New Zealand wreck divers involved in serious safety incidents

Two serious incidents in New Zealand involving professional divers working on the Rena have given the Resolve Salvage team a scary shake-up.

The two men – a 25-year-old New Zealander and 31-year-old American – were both taken to Tauranga Hospital for treatment following the separate incidents on October 19th and 29th.

The container ship Rena struck Astrolabe Reef on October 5th, 2011.

They are part of a team of divers working at deep sea levels to prepare for the removal of the wreck’s accommodation block next month.

Resolve project manager in Tauranga Ajay Prasad says the incidents have affected an otherwise high morale among the Resolve Salvage team.

“The team is thankful neither diver suffered serious injury, after such incidents it takes a bit to refocus on the task ahead.

“Managing risk is a big part of our work and on this job there’s a lot to take into account because of the depths, confined work spaces and hydro dynamic environment.”

Rena recovery spokesperson Hugo Shanahan says on October 19th, the Kiwi diver reported experiencing breathing problems while at approximately 110 feet, or 34 metres.

Having alerted his dive supervisor to the problem, he was instructed to flush his helmet and return to the surface. Back on board the barge, he was placed in a hyperbaric chamber, he says.

During the second incident on October 29, Hugo says the American diver’s umbilical snagged in two separate locations while he was ascending from 151feet, or 46 metres. He had to descend again to clear both obstacles.

The man reached the barge and was recompressing when he began to show signs of oxygen toxicity while in the hyperbaric chamber, says Hugo.

Following treatment at Tauranga Hospital last month, both men have since be cleared to return to work.

To read more on this story, click here.

Source: www.sunlive.co.nz