perhaps the sorry accident in account , at least amongst diving accidents , took place in the North Sea in 1983 : the infamous Byford Dolphin Accident .
make up dives late into the ocean is a risky business , not least because of the risk of decompression sickness . In gild to minimize this risk , divers must come up slowly at the destruction of their expedition . On rock oil articulated lorry , where equipment must be check and altered regularly , this can really slacken down operations .
To anticipate this , divers are sometimes placed in " chroma chamber " . These are peculiarly designed chamber – with beds , supplying , and other sustenance requirements – that are pressurise to rough match the same pressure as the submerged area where they will be work .
Four divers died in the accident.Image credit: FirstPrinciples viaWikimedia Commons(Public Domain)
" impregnation dive involves frogman being at depth long enough to bring all the dead body ’s tissues into equilibrium with the pressures of the compressed breathing gas in their tank,“NOAAexplains . " Most recreational and scientific diving demand divers to spend minute relax before reelect to the surface after each diving . Saturation diving save time by observe the divers under pressing the whole time . "
The bedchamber are take with a mixture of oxygen and helium , to prevent the build - up of N in the stemma , with the side - effect that divers within vividness chambers talk in a high - pitch vocalization .
Byford Dolphin Accident
On November 5 , 1983 , at a drilling playing area in the Norwegian section of the North Sea , a diving bell was hauled up from beneath the sea and attached to the saturation chambers . Once through the threshold from the diving bell , the two frogman shut the door andslightly pressurizedthe diving bell shape to seal off it shut out .
From there , they would usually varnish off the bedroom from the bole connecting to the diving bell , before lento depressurizing the bole to 1 atmosphere and releasing the diving bell , separating it from the saturation chambers . These can then be tardily depressurize to keep the divers safe .
Unfortunately , on that solar day , one of the divers outside of the gong – whether throughmiscommunication , or fatigue brought on by long shifts – unlatched the diving campana before it had been depressurized . give the clamp meant that the chamber system , which was under 9 atmospheres of force per unit area , was now connect to the outside with its usual 1 aura of force per unit area .
Byford Dolphin Autopsy
The diving bell inject away instantly and with unbelievable force , killing the diver who had undo the clinch . This was potential one of the good deaths that day , as a particularly grimautopsy report [ PDF]ater uncover ( NB : when we say grim , we meangrim – it ’s not one for the squeamish ) .
Three of the four divers in the compression chambers were in all likelihood down instantly as the fluids inside their trunk expand rapidly , causing body - broad hemorrhaging . In their last few arcsecond animated , their blood boiled and essentially melted their surrounding avoirdupois , which leaked out of their bodies .
Diver number four had been close to the possible action that had been created when the clamp was released , and as a resolution , he terminate up being sucked through a hole just 60 centimeters ( 24 column inch ) across . He was sent to the autopsy in four disjoined base , collected from various locating around the rig , with one unknown body part being collect from 10 meters ( 33 feet ) off from the chambers . Every part of the trunk inside the bags of tissue paper and bone render some sign of injury .
" The scalp with long , blond tomentum was present , but the top of the skull and the brain were missing , " the autopsy written report excuse . " The soft tissue of the brass were determine , however , wholly distinguish from the bones . "
Many art object of the world were missing - or else whole shattered and destroyed . His penis , though " present " , was " invaginated " inside his body , while his thoracic and abdominal organs had been " expelled " .
" Even the spinal column and most of the ribs had been expelled , " the autopsy explain , with accompanying image you truly do not need to see . " The liver had been found somewhere on deck of cards . It was arrant as if break down out of the body . "
