Professional diving - accident in the North Sea

Listen to this article Professional diver Chris Lemons, 32l, can speak of great luck. While working underwater in the North Sea, his umbilical supplying air and heat was accidentally cut off due to an unfortunate accident. Chris spent 40min underwater using an emergency air source. Following emergency procedures, the diver maintained his position so that

ByTomasz Andrukajtis

Published: September 25, 2012 - 18:47

Updated: February 9, 2023 - 10:21

Professional diving – accident in the North Sea

Listen to this article

Professional diver Chris Lemons, 32l, can speak of great luck. While working underwater in the North Sea, his umbilical supplying air and heat was accidentally cut off due to an unfortunate accident. Chris spent 40min underwater using an emergency air source.

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Following emergency procedures, the diver maintained his position so that his air supply would last as long as possible. We can only imagine what he felt and thought for the next 38min before his colleagues found him.

After locating the diver, he was placed in the bell, where he lost consciousness moments later. Fortunately, he was quickly given the necessary assistance and after undergoing decompression, it all ended with just a scare.

The whole incident took place last Tuesday when Lemons and colleagues from the vessel ‘Bibby Topaz’ were conducting an inspection in the Huntington oilfield. The main cause of the accident was a problem with the vessel’s dynamic positioning system, which resulted in the umbilical connecting the diver to the vessel breaking.

Chris Lemons is very lucky. Thanks to his sober judgement, nerves of steel and adherence to procedure, he managed to emerge from the incident almost unscathed, even though the water he was in was freezing cold.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

About author

Tomasz Andrukajtis

Editor-in-chief of the DIVERS24 portal and magazine. Responsible for obtaining, translating and developing content. He also supervises all publications. Achived his first diving certification – P1 CMAS, in 2000. Has a degree in journalism and social communication. In the diving industry since 2008.