Bradley Westell (1965/6 – 31 July 1995) was a British

commercial diver Professional diving is underwater diving where the divers are paid for their work. The procedures are often regulated by legislation and codes of practice as it is an inherently hazardous occupation and the diver works as a member of a team. Du ...

who died in the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian ...

off

Bacton, Norfolk Bacton is a village and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It is on the Norfolk coast, some south-east of Cromer, north-west of Great Yarmouth and north of Norwich. Besides the village of Bacton, the parish includes the nearby settlements of B ...

after his umbilical was dragged into one of the thrusters of the

diving support vessel A diving support vessel is a ship that is used as a floating base for professional diving projects. Basic requirements are the ability to keep station accurately and reliably throughout a diving operation, often in close proximity to drilling or ...

''Stena Orelia''. This indirectly led to the 1997 conviction of diving supervisor Kenneth Roberts for

perverting the course of justice Perverting the course of justice is an offence committed when a person prevents justice from being served on themselves or on another party. In England and Wales it is a common law offence, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Stat ...

, and first prison sentence for a crime offshore working in the

North Sea oil North Sea oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons, comprising liquid petroleum and natural gas, produced from petroleum reservoirs beneath the North Sea. In the petroleum industry, the term "North Sea" often includes areas such as the Norwegian Se ...

industry.

References

1995 deaths Accidental deaths in England Commercial diving accidents Deaths by person in England July 1995 events in the United Kingdom Maritime incidents in 1995 Underwater diving deaths Underwater diving in the United Kingdom {{Underwater-diving-stub