Overview
- On November 5, 1983, the Byford Dolphin rig in the North Sea experienced a sudden drop from about nine atmospheres to surface pressure inside linked chambers.
- Five of six men died, including dive tender William Crammond who was struck by the violently propelled diving bell, while Martin Saunders survived with critical injuries.
- Reports recount that three divers in the sleeping chambers were believed to have died instantly as dissolved gases rapidly formed bubbles in their bodies.
- Autopsy excerpts describe extreme trauma to Truls Hellevik after he was pulled through a partially closed hatch, with organs expelled during the decompression event.
- Coverage attributes the disaster to both human error and an outdated 1975 diving system lacking fail-safe hatches, external pressure gauges, and interlock mechanisms; the rig was later upgraded, decommissioned in 2019, and sold for demolition in the 2020s.