Date of incident: October 2021
Notice of incident number: 2021190500015
Employer: Marine transport and services company

Incident summary
During a construction project at a fishing lodge, a 6 m (20 ft.) aluminum vessel broke free from the dock and sank. A scuba diver went underwater to attach a salvage line (rope) to the sunken vessel so it could be recovered. While underwater, the diver experienced an unwitnessed medical event and died.

Investigation conclusions

Cause

• Diver experienced fatal medical event. During the underwater recovery of the vessel that had sunk beside the dock at the fishing lodge, the diver experienced a medical event and stopped breathing.

Other health and safety issues

• Lack of diving supervision. The employer did not provide a diving supervisor for the recovery of the sunken vessel. The employer did not recognize the difference between a recreational dive and an occupational dive, and no one considered what health and safety requirements might apply to the dive. Each diving operation must be directed by a diving supervisor whose duties include evaluating the hazards, planning the dive, briefing the crew, ensuring that all needed equipment is available and in good working condition, and controlling the entire diving operation.
• Failure to confirm medical certification of diver. The diver was required to hold a medical certification that was to be inspected by the diving supervisor. Before commencing a diving operation, an employer must ensure that each diver has current medical certification from a physician knowledgeable and competent in diving medicine, but in this case, the employer did not check whether the diver had medical certification.
• Failure to provide standby diver. There was no standby diver at the site ready to render assistance to the diver if needed. Other workers from various contractors acted as spotters from the dock, but the spotters were limited in their ability to locate and help the diver. A standby diver must be on the dive site, able at all times to render assistance within one minute when diving operations are in progress, and trained and equipped to operate at the depths and circumstances of the dive.

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