BELLINGHAM, Washington (2 Sep 2007) -- A diver who died at the BP Cherry Point refinery last month had been trapped beneath an enormous piling, according to a Whatcom County Sheriff's Office report. Commercial diver Christopher Primeau, 35, of Wallula, died Aug. 7 during the installation of pile anchors for a pollution boom offshore of the facility, according to BP and Whatcom County Sheriff's Office officials. A diving supervisor who was present that day told a sheriff's deputy that Primeau, a freelance diver employed by Spokane-based Associated Underwater Services Inc., was checking for rocks or underwater cables before pilings were placed. Once the area was clear of obstructions, Primeau was to signal for a 24-foot-tall steel piling to be lowered. The pilings weigh between 11,000 and 18,000 pounds, according to the sheriff's report. Primeau was then to give the signal to start driving the piling, and upon seeing it driven to the appropriate depth, signal to stop. The report said divers generally stay at a safe but close distance from the pilings to observe the work. According to the report, Primeau entered the water at 1:20 p.m. At 1:30 p.m., when he was at a depth of about 140 feet, he signaled for crews to begin driving a piling. Within 13 seconds, the supervisor told deputies, Primeau screamed, "All stop! All stop!" The camera and light on his helmet went dead, and attempts to communicate with him were unsuccessful. The diving supervisor then ordered a standby diver — required to be present during commercial diving operations by U.S. Department of Labor regulations — to go after Primeau, the report said. The diver took five minutes to enter the water. He told surface crews he could not get to Primeau after following his air hose to the ocean floor, where it went under the piling. Crews then removed the hammer device used for driving pilings from the water, rigged a cable to the piling, and lifted it off Primeau, the report said. BP spokesman Michael Abendhoff said after the incident that Primeau was found unconscious. The report said Primeau was brought immediately to the surface at 1:50 p.m. Paramedics and BP personnel were unable to revive him. | | The diving supervisor told deputies it appeared that the hammer had disconnected from the piling during the operation, causing the piling to fall over, according to the report. There were no indications of diving equipment problems such as with the air compressor or communication equipment prior to the dive, the report said. Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo said his office has closed its investigation, noting that no evidence of criminal misconduct was found. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident, because it occurred offshore. BP has opened its own investigation. Abendhoff said BP hopes to conclude its investigation within 30 to 60 days. Both OSHA and BP officials said it was too early to say how Primeau died. The Whatcom County Medical Examiner's office did not return several calls regarding the cause of death. SOURCE - Bellingham HeraldSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba ForumCDNN Related NewsWASHINGTON - BP diver death under investigation |
