‘Official’ death records show that seventy-nine diving personnel tragically lost their lives between 1966 and 2016 in the quest for ‘Black Gold’ or the ‘Devil’s Excrement’, depending on your insight and perspective, while diving in the North Sea basin. By nationality, fifty-five were British or Commonwealth subjects, nine were American, seven were Norwegian, four were Dutch, three were French, and one was an Italian national. All the deceased divers were male. Fifty-three of these men died before the end of 1979. Russel Davidson (11 June 1966) was the first fatality, and Sondre Birkeland (01 January 2016) was the latest. There have not been any recorded North Sea basin commercial divers deaths between 2016-2023.
In addition, industrial-scale offshore renewable clean energy development has taken its toll; two British and a Swedish diver lost their lives while diving at offshore wind farms in the German sector of the North Sea between 2010-2013.
Applicable laws & regulations (if any) before 1971/1974 required no accurate fatal accident statistics reporting. One can logically conclude that the combined number of deaths is significantly higher (partial/unconfirmed reports and rumours could potentially add a further twenty-four lives to this list). In addition, since 1966, several divers have received severe, disabling injuries from which they never recovered.
Over time, others have struggled with significant health problems. An estimated ninety percent had experienced life-threatening situations. Eighty-five percent of those who survived have suffered from decompression sickness, avascular necrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cancers. Thirty percent have been diagnosed with measurable degrees of brain injury, including post-traumatic stress (PTS). Ninety-six percent of those studied have had their quality of life somewhat or significantly reduced, and a disproportionate number of divers have committed suicide.
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This chronological list of the deceased is constantly being revised, amended, and updated as further information is gathered and verified.
Global Commercial Diving Fatalities listed below.
Commercial Diving Directory – Incidents List
Global Commercial Diving Fatalities
Sheet 1 is the key to the sheets/columns/colours. (Labeled “Cover” at the bottom left after clicking on the link above.)
Sheet 2 is the chronological list – Listed by Year, Month, Day – New/updated entries since the last circulation with the description cell highlighted in brown for easy scrolling to find new or significantly updated information. (Labeled Chronological at the bottom of the page, second from left.)
– Annual tally noted at the bottom of the Chronological list (lines 3,239 to 3,282)
Sheet 3 is the Alphabetic list – Listed by Surname, First name. (Labeled “Alphabetical” at the bottom of the page, third from left.)
- “Caveat Emptor” – This information has come from multiple sources. Many of them – such as foreign press reports and personal communications – are challenging to verify. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy or fullness of the information
- At no point is the intention to apportion blame or responsibility – the purpose is to understand circumstances to learn and prevent future accidents
- No copyright or ownership whatsoever is claimed by me. This information is open to all. Share with others as you wish, but please respect the memories of those lost, the feelings of their families and the copyrights of the source material.
This data compiled by Tim Chesshire
Longstreath Commercial Diving Directory Global Diving Incidents List
This tragic list clearly exposes the hardships and dangers of North Sea diving’s pioneer years.
Global Oil and Gas – Drillship / Jack Up / Land Rig / Platform / Semi-submersible Accidents
(Key: DS – Drillship, JU – Jack-Up, LR – Land Rig, P Platform, SS – Semi-submersible, S – Ship, CS – Caspian Sea, GOM – Gulf of Mexico)
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