INCIDENT ALERT Date:14th June 2013 Incident Type: Serious Injury Name: Withheld Location: Port Gentil, Gabon Company: Sigma Client: Not Known Type of Diving: Surface Supplied Air Depth: Approx 3.5m Link to Topic:thediversassociation/index.php/topic/591-serious-injury-to-diver-in-gabon-14th-june-2013/ Details: The following information has been provided to the Association: French National, aged 28. Working on an old unused jetty to remove sheet piling with exothermic rods in the harbour of Port Gentil. Two divers in the water, diver one burning horizontal cuts at seabed level, diver two following some distance behind burning vertical cuts to surface. On near completion of cutting the sheet pile was connected to the crane using chain brothers, and hooks. After completion of the cuts, the section would be recovered to surface with divers out of the water. Sequence of Events: Diver 1 reports that he is stuck in the sand to his knees and cannot free himselfThe supervisor instructs diver 2 to assist diver 1Diver 2 finds diver 1 buried to his waist. Visibility poorDiver 2 tries to free diver 1, but has no success due to hard compacted sandSupervisor deploys standby diver with caviblast equipmentDiver 1 sinking in sand to chest level, diver 2 and standby diver cannot free diver 1 due to compacting sandRescue davit does not reach diver 1, crane deployed over diver 1Hook and chain cannot fit into lifting D ring on diver 1 harness (Divex)Hook placed through shoulder loop on harness and lift attempt madeShoulder loop breaks on lift attempt, transferred to other shoulder loop which also breaksAnother attempt to lift the diver made by attaching to the bailout back pack, but only pulls bail out up divers backHook and chain wrapped around bailout pillar valve and divers umbilical to attempt another liftBailout supply shears at pillar valve, and umbilical supply severedHook and chain passed around chest and under armsDiver 1 recovered to deckDiver 1 not breathing and without pulse. EAR, CPR, Defibrillator and portable O2 provided to diverDiver 1 regains pulse, but in comaDiver transported to local hospital, then medivaced to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he is placed in intensive care The diver suffered broken ribs with the crane lift around his chest, but is now reported to be recovering. Further information from the diving company reports that there may have been an obsolete drainage pipe between the external sheet piles and the outer lagoon to allow drainage during tidal movement. Subsequent seabed soundings showed sand/deposit movement indicating a flow path and possible differential pressure in the vicinity that the divers was working in.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 12:11:10 +0000
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