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Byford Dolphin 1983 Diving Disaster Reexamined in Retrospective Reports

An official inquiry later found human error as the cause.

Overview

  • The new coverage recounts how a diving bell was released before a chamber door closed, triggering a rapid drop from roughly nine atmospheres to one.
  • Four divers—Edwin Arthur Coward, Roy P. Lucas, Bjørn Giæver Bergersen, and Truls Hellevik—died instantly from catastrophic decompression.
  • Tender William Crammond was killed after being struck by the bell, while Martin Saunders survived with severe injuries including collapsed lungs and spinal fractures.
  • Reports describe nitrogen in the divers’ blood rapidly forming bubbles, with one victim forced through a 60 cm opening by the pressure differential.
  • The pieces highlight longstanding calls for stronger saturation-diving safety measures, while noting that precise mechanical details remain publicly unresolved.