Quote: Diver survives 40 minutes in North Sea after air supply line is cut
A cool-headed oil rig diver survived nearly 40 minutes deep in the freezing North Sea after his air supply line was accidentally cut.
By Sam Marsden
8:22AM BST 25 Sep 2012
The commercial diver, named as Chris Lemons, 32, was working 262ft underwater when his “umbilical” line, supplying air and heat, became snagged and was severed, leaving him with just his emergency oxygen tank.
In line with safety procedures he remained still to conserve his air supply, but it was 38 minutes before his colleagues were able to find him and pull him to the safety of a diving bell, by which time he had fallen unconscious, The Times reported.
Mr Lemons was quickly revived by the bellman, a diver who remained in the diving bell, and has made a full recovery after undergoing decompression treatment.
The drama unfolded on Tuesday last week as Mr Lemons and fellow divers from the Bibby Topaz support vessel inspected a drilling structure at the Huntington oil field, 115 miles east of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.
The boat began drifting after a problem with its dynamic positioning system, which uses thrusters to control the vessel’s position, causing Mr Lemons’ umbilical line to snag before becoming severed.
Describing what happened, a diving forum user wrote: “Chris, the diver in question, said he knew to try and conserve his gas even though he was freezing to death. He doesn't remember slipping into unconsciousness, it just happened…
“After two breaths by the bellman he started breathing on his own, he even stood up and out the way on his own steam to help in getting the bottom door down.
“Once his breathing was restored he recovered quite quickly, so they proceeded to start and warm him once the door was down and the bell was on its way up. (He was blue when they removed his hat)…
“Chris has been very very very lucky. It brings it home just how quickly things can go pear-shaped.”
A spokesman for Bibby Offshore, the company operating the vessel, praised "the skill, professionalism and expertise” of the crew in rescuing Mr Lemons.
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