled "Ben" France Police diver 12 SCUBA Aged 44, experienced police diver with the Coastal and River Section, part of a team searching a 2.7 kilometre tunnel section of the 10 metre diameter EDF canal between the river Durance and Mees for a handgun, 20 minutes into the dive lost buddy line to partner, disappeared. Body finally located a week later. May have been sucked into a side tunnel. Married with a 7 year old son. Reported by ALPES1, Provence, etc. -
2011 9 2 Cardenas Jose Jesus Mendoza Mexico SCUBA Aged 34 from Puerto Libertad, living in El Desemboque (Caborca), clam diving off a boat owned by Germain Marin Guzman some 3 km off the beach, surfaced and complained of chest pains, died before he got to hospital. La Policiaca -
2011 9 5 Acergy Discovery Canada Acergy Saturation 05:45, DSV on DP with saturation divers deployed, collided with the Deep Panuke gas platform hitting a leg and the riser caisson -
2011 9 7 Juarez Luis Alberto Peru Asociacion La Bocana Aged 48, working at a scallop hatchery, Pichayo, Parachique, found trapped underwater, no other details. This report also referred to a second fatality in the area on the same day, that of 39 year old Eli Perez Becerra "who died of decompression illness, apparently as a result of mechanical failure of his diving equipment". No other details so cannot confirm if the second death was a commercial fatality. Reported by RPP Noticias. -
2011 9 9 Not Recorded UK Sheringham Shoal Offshore Windfarm off Norfolk, diver medivac by helicopter to Norwich Hospital with 'broken ribs, broken arm, traumatised". No other details. Norfolk News -
2011 9 25 Hussin Hazri Miri or Malaysia Allied Marine (AME) Surface Swimmer Aged 43, riser installation job from the vessel 'Mas Mulia' (Pipelay barge owned by Target Engineering). Diver acting as a surface swimmer, 11:12 PM (Night operation) installing a pneumo hose and cutting mooring lines in the splashzone. Was hit and submerged several times by 1 metre swell. On returning towards the dive basket was seen floating facedown on the surface, stand-by diver recovered him onboard, CPR was administered, flown to Miri hospital by helicopter but pronounced dead on arrival at 02:30. Borneo Post/PC Later (Longstreath website, April 2013!) reported as 'drowned' but no details or report. -
2011 9 26 HSE Prosecution UK The supervisor of a diving project at Ramsgate Royal Harbour Marina was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £2,000 in costs after pleading guilty to a single breach of the Diving at Work Regulations for failing to ensure a standby diver was ready to enter the water in the event of an emergency. Concerns were raised about the standard of his operation by a fellow diving supervisor on a neighbouring quayside. The Health and Safety Executive investigated and found that the standby diver was not in a state of immediate readiness to provide assistance to the diver in the water (The standby diver should have been fully dressed and kitted up to enter the water with his diving helmet in hand or close by. However, he was only in his dry suit, which put the diver in the water at serious risk had he required urgent assistance). DG had previously been served with a Prohibition Notice by HSE in October 2010 for a similar failing as a diving supervisor. His employer had spent time retraining and mentoring him before allowing him to continue in his role, but he ignored the guidance given. After the hearing, the HSE Inspector said: "The diving supervisor has a critical role to play in ensuring that a dive is conducted in such a way that the safety of the divers in the water is protected at all times. It is reasonably foreseeable that a diver may require urgent assistance from a standby diver should an emergency unfold, and therefore, the standby diver should be ready and able to enter the water in seconds. Yet that did not happen on Mr Gill's watch, and this clearly compromised safety. He should have known better having previously been warned about his conduct as a supervisor, but he ignored the trust, training and guidance of his employer to repeat the same failings." HSE Press Release in January 2013 -
2011 10 6 Silva Antonio Portugal SCUBA Aged 45, resident in Aveiro, found dead in the evening, in SCUBA gear near his boat anchored in the estuary, assumed to be drowning (pending autopsy) but mask broken and bleeding from the ears. Reported to be completely inexperienced, had a bag with a few clams, alledged to be illegal clam fishing. Wife and two children. News Ralaccionadas -
2011 10 6 Not Recorded Czech Republic 8 SCUBA Aged 22, commercial diving operation to clear drainage/sewage pipes in a pond at the Lany game park (Rakovnik Lany, Bohemia), blockage gave way, differential pressure, diver sucked into a concrete sump feeding a 50cm diameter outlet pipe. Body not recovered until the day after due to the dangers of accessing the sump. Mediafax tn.cz -
2011 10 15 Eger Wolgang Austria Police and Fireman 1 SCUBA Aged 43, based in Orth (Lower Austria, on the Danube), experienced diver and diving instructor, two divers in a boat tending the free swimming diver just below the surface during a routine 'flow swimming' exercise. Went motionless in the water, was immediately pulled out and given CPR but did not respond. No water in the lungs, posible heart attack (Waiting on autopsy results) DiePresse.com -
2011 10 17 Safety notice (Differential Pressure) Canada CDAC CDAC (Canadian Association of Diving Contractors) issued "Guidelines for Diving Operations on Dams and Other Worksites where Delta-P Hazards may Exist". 32 pages of detailed guidance on the subject. Available from - and freely distributed electronically by - the CDAC at http://www.CADC.ca -
2011 10 17 Charles Rondell Trinidad Underwater Works Inc 5 SCUBA Aged 21, collecting seabed environmental samples from Port Lisa Harbour (Adjacent to the Methanex methanol plant on the Couva Industrial Estate), surfaced in distress at the end of his dive, took off tank but was still wearing weight belt. Slipped under water and failed to surface. Body recovered miles to the south three days later, No real details, waiting on reports. Trinidad Express. -
2011 10 18 Castellano Nerio Enrique Vielma Venezuela Cooperativa Buzos Industriales Aged 33 or 34, married, three children. Lake Maracaibo, working on a gas line station repair (Flow station BA-12, Lake Bachaquero Production Unit). Seems to have been an entanglement/dropped object/ umbilical incident, but no coherent details. "Accident under investigation", body recovered 20 minutes after the initial incident and evacuated to Zulima Pier, Lagunillas. Diver had 12 years diving experience with an established diving contractor, became unemployed and joined CBI two weeks before the accident. Diario La Region/Noticia al Dia -
2011 10 19 Gould Joseph Patrick Gordon USA Midco Diving 38 Aged 32, From Minnesota, working on lake Sakakawea, diving on the intake of the water intake to the city of Parshall. Installing pipe/welding, reports not clear. "It appears his diving equipment became entangled", communications failed, tugged on his lines to alert surface, the stand-by diver "was unable to untangle him". The body was retrieved and taken to the North Dakota Medical Examiner's office for autopsy. No other details. Bismark Tribune, Rapid city journal etc -
2011 10 20 Sharma NK Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 Saturation DSV Koosha I, built 1982 in Australia (By Carrington Slipays as the 'Lady Sonia') owned by Darya Koosh, Iranian marine contractor, POB 73, 60 survivors, 6 divers in sat plus 7 others lost when ship sank off Lavan Island in the South Pars field 15 miles off the Iranian coast during pipeline installation operations around 17:30 hours on Thursday 20th October in bad weather. Rumoured to be a 4 man portable sat system with additional chamber to make it 6 man but only a 4 man HRC. Ship was loaded with two cement silos for grouting operations. One silo broke loose in rough weather and slid across deck causing list, this caused a gas rack to follow, increasing list. Sat control van broke off and fell overboard followed by second silo, holds flooded (hatches open) including all below decks compartments. Sank in mnutes. Believed storage depth was 64 metres, sank in 70 metres water depth. DSV 'Providence' on site the morning after, they recovered the bodies from the wreck three days after the sinking. Sat system flooded. Details to be added following investigation. UK Telegraph, Iranian press, PC -
2011 10 20 Padda JS Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 Saturation DSV Koosha I, built 1982 in Australia (By Carrington Slipays as the 'Lady Sonia') owned by Darya Koosh, Iranian marine contractor, POB 73, 60 survivors, 6 divers in sat plus 7 others lost when ship sank off Lavan Island in the South Pars field 15 miles off the Iranian coast during pipeline installation operations around 17:30 hours on Thursday 20th October in bad weather. Rumoured to be a 4 man portable sat system with additional chamber to make it 6 man but only a 4 man HRC. Ship was loaded with two cement silos for grouting operations. One silo broke loose in rough weather and slid across deck causing list, this caused a gas rack to follow, increasing list. Sat control van broke off and fell overboard followed by second silo, holds flooded (hatches open) including all below decks compartments. Sank in mnutes. Believed storage depth was 64 metres, sank in 70 metres water depth. DSV 'Providence' on site the morning after, they recovered the bodies from the wreck three days after the sinking. Sat system flooded. Details to be added following investigation. UK Telegraph, Iranian press, PC -
2011 10 20 Kadian Parminder Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 Saturation One brother (Dhirendra) also died in this accident, two other brothers (LSTs onboard) survived. DSV Koosha I, built 1982 in Australia (By Carrington Slipays as the 'Lady Sonia') owned by Darya Koosh, Iranian marine contractor, POB 73, 60 survivors, 6 divers in sat plus 7 others lost when ship sank off Lavan Island in the South Pars field 15 miles off the Iranian coast during pipeline installation operations around 17:30 hours on Thursday 20th October in bad weather. Rumoured to be a 4 man portable sat system with additional chamber to make it 6 man but only a 4 man HRC. Ship was loaded with two cement silos for grouting operations. One silo broke loose in rough weather and slid across deck causing list, this caused a gas rack to follow, increasing list. Sat control van broke off and fell overboard followed by second silo, holds flooded (hatches open) including all below decks compartments. Sank in mnutes. Believed storage depth was 64 metres, sank in 70 metres water depth. Dulam DSV 'Providence' on site the morning after, they recovered the bodies from the wreck three days after the sinking. Sat system flooded. Details to be added following investigation. UK Telegraph, Iranian press, PC -
2011 10 20 Kadian Dhirendra Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 Saturation One brother (Parminder) also died in this accident, two other brothers (LSTs onboard) survived.DSV Koosha I, built 1982 in Australia (By Carrington Slipays as the 'Lady Sonia') owned by Darya Koosh, Iranian marine contractor, POB 73, 60 survivors, 6 divers in sat plus 7 others lost when ship sank off Lavan Island in the South Pars field 15 miles off the Iranian coast during pipeline installation operations around 17:30 hours on Thursday 20th October in bad weather. Rumoured to be a 4 man portable sat system with additional chamber to make it 6 man but only a 4 man HRC. Ship was loaded with two cement silos for grouting operations. One silo broke loose in rough weather and slid across deck causing list, this caused a gas rack to follow, increasing list. Sat control van broke off and fell overboard followed by second silo, holds flooded (hatches open) including all below decks compartments. Sank in mnutes. Believed storage depth was 64 metres, sank in 70 metres water depth. Dulam DSV 'Providence' on site the morning after, they recovered the bodies from the wreck three days after the sinking. Sat system flooded. Details to be added following investigation. UK Telegraph, Iranian press, PC -
2011 10 20 Gaur Ajesh Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 Saturation DSV Koosha I, built 1982 in Australia (By Carrington Slipays as the 'Lady Sonia') owned by Darya Koosh, Iranian marine contractor, POB 73, 60 survivors, 6 divers in sat plus 7 others lost when ship sank off Lavan Island in the South Pars field 15 miles off the Iranian coast during pipeline installation operations around 17:30 hours on Thursday 20th October in bad weather. Rumoured to be a 4 man portable sat system with additional chamber to make it 6 man but only a 4 man HRC. Ship was loaded with two cement silos for grouting operations. One silo broke loose in rough weather and slid across deck causing list, this caused a gas rack to follow, increasing list. Sat control van broke off and fell overboard followed by second silo, holds flooded (hatches open) including all below decks compartments. Sank in mnutes. Believed storage depth was 64 metres, sank in 70 metres water depth. DSV 'Providence' on site the morning after, they recovered the bodies from the wreck three days after the sinking. Sat system flooded. Details to be added following investigation. UK Telegraph, Iranian press, PC -
2011 10 20 DSV Koosha I Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 DSV Koosha I, built 1982 in Australia (By Carrington Slipways as the 'Lady Sonia') owned by Darya Koosh, Iranian marine contractor, POB 73, 60 survivors, 6 divers in sat died plus 7 others lost when ship sank off Lavan Island in the South Pars field 15 miles off the Iranian coast during pipeline installation operations around 17:30 hours on Thursday 20th October in bad weather. Rumoured to be a 4 man portable sat system with additional chamber to make it 6 man but only a 4 man HRC. Ship was loaded with two cement silos for grouting operations. One silo broke loose in rough weather and slid across deck causing list, this caused a gas rack to follow, increasing list. Sat control van broke off and fell overboard followed by second silo breaking loose, holds flooded (hatches open) including all below decks compartments. Sank in mnutes. Believed storage depth was 64 metres, sank in 70 metres water depth. DSV 'Providence' on site the morning after, they recovered the bodies from the wreck three days after the sinking. Sat system flooded. Dive Supt., 2 supervisors, two LSTs and two ALSTs survived when the vesse sank. There were four brothers on board, the two brothers working as LSTs survived, the two brothers in saturation died with the other four divers in sat and the ET killed during the evacuation. Details to be added following investigation. UK Telegraph, Times, Iranian press, PC -
2011 10 20 Dabbas Rajesh Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 Saturation DSV Koosha I, built 1982 in Australia (By Carrington Slipays as the 'Lady Sonia') owned by Darya Koosh, Iranian marine contractor, POB 73, 60 survivors, 6 divers in sat plus 7 others lost when ship sank off Lavan Island in the South Pars field 15 miles off the Iranian coast during pipeline installation operations around 17:30 hours on Thursday 20th October in bad weather. Rumoured to be a 4 man portable sat system with additional chamber to make it 6 man but only a 4 man HRC. Ship was loaded with two cement silos for grouting operations. One silo broke loose in rough weather and slid across deck causing list, this caused a gas rack to follow, increasing list. Sat control van broke off and fell overboard followed by second silo, holds flooded (hatches open) including all below decks compartments. Sank in mnutes. Believed storage depth was 64 metres, sank in 70 metres water depth. DSV 'Providence' on site the morning after, they recovered the bodies from the wreck three days after the sinking. Sat system flooded. Details to be added following investigation. UK Telegraph, Iranian press, PC -
2011 10 20 Chandra Iran Adsun Offshore Diving Contractors 70 Saturation Dive team ET onboard the DSV Koosha that sank during sat diving operations in the South Pars gas field, killed during the evacuation -
2011 10 30 Robinson Russell UKCS ISS Saturation Aged 33, Working at the Balmoral Field. Reported as returned to the bell at the end of his lock out saying he felt unwell, passed out, did not respond to treatment. Waiting on reports. Times UK, PC -
2011 11 1 Not Recorded Iraq Leighton S/S Air Diver off the 'Leighton Eclipse' recovered to deck after suffering a leg injury (required knee surgery) from a crushing incident with a DMA whilst working in black water, transferred to hospital ashore for treatment. In a separate incident, dive team DMTs were called in to assist with a deck hand on a tug who suffered a near full leg amputation working wires in rough weather (Reported that the DMT reached into the wound, pulled out the artery and tied a knot in it, an action the Kuwait hospital confirmed as having saved his life). Longstreath. -
2011 11 14 Compresor shutdown Canada S/S Air Paraphrased from CDAC report:- �MONTREAL —Quebec’s labour minister said it’s “unimaginable� that wildcat strikers would cut off the air supply to two construction divers on a worksite north of Montreal on Monday. The divers in Trois-Rivieres, about 140 km north of Montreal, were shaken but unharmed when a roving group of union delegates forcibly shut down the waterfront worksite. The revelations were made Thursday in Quebec City during legislative hearings for proposed union reform legislation (Bill-33). The president of the union representing the divers told the Labour Minister that delegates from a larger union demanded the waterfront site be shut down the moment they arrived. When workers refused, one of the delegates shut down a generator which supplied electricity to radios, lights and the air compressor that fed air to the underwater divers. The two divers in the water used their emergency air supplies to resurface safely. A member of the diving team who was on shore when the generator was shut off said that the union reps threatened him. “I told them that there could have been an incident, or something serious, like a death� he said. “They told me that I could also be involved in an accident.� The company running the worksite has not pressed charges. Two larger unions represent 70% of construction workers in the province. They are fighting Bill-33 which strips them of their power to decide which and how many workers are assigned to construction sites. The government argues the two larger unions use this right to intimidate workers who are part of smaller unions by banning them from certain construction sites. The smaller unions, which collectively represent 30% of Quebec construction workers, favour the bill. Meanwhile, the union said Monday’s situation was a misunderstanding. “The version of the incident that I heard, is that one of the workers, in a moment of confusion, stopped the generator,� a spokesperson for the QFL said. “If they shut down the generator on purpose, then that is unacceptable.� CDAC -
2011 12 9 Not Recorded Tonga S/S Air Aged 43, illegal sea cucumber fishing (season closed in mid October), diving with two other fishermen using a basic hookah equipment near Luanamo island (Ha'apai), experienced severe abdominal pains but died before the health officer from Ha'afeva arrived on the island. Inquest concluded that he died from decompression illness. Police arrested two Asian men (reputed to have bought the sea cucumbers and then left the island and charged them with illegal havesting off-season and use of using illegal equipment) and three Tongan men the day after on the island of Nuku'alofa. Second illegal sea cucumber harvester to die on the island this year in virtually identical circumstances (the previous fatality was on the 1st of September). Vava'a Press -
2011 12 20 Schock Timothy USA Police SCUBA Aged 41, Chesapeake police dive team training, taking part in a team underwater search and rescue exercise at Oak Grove Lale Park. Buoyancy vest inoperable (fault with inflation button prior to dive, during dive the inflation button fell apart so that vest flooded/would not inflate) surfaced and told his partner that he could not breath, during surface swim to shore slipped away from partner's grasp and sank, recovered by a resue diver but did not respond to emergency treatment. Had been a police officer for 16 years, in the dive team for 8, ex-marine, competitive cyclist. Investigation concluded that there was no stand-by/cover boat immediately available nor emergency responders. Accident initiated by failed buoyancy compensator and compounded by jammed weight belt release (Subsequent testing of the weight releases on the other 12 divers demonstrated that they all failed to release properly). Death ruled as an accident due to to drowning though the medical examiner stated that he had an enlarged heart that contributed to his death. Investigation also concluded equipment should have been serviced by a trained technician "Dive team members lacked the expertise". Post accident, team required to do 'buddy' checks, officers not allowed to dive if equipment is not fully functional. Chesapeake News -
2011 12 22 Diaz Jose Mexico Fisherman Aged 33, from the town of Timucuy, diving off the vessel "Golfo II" (Gulf II), lobster fising operation out of Yucalpeten, 15:00 hours, Captain of the boat radiod ashore to tell the port authorities that the diver had drowned. No details. Progresohoy.com -
2012 1 2 Voiles David USA Golf ball diver 3 SCUBA Aged 43, Staff Sergeant in the Florida National Guard, ex 53rd infantry, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, part time work retrieving golf balls at the Sherman Hills Golf Club, Brooksville. Disappeared, noticed only when his golf buggy was found unattended. His body was recovered by SAR divers the day after. Reported that the SAR diver found a nylon bag containing around 500 golf balls (Later weighed - in air - at 85 pounds weight) attached to a rope. He followed the rope and found the diver face down on the botton in 8 feet of water. His regulator was entangled in the line and pulled behind his back out of reach, mask still in place, single tank, gloves, wet suit, fins, knife hanging from his harness. Daily Mail -
2012 1 9 Silva Carlos Portugal 20 SCUBA Aged 60, Isle of Madeira, near Ribeira Brava. Aquaculture (Fish farming) operation, appears to have been a two man diving team working on a holding cage at a depth of 10 to 20 metres but water depth was 60 metres, no topsides crew, supervisor or DDC. An alternate report suggests the diver may have dived to 60 metres to recover a dropped diving cylinder. Disappeared, body not recovered, search called off after 8 days. Married, two children. forum-mergulho.com -
2012 1 9 Not Recorded Singapore SCUBA Ship's husbandry, diving in support of locating a vessel into a dry dock. Surfaced with his diving partner but went back down, failed to surface. located (unconscious?) on the bottom of the dock, failed to respond to treatment, (possible cardiac arrest?) -
2012 1 11 Not Recorded Malaysia Rumoured that two divers were killed on a job in Malaysia but no details, not confirmed (Longstreath) -
2012 1 11 Hentze Jakun Andrias Faroes SJH Diving 2 SCUBA Aged 44, repair programme on the SHEFA-2 (SHEtland - FAroes fibre optic communication) cable of Nolsoy island. Was found in shallow water with his mask off and empty cylinder. No other details. Reported by SIBC, Dimma,fo, sandportal.fo -
2012 1 26 Gallant Petty Officer 2nd Class Taylor USA US Navy 34 Aged 22 from Winchester, Ky, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Navy diver based at Little Creek-Fort Story with the Mobile EOD unit 12 died during a training dive 40 kilometres off the North Carolina coast from the Canadian Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel 'HMCS Smmerside' during preparations for 'Bold Alligator 2012', an international amphibious training exercise due to start the following week. Reported as failing to respond to signals at which stage a stand-by diver was deployed who found him unresponsive and brought him to the surface. Flown ashore to the Naval Hospital at Camp Lejeune but declared dead on arrival. No other details but investigation reported as ongoing. Reported in Navy News. -
2012 2 2 Amaro Canche Victor Mexico Aged 43, sea cucumber harvesting out of Puerto Chicxulub 'out of season' (Fishing season opens on the 22nd February), no permit, boat 'Dumbos' not registered, reported as the first fisherman/diver to die in 2012, came ashore, felt unwell, taken to the American medical centre, but declared dead, apparently died of DCI related injuries, may have cut short decompression stops to shorten dive/avoid detection by Naval patrol boat. SIPSE.COM Yucatan -
2012 2 4 Rodriguez Miguel Angelo Spain Diveships 6 Aged 41, grout injection operation ('Emergency repairs') at the Queen Sofia pier in the port of Cadiz, call to the emergency services at 13:50 of a 'diver problem'. Initial reports indicated that he failed to surface, was recovered but did not respond to treatment, possible heart attack (pending autopsy). Passed a medical in December, had been working with the contractor for one month. EFE Cadiz -
2012 2 10 Sindad I or II Egypt Sinbad Submarine 3 German tourists, (parents and a child) drowned when a sight seeing tourist submarine working out of Hurgada (Tourist resort on the Red Sea Coast) struck a coral reef breaking a porthole leading to water ingress. 13 other tourists were rescued. Reported in the Gulf times and others. The submarine was either the Sinbad I or Sinbad II, built by Mobimar (Turku, Finland) to ABS standards, (No other details that I can find in the public domain, TC) -
2012 2 10 Moneley Sorcha USA KESMARC Chamber Aged 33, from Ireland, at the facility as an observor with an interest in taking the hyperbariv treatment technology to Europe, seriously injured in the same explosion that killed Erica Marshall, airlifted to Shands (University of Florida) for treatment (head trauma). KESMARC (Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine And Rehabilitation Centre) Farm in Ocla. 12' diameter hyperbaric chamber built in 2009 by New Phase Construction used for treating horses with high ppO2. The horse from Virginia (Landmark's Legendary Affair, a 6 year old thoroughbred gelding), which was being being treated for tissue damage, was killed instantly. Two employees monitoring the horse said that about 22 minutes into the treatment, he became agitated and started to kick (conflicting statements as to whether the horse was sedated on this occasion, though it had received 4 or 5 treatments before without incident), they tried to activate an emergency decompression sequence but the horse had already kicked off a quarter inch thick protective coating. They saw a "massive spark inside the chamber and then flames", Ms Moneley left the panel to call the fire department, Ms Marshall began the decompression sequence. There was an initial explosion followed by a much larger blast that blew debris 1,200 feet, ripped off part of the roof and the side walls. The horse's steel shoes were not taped or covered "As the chamber had a irremovable protective coating that makes it unecessary". Star Banner, Florida -
2012 2 10 Marshall Erica USA KESMARC Chamber Aged 28, died in an explosion at the KESMARC (Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine And Rehabilitation Centre) Farm in Ocla. 12' diameter hyperbaric chamber built in 2009 by New Phase Construction used for treating horses with high ppO2. The horse from Virginia (Landmark's Legendary Affair, a 6 year old thoroughbred gelding), which was being being treated for tissue damage, was killed instantly. Two employees monitoring the horse said that about 22 minutes into the treatment, he became agitated and started to kick (conflicting statements as to whether the horse was sedated on this occasion, though it had received 4 or 5 treatments before without incident), they tried to activate an emergency decompression sequence but the horse had already kicked off a quarter inch thick protective coating. They saw a "massive spark inside the chamber and then flames", Ms Moneley left the panel to call the fire department, Ms Marshall began the decompression sequence. There was then an initial explosion followed by a much larger blast that blew debris 1,200 feet, ripped off part of the roof and the side walls. The horse's steel shoes were not taped or covered "As the chamber had an irremovable protective coating that makes it unecessary". Star Banner, Florida -
2012 2 14 Delauze Henri Germain France COMEX Died aged 83, Henri DeLauze founded COMEX in 1961. He was awarded a degree in engineering from the Ecole Superieure des Arts et Metiers in Aix-en-Provence (1946/49) and a Master of Science in Marine Geology at the University of California (Berkeley) in 1960. From 1952 to 1955, he cooperated on a voluntary basis with Captain Cousteau's team as an engineer and as a diver in Marseilles (OFRS). From 1956 to 1961 with the big international contractor, Grands Travaux de Marseille, he was responsible for several major large construction sites, including the motorway tunnel under Havana's bay in Cuba (1956/57). At the end of 1961, back in France, he joined the CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research) as head of the "ARCHIMEDE" Bathyscaph Submersible Laboratory in which he carried out a dive to a depth of - 9,650 metres, off the coast of Japan in 1961. He thus became the "Deepest Frenchman in the world" (the deepest human dive was sponsored by the US Navy with Ct Don WALSH and Jacques PICCARD in the Bathyscaph "TRIESTE" to 10.700 m. in 1960). He married in1953 and has three children, Michele, Marc and Beatrice. -
2012 2 19 Diaz Arturo Alejandro Rivas Chile Aquachile SA Aged 33, Beticoi salmon farm, diving accident on site, medivac to Puerta Melinka where it was reported that he died of cardiac arrest due to crush injuries sustained from a large cage of fish. Reported by rin.cl/noticas -
2012 2 22 Collins Lawrence Canada SCUBA Aged 49, one of a three man commercial sea urchin harvesting dive team on board the vessel 'Water Queen' working off Digby Neck in the Grand Passage Waterway (Bay of Fundy off St St. John, an area with the highest tides in the world - Mean spring tide 14.5 metres, extreme range 16.3 metres), 30 minutes into the diver, failed to surface with the other team members around 13:00, seen on the surface being swept away by fast currents, vessel crew searched for about 15 minutess then called emergency services about 13:30, RCMP called at 13:45. Ebb tide, Southerly current, air temp 43F, water 42F, 5 foot seas, search hampered by fog. Reported as having just moved to the area from Ottowa and as having held a commercial diving licence since the early 1990s (but had only been in the water about 10 times in the last 10 years) and that it was his first dive harvesting sea urchins. Search called off four days later (RCMP - "There is no reasonable expectation that he was going to be found alive"), body not found. Reported by Postmedia news and others. -
2012 2 23 Vezzani Francis Italy 40 South Energy SCUBA Aged 38, doing maintenance work on an experimental wave measurement buoy a mile offshore from Punta Righini (Castiglioncello, Livorno). Seen motionless on the seabed (at 'several 10s of metres deep') by his colleague (Daniele Cappanera) and brought to the surface but was pronounced dead when they reached port. Daniele Cappanera was taken to Pisa hyperbaric centre for treatment (suspected DCI). La Republica -
2012 2 23 Cappanera Daniele Italy 41 South Energy SCUBA Aged 41, doing maintenance work on an experimental tidal measurement buoy a mile offshore from Punta Righini (Castiglioncello, Livorno). Saw his colleague (Francis Vezzani) motionless on the seabed (at 'several 10s of metres deep') and went down to recover him, brought to the surface but colleague was pronounced dead when they reached port. Daniele Cappanera was taken to Pisa hyperbaric centre for treatment (suspected DCI). La Republica -
2012 2 24 Amando Hugo Villajuana Mexico SCUBA Aged 36 from Puerta Chuburna, wife and four children. First diver to die in the official - on the second day - of the Sea Cucumber season, harvesting operation onboard the 25 foot long "VMCM 5" working 20 miles out of Celestun (Yucatan Penninsula). Accident ocurred at 13:00, admitted to hospiral in Celustan at 16:00, declared dead at 17:30. Reported as due to DCI, depth initially reported as 'cinco brazas '(5 fathoms or 30 feet) but later corrected as 12 fathoms (60 feet). No other details. Reported by Por Esto -
2012 2 28 Ellebode Jean-Michel France Le Schaphandre 25 44 years old, French, Diving at around 25 metres, working off a barge on the Antioch sluice (Between Ile de Re and Ile d'Oleron), ill in the water, recovered unconscious, helicopter to hospital in La Rochelle, declared dead. Sudouest.fr -
2012 3 1 Not Recorded Sergio Spain 40 SCUBA Aged 21, student at the Alicante Marine and Fisheries Institute, enrolled in a profesional diving course at the college, was on a training dive with a teacher and three other students to 40 metres, took out mouthpiece, swallowed water, panicked and made emergency ascent without stops. Given oxygen therapy and transferred ashore to a hyperbaric centre and treated for ommitted decompression. The teacher and one other student who assisted him to the surface undertook another dive to complete their decompression stops. The report commented that tests to assess students prior to being allowed to take the diving course (Swimming, breath holding for a minute and an 18 metre free dive) were discontinued 5 years ago and that has resulted "in a huge deficiency in the quality of the students" Reported by Informacion.es -
2012 3 6 Not Recorded Spain SCUBA Aged 35, working on a tuna farm at San Javier off the coast of Murcia, evacuated from site to port and admitted to the Cartagena hyperbaric unit. "Stabilized by the emergency services and transferred to the hyperbaric medicine unit". No details. GPS Buceo -
2012 3 15 MacLean Roderick UK SCUBA Aged 33 from Finstown, Scallop diving operation off the Orkney island of Eday, failed to surface from a dive, search for body called off after 5 days. STV. -
2012 3 17 Yuge Saturo Japan SCUBA Aged 45, one of three divers (with Mitsui Shiotsuki and Taizo Yokoyama) who died on the same dive, removing submerged concrete blocks from a marine farm off Tsukumi in Oita Prefecture. The three entered the water at 09:30, located unconscious underwater at 10:00, all apparently with empty tanks. Coastguard suspect faulty procedures and awaiting autopsy reports. The Japan Times online -
2012 3 17 Yokoyama Taizo Japan SCUBA Aged 45, one of three divers (with Mitsui Shiotsuke and Saturo Yuge) who died on the same dive, removing submerged concrete blocks from a marine farm off Tsukumi in Oita Prefecture. The three entered the water at 09:30, located unconscious underwater at 10:00, all apparently with empty tanks. Coastguard suspect faulty procedures and awaiting autopsy reports. The Japan Times online -
2012 3 17 Shiotsuki Mitsui Japan SCUBA Aged 45, one of three divers (with Saturo Yuge and Taizo Yokoyama) who died on the same dive, removing submerged concrete blocks from a marine farm off Tsukumi in Oita Prefecture. The three entered the water at 09:30, located unconscious underwater at 10:00, all apparently with empty tanks. Coastguard suspect faulty procedures and awaiting autopsy reports. The Japan Times online -
2012 3 17 Roussow Pierre India CCC 28 S/S Air South African, experienced sat diver working an air job off the NPCC barge HLS 2000, crane incident, found in the water with helmet off, broken neck. Longstreath -
2012 3 18 Kelley Daniel USA Sunset Beach Oyster Company 4 Aged 48, commercial geoduck harvesting off Ayock point in the Hood Canal, ill in the water and stopped responding to signals, pulled out of the water and began CPR, transported ashore and taken to Mason General hospital where he was pronounced dead. Reported as having drowned after having a heart attack. Autopsy revealed the diver 'had pre-existing conditions that may have led to the heart attack'. Toxicology testing ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning. KMAS News Radio -
2012 3 19 Freigeiro Choucino Marcos Spain UCS, Algeceiras 20 SCUBA Spanish aged 28, Hull cleaning operation at the alpha anchotage in Port of Algerceiras on the container ship "Lica Maersk" (Launched 2001, 266 metres long, 37 metre beam, draft 21 metres, capacity 3,600 TEU), brush became detached, dragged the diver to seabed at 100m, body not located. Longstreath/GPS Buceo -
2012 3 22 Driifingr Ethan Nigeria DSIT SCUBA Israeli, aged 31, initially reported as installing a diver detection sonar system 'Aquashield' (Built in Israel, owned by an American corporaton, aimed at detecting swimmers, divers, diver delivery vehicles etc) in Lagos harbour and that he failed to surface, body recovered the day after, reported as drowned. Later reports say that he was involved in ship's husbandry (hull cleaning) and 'knocked his head under the hull and died' and that the body was found floating nearby. No confirmed details, Nigerian authorities were disuaded from doing an autopsy after intervention from the Israeli consulate and ZAKA (Autopsy is forbidden under Jewish law unless the procedure is deemed by a rabbinical expert to be 'specifically of life saving value'). Nigerian/Israeli News -
2012 3 24 Not Recorded Russia Navy Diver 60 Diving off the Rescue vessel "Alagez" with the Pacific Fleet in Pyotr Veliky Bay of Primorye conducting a submarine salvage drill with a "damaged" submarine on the seabed in 60 metres of water. Reports unclear, though may have been 'equipment failure'. Contradictory reports regarding his diving partner say he is 'undergoing intensive decompression therapy' or 'did not suffer and needs no treatment'. No details. Reported by Navaltoday.com -
2012 3 31 Kay Marson Ashly USA Karst Underwater Research 54 SCUBA Aged 29, volunteer diver, one of a six man team from Karst Underwater Research (A not-for-profit organisation that maps and measures flow and water quality of underwater springs for state agencies and water management districts in Florida), diving with three others at the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. The group had descended to about 180' and as they ascended he took a different route and became wedged, possibly trapped by water flow (at about 100' depth), the team members tried but failed to release him. Rescue divers got to him in under three minutes from leaving the surface when the first group surfaced and raised the alarm, but found him dead with his regulator out and mask pushed onto his forehead. Body brought to the surface an hour later. The Ledger.com. The autopsy concluded death was caused by an air embolism (specifically, that an air bubble had lodged in his heart and blocked the blood supply to the lungs) and the medical examiner ruled it as an accidental death. Karst U/W research quoted as saying "Instead of following the ropes as he had done multiple times in the past, Marson rapidly moved into a restrictive area of the crevasse. It is believed that this behaviour was not calculated but a reaction caused by the affect of an air embolism he incurred while rapidly ascending from depth. Typically, this condition causes profound changes in mental functioning, including disoriientation, blindness, paralysis, seizures and loss of consciousness within minutes or even seconds of onset. If it occurs after surfacing, it is often fatal or profoundly disabling even with prompt recompression therapy. When it occurs underwater, the incapacity or unconsciousness it causes almost always results in drowning". Hernando Today. This fatality has not been included as a commercial diving fatality as this seems to be a weekend cave diving group using 'research' as a means of gaining access to cave systems that might otherwise be off-limits (TC). -
2012 4 5 Craig Ryan USA Triangle Diving, Bermuda 3 Rebreather Aged 25, Canadian, described as an experienced commercial and technical diver, working as a diving instructor in Bermuda, died whilst using a closed circuit rebreather in 9' of water off Grotto Bay. The owner of triangle Diving Bermuda - his employer - is quoted as saying "Technical divers are used to losing people. We're on the cutting edge, exploring new frontiers and with any type of new frontier you will always have losses. We are experts in technical diving and have all the certifications, but accidents can happen". Bermuda Sun. -
2012 4 12 Bogs Arsinas UAE Target Engineering 18 SS/Air Reported that a Philippino diver (Not IMCA certified, alledgedly refused certification by WCCD) was brought to the surface from depth without completing decompression (dive possibly aborted by supervisor because "diver was not performing adequately in the water"). After 10 minutes on deck, collapsed. Put in a DDC and treated (Table? Depth?) but did not respond. Transferred to hospital but died the day after. No investigation, reported to his family by the contractor that he 'died in his room of a heart attack' Possibly no medical, possibly not fit to dive. Reported by The Divers Association -
2012 4 13 Neve Nigel Gabon Topsides Acting as Company Site Representative on a DSV offshore Gabon, reported as possible stomach heamorrhage, no other etails. Longstreath blog -
2012 4 14 Hampton Jarrod Arthur Australia Paspaley Pearls SCUBA Aged 22 from Brighton, Victoria, one of a six man commercial diving team wild pearling off 80 mile beach, 160 km south of Broome. Came to the surface 'distressed' and died at the scene. 8 hour vessel transit to Broome, investigation ongoing. -
2012 4 18 Stovall Richard USA Stovall's SCUBA and Travel 12 SCUBA Aged 77, owner of PADI diving business in Midland, collecting underwater soil samples from the bed of the O H Ivie Resevoir on behalf of the Colorado River Municipal Water District prior to a dredging company removing silt from the pipe to the pumping station. Entered the water through a concrete tower on a pumping station in the resevoir, should have been a 10 minute dive, failed to surface. Body found two days later at the inshore end of a 350' long, 8' diameter pipe in a chamber below a pump station onshore. Appears to have been a solo dive, no stand-by or back up. San Angelo Standard Times -
2012 4 19 Simonini Lt. Vincent Italy Italian Navy Aged 37, Italian Navy diver working at the helicopter base at Luni (La Spezia), assisting in pool based helicopter ditching/evacuation training. Unconscious in the water, treated by medics on site but failed to respond to treatment. Reported as 'cardiac arrest'. Italian Press reports. -
2012 4 22 Sprout Brad Robert Mexico Global Diving and Salvage American, aged 29, Working a DP DSV ('Captain Tale'?off Cuidad del Carmen, may have been an umbilical in thruste/lost gas incident, no other details -
2012 4 22 Abu Khalil Hussein Ahmad Lebanon 50 SCUBA Aged 42, head of the Environment and Development department and the Marine Exploration Department, diving off the village of Qleileh, Tyre, inspecting a seafloor project designed to increase fish numbers. His body was located by a Navy SAR team the day after. Reported as having died of a heart attack. Dailystar.com.lb -
2012 4 27 Rhodes Randy R USA 4 SCUBA Aged 55, from Indiana, clearing zebra mussels from a water intake at a private residence on Keuka Lake, reported as surfacing and calling for help before sinking under the water about 18:15 hours, body recovered from 13' of water, 80' from the shore by rescuers who were on site within 5 minutes of receiving an emergency call at 18:20. Alive when pulled from the water but declared dead in hspital two hours later. Not counted in the 'working diver' fatality count as this appears to be a local resident clearing his own or a neighbour's water pipe on a Friday evening. Appears to have been a solo SCUBA diver. Sadly this death will not be remembered for the circumstances of the death but a very public argument between the New York State SCUBA team who claim to have rescued the unconscious diver and Wayne Fire Department Cold Water Response team who say they located the diver and Steuben County Dive Team volunteer members who say they then brought the diver to the surface. Steuben Courier -
2012 5 3 O'Malley Steven Germany SubC Partner 2 British, Aged 48. Diving on the Alpha Ventus windfarm (28 miles north of Borkum in about 30 metres water depth) from a Danish DSV, body taken ashore in Esbjerg. Reported as becoming unresponsive/ill in the water, recovered to deck but failed to respond to treatment. Initial reports indicated a possible heart attack. Reported in the Scotsman plus German Press -
2012 5 4 Dzul Felix Jesus Canul Mexico Fisherman SCUBA Commercial sea Cucumber fishing out of Puerto Chicxulub (Yucatan Penninsula), reported chest pains, taken ashore died in hospital (CMA - Centro Medico de las Americas in Merida). Reported as death due to decompression illness. Progresohoy.com -
2012 5 5 Stoyanov (or Dimitrov) Radoslav Bulgaria Hydroremont 7 Commercial diver with 3 years expeience, from Varna, aged 29, Kozloduy nuclear power plant. inspecting a shaft between units 5 and 6, lost audio at 09:40, body recovered one and a half hours later, reported to have both audio and lifeline, no explanation for protracted recovery, death certificate states cause of death as 'myocardial infarcation' and that death was not due to an accident but due to heart disease. Rumours of a cover up, running pumps, diver being trapped by differential pressure and injuries to diver denied by authorities, circumstances unclear. Focus News Agency -
2012 5 12 Thakur Ramesh Singapore Cutech Marine Services Pty SCUBA Aged 35, ex Indian Navy diving instructor (Left the Navy August 2011, had been working for Cutech for several months) from Kanyakumari (Kerala, South India). Hull cleaning on the VLCC "Kokkari" 4 km Southeast of the South Marine Pier. Singapore Maritime and Port Authority received a report that a diver had gone missing at 14:55, a search failed to locate the diver. Married, two children aged 5 and 7, Reported by AsiaOne -
2012 5 17 Cancino Manuel Gomez Gonzalo Mexico SCUBA Aged 28, poaching for sea cucumber 22 miles off Progreso (Yucatan) with two companions off a 25' boat. Inexperienced, probably did not use decompression stops, died before he got to hospital. Autopsy stated death due to decompression illness. Progresohoy.com -
2012 5 22 Deep Sat Dive USA USN Saturation Naval Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU), Panama city, Florida, training dive during testing of the 26 million dollar US Navy Saturation Fly-away Diving System. 4 day sat, 11 day decompression with a 6 man team to 1000' (Reported as "the first USN dive to 1,000 feet since 1974" though USN divers are reported as having dived to 1,148' using the Mk I Deep Dive System in 1975, NEDU to 1,800' in the Ocean Simulator Facility in 1979 and the Duke Medical centre ran a chamber dive to 2,250 in 1981, TC). wjhg.com -
2012 6 2 Pool Joshua Lee Eugene USA 2 S/S Air Aged 28, Commercial diver with Seattle based Global and Salvage, working the weekend on a pivate gold claim 70 miles north of Anchorage on Willow Creek, using a compressor and diving gear, dry suit (No life jacket) with 50lbs of weight (25lb chest weight with quick release, 25lbs on a non-quick release waist belt) to work a 'neck-deep eddy' behind a boulder (using a suction lift) upstream of Shirley Town Bridge. Working with one other guy (onshore) and in quickly rising water level when apparently he went short of air, stood up and lifted off his helmet, slipped on a rock, lost his helmet and 'went downstream', Incident occurred at around 16:00, body located at 18:00, possible head injury, recorded as drowned. Lived in Anchoorage, expecting his second daughter to be born in July. Alaska Dispatch -
2012 6 9 Kurida Pjero UK Topsides Croatian, aged 29, Bosun on the PSV E R Athina. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report highlighted failure by senior crew to follow formal risk assessments, inappropriate emergency response and improper planning of the use of a Fast Rescue Craft (FRC) as a painting platform. The bosun suffered severe internal chest injuries after becoming trapped between the hull and the lifting frame of the FRC whilst repairing a small area of damaged paintwork on the hull whilst at anchor two miles off Aberdeen (“possibly trying to push the FRC away from the supply ship’s hull,� as the vessels collided against each other, caused by the prevailing swell and tidal stream). With no external signs of bleeding (After the incident, he was coughing and breathing heavily, but the second officer did not see any external signs of bleeding. When he was asked about his injuries he replied that his right arm was sore and that he thought his ribs were broken), the crew underestimated the extent of his injuries and a fishing vessel was employed to take him to hospital at a speed of 8.5 knots. They also alerted the ship’s agent, rather than the coastguard, losing “valuable time,� found the report. MAIB Report -
2012 6 26 Not Recorded Nigeria S/S Air Diver from Ijar described as 'senior' with 25 years of experience working for a contractor out of Port Harcourt (Rivers State). Disappeared during salvage of a sunken dredger on the Ughelli River (Delta State). Reported as having reached the position of the sunken dredger then disappeared. Appears from photos to have been a surface supplied mobile/portable set up, but no details. The dredger was run by a contractor (Owned by the Hon Friday Onodjai, former chairman of of the Ughelli North Local Government council and one time member representinf Ughelli North in the Delta State house of Assembly) working for NDDC (Niger Delta Development Company) and sank on Monday 25th near the Amekpa junction 'while executing a project to open up the river'. Search for the diver continued Thursday 28th admist confrontation with the local Otor-iwhreko community trying to stop the search operation until after ceremonies to appease their Gods for defilement of the river by the dead diver. Riot controlled by the military. It was alleged that prior to the commencement of the dredging, some employees of the owner of the dredger had made some spiritual consultations and disclosed to Hon. Onodjai that there is the need to appease the gods of the river before the commencement of the project, a suggestion Onodjai allegedly refused with a wave of the hand saying that he is a Christian and that such insinuations are mere superstitious beliefs. However, a week after the commencement of the project, the dredger sank and in an attempt to recover it, divers were brought in from Port Harcourt. It was during the rescue of the dredger that one of the divers was discovered missing after he had gone into the water but failed to come out. Another report commented that prior to this incident, there have been a series of profitable excavating activities due to the high demand of white sand for construction activities in the area (So was this a publicly funded river widening operation or commercial sand extraction?) Reported by Urhobo Times/Vanguard. -
2012 7 3 Antonov Rosen Bulgaria SCUBA Training to dive (Described as a professional SCUBA duver) with the institute of oceanology of the Bulgarian Academy of Science near Varna on the Black Sea Coast (Programme specifically for the Kozloduy nuclear power plant). Second fatality in two months associated with this power plant (Radoslav Stoyanov or Dimitrov, 5th May 2012). No details. Reported by Publics.bg -
2012 7 13 Knight Michael Louis USA Seaward Marine Aged 49, civilian diver with 24 years experience working on the USS Wasp (Amphibious Assault Ship) at Pier 10 at the Norfolk Navy Base. Pronounced dead at the scene, cause of death not yet determined, no other details. Daily Press. -
2012 7 24 Sheinost 2 David D USA Dept. of Natural Resources SCUBA In January 2013, Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries (L & I) cited the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for 15 worker-safety violations including two “willful� violations (committed with intentional disregard or plain indifference to worker safety and health regulations). (1) 370 occurrences over a 6-month period in which divers were deployed without carrying a reserve breathing-gas supply (2) DNR did not ensure a designated person was in charge at the dive location to supervise all aspects of the diving operation affecting the health and safety of the divers and proposed penalties of $172,900.
In addition to the two willful violations, L&I cited DNR for eight serious and five general violations for not complying with standard safe-diving practices and procedures, including failure to:- have an effective safety and health accident prevention program and training program; ensure that divers maintained continual visual contact with each other; inspect and maintain equipment; have a stand-by diver available while divers are in the water. DNR says it will appeal the fines saying that the department has corrected most of the violations that were found during the investigation by the state Department of Labor & Industries -
2012 7 24 Sheinost 1 David D USA Dept. of Natural Resources SCUBA Aged 24, from Puyallup, two man dive working with a four man diving tean for the Department of Natural Resources conducting geoduck surveys (sampling for paralytic shellfish poisoning) near Restoration Point on Bainbridge island. Reported as 'went missing during the dive' (surfaced in distress, called out he could not breath, slipped below the surface before the other divers reaced him), body recovered three days later. Death certificate indicates cause of death as 'salt water drowning' with a contributing factor 'acute cocaine intoxication'. Apparently did not hold a commercial diving license. Bainbridge Island Review. In January 2013, Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries (L & I) cited the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for 15 worker-safety violations including two “willful� violations (committed with intentional disregard or plain indifference to worker safety and health regulations). (1) 370 occurrences over a 6-month period in which divers were deployed without carrying a reserve breathing-gas supply (2) DNR did not ensure a designated person was in charge at the dive location to supervise all aspects of the diving operation affecting the health and safety of the divers and proposed penalties of $172,900.
In addition to the two willful violations, L&I cited DNR for eight serious and five general violations for not complying with standard safe-diving practices and procedures, including failure to:- have an effective safety and health accident prevention program and training program; ensure that divers maintained continual visual contact with each other; inspect and maintain equipment; have a stand-by diver available while divers are in the water. DNR says it will appeal the fines saying that the department has corrected most of the violations that were found during the investigation by the state Department of Labor & Industries. Bainbridge Island Review -
2012 7 31 Van D Truong Vietnam Pearl or clam diver Aged 25, diver at a fish farm (pearls or clams) in Phu Yen Province. Resident in Ho Chi Minh City, returned to his home povince in July and went diving for clams. Developed high fever and headache on July 29th, the following day was hospitalised at the Nhan Dan Gia Dinh hospital in Ho Chi Minh city then transferred to the Tropical diseases hospital, treatment ineffectual as infection had spread from his nasal passages to the brain leading to Meningitis, fell into a coma, suffered three cardiac and respiratory arrests, was asked to be released on the 31st by his family, died in transit to his home. Subsequent tests confirmed he was infected with Naegleria fowleri. Amoeba was known to be endemic in Vietnam since in 1965, known as the 'brain eating amoeba', typically found in warm fresh water. Can invade humans and attackthe nervous sytem (rare) but when it occurs, typically has a 98% fatality rate. Of 121 cases reported in the USA since 1937, only one survivor. Reported in VietNamNet Bridge -
2012 8 1 Yusuke Miura Russia EMAS Saturation Japanese diver working in saturation onboard the "Lewek Crusader" at the Arkutun Dagi platform Gravity Base off Sakhalin. Reported as heart attack whilst in the water installing a flange catcher. NB IMCA member, therefore should see a report in due course. Longstreath/PDA -
2012 8 5 Reardon Jim USA Fireman SCUBA Aged 51 from Pierz, videoptaping in Lake Seven near Frazee undertaking a pre-drill survey for a future dive exercise for firefighters who were due to train there. Reported as having separated from his dive partner, he was found near the dock 20 minutes later but could not be revived. "No drugs or alcohol was involved, all his diving gear was intact and operational". Autopsy concluded that he "Died of natural causes". Bismark Tribune -
2012 8 10 Martin Christopher USA SCUBA Aged 24, hired by Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando to retrieve golf balls. Two divers, but working solo in different locations. The other diver saw the diving tank floating on the surface but neither he or the Orange County Dive Team could locate the body. Body recovered late evening the day after. Presumbed drowned but no other details. Orlando Sentinel -
2012 8 10 Burgan Michael USA Fireman 19 SCUBA Aged 46, Captain in the Sugarcreek Fire department (also dived for the Holmes County dive team) participating in an advanced diving class at the White Star Quarry in Gibsonburg, reported as showing signs of distress after 15 minutes into his second dive of the day, surfaced and called for help before he lost consciousness, recovered from about 61' water depth by fellow divers but pronounced dead at the scene. Firehouse.com news -
2012 8 12 Udoh Godwin Nigeria OMAK / Eidesvik 35 S/S Air Working off the "Atlantis Dweller". Diving contractor was OMAK (Not IMCA) a "Local content' initiative Nigerian subsidiary of Eidesvik AS (IMCA member) set up in Port Harcourt, (subcontracted to Fugro), the diver was locally qualified (PTI in Rivers State) and had a local medical (No evidence to say either had an effect on the incident), his first dive after arriving on board, dive was to 35 msw, Dive time line seems to have been:- 16:16 left surface, 16:31 to 16:36 "about 15-20 minutes into dive displayed signs of distress/panic", 16:39 stand-by left surface and freed umbilical of unconscious but breathing diver, 16:50 Divers left bottom, 16:58 Unconscious diver appears to stop breathing, 17:01 Divers on surface, 17:03 In DDC with DMT, 17:08 Second DMT locked in, 17:53 CPR discontinued 'after 45 minutes'. When helmet was removed on surface, interior was dry and it was reported he had white froth around his mouth. The Police autopsy states death due to drowning, the hospital death certificate says asphyxia leading to cerebral hypoxia and myocardial infarction). Oil Company Incient Report. -
2012 8 16 Knaps Marko Estonia Navy 23 SCUBA Aged 22, conscript at the Talinn Naval Base from 2010-2011 after which he joined the mine hunter 'Sakala' as a diver in August 2011. On August 7th 2012, the Esonian Navy launched an operation to dispose of WWII era munition (Reported as having cleared over 700 devices since 1994). Diving 1.5 miles off the Kakumae penninsula in the process of moving an aircraft bomb to a safe area when he stopped responding to routine signals. Another diver located him unconscious at 23 metres and brought him to the surface, lacked vital signs but colleagues began resucitation which was taken over by ambulance crews when they reached the shore. Failed to respond. No other details. Rep[orted ERR News (Estonia Public Broadcasting) -
2012 8 18 Olurunwa Nigeria Storm surge hit shanty cabins at the Kuramo Beach, Victoria Island early hours of Saturday morning, "So far, only the body of the local diver earlier found on Saturday has been identified. The local diver identified simply as Olurunwa lost his life in his attempt to save the drowning victims. Reported in the Vanguard -
2012 8 23 Hernandez Duva Columbia Working with 7 other divers on the Luxembourg flagged Jan de Nul dredger "Charles Darwin" (Launched 2010, 180 metres long, 40 metre beam, twin trailer suction dredges each with 3,400 KW of power) off the Port of Santa Marta. Described as 'human error' - they started the turbines with divers in the water. Two divers caught, his partner, Pardo Echavarria recovered to the surface 20 minutes later, apparently still alive but died, Duva Hernandez suffered broken legs, taken to hospital. No other details. Reported by El Informador -
2012 8 23 Echevarria Pardo Columbia Aged 48, married with three chidren, ex-navy diver, working with 7 other divers on the Luxembourg flagged Jan de Nul dredger "Charles Darwin" (Launched 2010, 180 metres long, 40 metre beam, twin trailer suction dredges each with 3,400 KW of power) off the Port of Santa Marta. Described as 'human error' - they started the turbines with divers in the water. Two divers caught, Echavarria recovered to the surface 20 minutes later, apparently still alive but died, his dive partner Duva Hernandez suffered broken legs, taken to hospital. No other details. Reported by El Informador -
2012 9 12 Not Recorded USA Ocean Corps, Houston Two trainees, one aged 18 or 28, the other 34, reported as 'hospitalised in a critical condition'. The accident occurred at around 10:00 or 11:00 hours, commercial diver training (Inspection/NDT training) in a tank, recovered from the tank, one unconscious, the other conscious, transferred by 'LifeFlight' helicopter to hospital. Apparently "Diving in the indoor tank on SCUBA on their first day of unsupervised diving. The instructor was helping another student when other students noticed something was wrong". No other details. KHOU news