The ''Drill Master'' diving accident was an incident in Norway in January 1974 that claimed the lives of two Ocean Systems commercial divers. During a two-man dive from the

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

rig ''Drill Master'', the

diving bell A diving bell is a rigid chamber used to transport divers from the surface to depth and back in open water, usually for the purpose of performing underwater work. The most common types are the open-bottomed wet bell and the closed bell, which c ...

's drop weight was accidentally released, causing the bell to surface from a depth of with its bottom door open and drag the diver working outside through the water on his umbilical. The two divers, Per Skipnes and Robert John Smyth, both died from rapid decompression and drowning. The accident was caused by instructions aboard ''Drill Master'' which had not been updated when the bell system was modified and which stated that a valve should be closed during the dive which should have been open. Skipnes' body was never recovered.

References

Accidental deaths in Norway Commercial diving accidents History of the petroleum industry in Norway January 1974 events in Europe Maritime incidents in 1974 Maritime incidents in Norway 1974 disasters in Europe 1974 in Norway {{Underwater-diving-stub