Man clips DSMB line to himself to illustrate what may have happened in death of diver when struck by propeller in Orkney as MAIB releases safety bulletin about the incident

Following a tragic accident in September last year, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) says all owners, operators and skippers of diving support boats should provide a lookout, especially when operating in proximity to divers in the water (ensuring compliance with COLREGs Rule 5).

This follows the death of a recreational diver who was carrying out decompression stops. MAIB has posited the diver died ‘almost certainly’ as a result of being struck by the rotating propeller of the UK registered diving support boat Karin. The diver had been diving from a second dive boat that was also supporting divers exploring the wreck of the German battleship SMS Markgraf. That lies at a depth of 45m in Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands, Scotland.

The diver and their dive buddy had ascended to their final scheduled decompression stop three metres
below the surface. The divers were conducting a drift decompression and their presence was indicated by their delayed surface marker buoy (DSMB), the line of which was clipped to the casualty’s dive vest. MAIB says the DSMB was visible to the second dive boat waiting on the other side of the wreck site, but it was not sighted by Karin’s crew before Karin motored over it.

The accident occurred during daylight with good visibility, calm seas, no rain, and a tidal stream of less than one knot. The divers’ DSMB had been on the surface for 11 minutes before the accident, but had not been seen by Karin’s skipper who was operating the boat from the wheelhouse during this time.

The crew of the second dive boat saw the DSMB disappear under Karin. Only one of the divers resurfaced. An extensive two-day air and sea search followed, but without success.

The missing diver’s body was found three weeks later and a specialist team recovered the diver’s body from the seabed.

MAIB stresses the need to maintain an effective lookout at all times while a vessel is underway, saying it is vital when operating near people in the water, such as around dive boats. Posting a dedicated lookout in an appropriate location is essential to make sure the helm/skipper receives timely warnings of surfacing divers and allow for effective avoiding action.

The organisation says there is a need for detailed and frequent communication between operators when multiple boats intend to operate in the same area. This, it says, is crucial to ensure deconfliction and prevent accidents.

It continues by saying manoeuvring a boat in areas where divers are known to be below the surface introduces unnecessary risk to a diver surfacing close by. Unless drifting or anchored, the support boat should keep a safe standoff distance from submerged divers and only move over the dive site when recovering divers from the water.

And, that divers should follow good practice guidance for correct handling of a delayed surface marker buoy (DSMB). As recommended by the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC), divers should hold the DSMB line in their hand rather than attaching it to their person. This practice ensures that if the DSMB is snagged by a passing craft the diver can release the line to avoid entanglement and the risk of being pulled to the surface or into contact with the vessel.

Andrew Moll, chief inspector of marine accidents, says MAIB will publish a full report on completion of the investigation, but the safety bulletin is available to read online.

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