Diver Explains: Typhoon Billy DB29 Disaster

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www.patreon.com/WaterlineStories Opening a Hatch under the Water in the South China Sea

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks for watching. If you enjoyed this video and would like to watch more videos from this channel without any ads, consider joining our Patreon. The link is in the description. You can join for free or select a membership with benefits ranging from ad free videos through to early access and live q and a calls. I look forward to meeting you there. www.patreon.com/WaterlineStories

[@LanceTrader]

So in the end were then guys who decided to swim for it, swimming with no gear at all? Trying to ascend 60ft (ish) against the down current of the sinking vessel. These stories are so sad, we are lucky to learn from them. Let their loss not be in vain.

[@tysoncutler3630]

If my boss told me he was removing the only life raft I could use so he can save some time/money I would be looking for a new boss.

[@1TUFZ71]

Literally came to the comments to say this. It shows so much disrespect for the sat divers and disregard for their lives, I don't think I could knowingly work for them. I know money talks but damn.

[@danmarley2926]

​@@1TUFZ71At that point I'm saying phuck the money, my life cost more

[@sabagecabage7828]

@@danmarley2926a human life should be considered priceless. Let alone when lives being at risk is a regular occurrence. I mean there's always danger

[@paulcollins629]

​

[@RogerLewis-ey2tt]

No 2 weeks notice, either.

[@splash2815]

I was a SAT diver and spent a lot of time on the DB29. I was one of the divers in SAT during typhoon Abby in the Taiwan straights. Our decompression profile may have been the quickest SAT deco from that depth even to this date. We were always aware that we had started decompression late but were very acutely aware that things were getting worse when looking out of the chamber portholes we saw most of the diving crew outside the chamber wearing wet suits and carrying their fins. This was while the barge was adrift. Stepping out on deck in the middle of the typhoon and looking at the wreckage of equipment around the system was pretty surreal and focusing at the same time. Also knew 3 out of the 4 divers that went down on the DB29. Very sad feeling hearing about the accident in (delayed by a day or so) real time, knowing that the guys were probably gone. I appreciate their story being told albeit with quite a few factual inaccuracies (not relevant to the accident). There were also a lot of individual and combined heroic efforts during and after the sinking in the midst of the storm. RIP John, Bryan, Steve and Terry................................

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks for sharing. I can only imagine what it must be like to go through that. Ive sailed through storms at sea but nothing like this. Yes you are right, I coloured between the lines. Not a great deal of information out there so I did my best to paint the picture based on what I could find and what I could infer from my own knowledge. I have no doubt there were many brave souls who's stories have not been told. I hope I didnt detract too much or disrespect the lives lost. Thanks again.

[@splash2815]

@@waterlinestories I get it. Sometimes a story teller needs to fill in the blanks the best they can. You're a good story teller so thanks for that. The story was about the divers so I don't think you disrespected any one else. I just mentioned the heroics because those stories haven't really been heard. Likely never will. Maybe as individual acts they seem a bit insignificant compared to the enormity of the incident but those involved and saved by others will remember for the rest of their lives. They guys in SAT had a lot going against them. One thing not mentioned was the layout of the SAT system. The system was installed on deck with the only hatch available to egress pointed toward the center of the barge. The hatch on the end closest to the side would have been blocked by the bell. So once the vessel capsized, the guys would have had to swim out the hatch, turn around and swim at least 40' (maybe more?) back to the side of the barge before attempting to swim upwards. All while the barge is sinking deeper. Not good. Anyway, thanks for a great narrative. I look forward to another one.

[@berryreading4809]

This is what I enjoy most about this channel, the large amount of details and discussion found in the comments section by people who were directly involved, or know details about certain incidents that aren't on the public record! Thank you for sharing! Information like yours is invaluable in adding context not available to the original video story line 👍 Also I feel people related to these tragedies/incidents feel comfortable sharing here because of the straightforward storytelling of this channel in a respectful professional manor, no clickbait morbid curiosity monetization games, or monday morning quarterback know it all "if only's this one single thing" after the facts, or dramatic spooky mystery BS diving type video content like many other channels on KZbin that cover the same or similar events, those channels are... really something... 😒

[@waterlinestories]

I said something similar to my wife a few nights ago. I really appreciate hearing from people closer to the story than I am. At some point in the future I'll have to remake these videos, taking all the extra detail into account. Maybe even a few interviews.

[@waterlinestories]

Hey. Ive had a number of people email me and ask me to cover Chris Lemon. Ill do the story because its entered the zeitgeist but I wanted to ask around and see if there is any information or an angle that would be more interesting than 'By the Grace of God'. I dont want to do a copy and paste style video. Do you have any opinions? If so, could you email me [e-mail]

[@jonhiggins2012]

I still remember when Mythbusters said that getting sucked down by a sinking ship was a myth, yet it's happened over and over throughout history.

[@j.griffin]

All mythbusters proves is that they can’t recreate it successfully. One of those videos on the Car with the JATO bottle used a weak homemade rocket ON THE ROOF. Some Zero Length Launch aircraft used JATO’s that made over 135,000+lbs. of thrust- they would make an F-100 jet immediately launch airborne. You can’t compare such things as equal and smugly say “Myth Busted”. They’re buffoons making cartoons.

[@waterlinestories]

Gotta love entertainment for entertainments sake

[@awkwardautistic]

Well they didn't go out into the middle of the ocean and sink a giant ship lol...so I call bullshit

[@RobinTheBot]

The ship they sunk was way too small... Boats that size don't do it. Can't blame them for not having a oil barge to try.

[@richardoakley8800]

Thousands of sailors died during the second World War when battle ships sank.. the little tug boat made negligible suction

[@AnimeSunglasses]

I am coldly furious that ANY saturation dive operation ANYWHERE is allowed to put to sea without an escape vessel. National regs, hell. That should be an international standard.

[@AnimeSunglasses]

@@methos424 agreed. It's gobsmacking. It's like sending a ship to sea with no lifeboats.

[@TheAngryScotsman.]

@@AnimeSunglasses sounds like titanic to me.

[@undertow2142]

Profit god declares it unnecessary.

[@AnimeSunglasses]

@@undertow2142 And the profit god rests on a throne of lies.

[@AnimeSunglasses]

@@TheAngryScotsman. Not even. THAT story had to be dramatized to make the White Star executives look this bad - Hell, Titanic carried MORE lifeboats than required. They genuinely thought she couldn't sink fast enough to outrace rescue. This? Pure financial laziness. Greed pretending that bad things couldn't happen.

[@quinu]

I must say..going from eerie background music fitting for a story like this, to transition into background music fitting of a little kids birthday party when you are still in the middle of telling the story is rather strange and confusing.

[@user-bd3zy6wo7l]

What was up with the music.... disrespectful as hell. Some goofball moments right there

[@ammy9835]

A lot of the music was incredibly distracting, didn't really do the story any favours

[@kennethellison9713]

I was SCUBA trained and certified way back when the free ascent was part of our open water certification. My dive master was a Navy diver who had us breath from the cracked valve on the tank, tore our mask and regulator off in the dark, and had us jump in the pool carrying our gear and we were not allowed to surface until it was assembled and were were breathing from it. It was grueling training, but it instilled confidence in all of us. Your explanation of air expanding during an underwater ascent is spot on and easy to understand for the layman. During my free ascent from 35 feet I was astounded how air continued to pour from my open mouth seemingly coming from nowhere. I love the channel. Keep it up.

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks. They don't allow that type of open water training anymore.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

@@waterlinestories Just can't include it in "official classes"... Some die-hard old-schoolers still explain and practice it, though... AND if you pay attention, it's not especially difficult... Some of the old-schoolers will even coach a little when they go to practice if you join them... BUT it's entirely OFF the books. Basically, you need to understand the glottis, and what "glottal stopping" is... AND that there's more than one way to hold your breath. The glottis is the popular mechanism in your throat, because it takes the least amount of concentration or effort... Your diaphragm (the other mechanism for breath-holding) can even press against the glottis without moving air, which is kind of testament to how effective "glottal stopping" is... JUST for clarity... The obvious context is that "glottal stopping" involves the breath hold with the glottis, BUT it's also a linguistic term, where you use the glottis in speech for certain hard consonants, like the "T" in Cat in English... At the end of a sentence or phrase, it's fairly popular (at least in the States) to just glottal stop, instead of fully enunciating the T in the mouth, working the tongue against the pallet as you normally do when it shows up practically anywhere else in a sentence... AND some "vernacular" practices tend to glottal stop on a few consonants elsewhere as well, so it effects your accent, because while subtle, it does make an auditory difference if you listen for it... On a free ascent, glottal stopping is the one thing you CAN NOT DO... Take a last breath (if you can) from the regulator, and just keep your diaphragm held deep... the air expands and escapes as you rise. There's no need to push it out, but it can be unnerving to focus as much on not moving the diaphragm, which is what gets inexperienced divers into trouble. Even with a controlled ascent, it's easy to outpace your ability to let air go if you let the glottis do anything, AND once it closes, sometimes it's damnably difficult to get it to open and release the air again... It's about 90% psychological, BUT it's dangerous enough, and has injured enough divers in practice sessions, that it's just highly HIGHLY discouraged among the ranks of most current SCUBA instructors and groups... It's still a skill that under some few circumstances CAN save your life... It CAN help to practice just taking and holding a deep breath 100% on your diaphragm, just while you're sitting at the TV or Computer... or in your car... or wherever else... see how long and relaxed you can stay with a full deep breath as long as possible/feasible without relying on your glottis to do the holding... It takes a little getting used to, but it's relatively easy to play with... Of course... underwater, in the dark, in a silt-out, disoriented or during an emergency, you'll also be fighting panic... and then "ALL bets are OFF"... so there's that... Anyways, I know the thread's old, and everyone here PROBABLY already knows most of this... It's also a public thread and comment forum, and as long as I had the dubious tid-bit of information, it seemed worth sharing... What you (all) DO with that information is (of course) all up to YOU... ;o)

[@waterlinestories]

Yeah I appreciate it. This isn't for everyone but for those that like these kinds of things it's useful.

[@kennethellison9713]

@@waterlinestories Yes, that was in the early '70's. I got recertified when I married so my new bride would have some company in the classes, and to brush up on my skills. I was shocked at how easy the trainings were. The instructors even helped assemble gear and fudged some of the nav training! Not one word about air embolisms was ever uttered.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

@@waterlinestories And for the curious and inexperienced, a decent explanation can beat the Hell out of randomly experimenting and getting into trouble... Spitting out a reg' at 100 feet (as I recall one of Cousteau's recommended depths) puts you one laryngospasm away from dead... ;o)

[@deepsixman]

I'm an old dive charter captain and an instructor of scuba, so I have heard many these stories, sometimes from someone involved. Still, you have a fantastic way of telling the stories with all the details in a respectful way. I have found myself leaning into the screen. Great productions. Thank you

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks, I really appreciate that

[@ottergreen8190]

I spent years as an underwater welder and salvor and was the best job I ever had. That said, Saturation diving is an entirely different animal with a whole other set of risk, rewards and repercussions.

[@waterlinestories]

Not sure Im cut out for any of it.

[@kevinjones3518]

I can't understand how reckless these companies are with these divers lives. They do work that nets companies billions of dollars and yet safety necessities are ignored.

[@dimitriwolfs9370]

My aunt used to date a guy who was working for McDermott as an exec .type job . He used to laugh about the fact tha the company was known amongst divers as "you send'em,we bend them". Seems there was a good reason for that to stick it seems.

[@waterlinestories]

Incredible. So callous. Thanks for saying so

[@ripwednesdayadams]

I have never heard of this case before. This is all my worst nightmares rolled into one. Absolutely terrifying. They were right about that being their best shot- rescue wouldn’t be around for days. Corporations will cut any corner they possibly can at the cost of untold numbers of lives. It never should have happened. I’m surprised this channel hasn’t blown up yet tbh. There’s a lot of channels that have this kind of content but this is hands down one of the best.

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks. Its early days. Im still finding what works and doesnt and also trying to allocate time to consistently publish.

[@damac5136]

I agree. It's informative and without all the unnecessary drama.

[@israelCommitsGenocide]

Until regular people start holding CEOs accountable things like this will always happen, we live in an insanely corrupt world with no justice, so if you pay taxes you're a real chump.

[@ripwednesdayadams]

@@israelCommitsGenocide true. that’s why i’m my own boss now. pro publica obtained a bunch of tax docs and wrote a great series of articles showing how little the richest americans pay little to no taxes. there were numerous years where elon musk, jeff bezos, mark zuckerberg etc. literally paid ZERO dollars in taxes. some of them publicly confirmed it. fuck them all. i’ll never forget how it felt to work at amazon at the height of lockdown when everyone in the world was ordering stuff and we were pressured to meet impossible quotas. thousands of warehouse workers kept the country running without a pat on the back or a living wage. risked our lives for $16/hr, daily outbreaks for months on end- bezos made billions and the president told people to try injecting bleach. we’re living in an dystopian capitalist nightmare that would even shock orwell. 🙄

[@ripwednesdayadams]

@@waterlinestories you’re doing a great job! there hasn’t been a single video i didn’t enjoy. i also really enjoy your narration style. i think people underestimate how difficult it is to make content like this.

[@adamrobinson8238]

Was the barge operator ever held responsible for removing the hyperbaric escape system?

[@GaryB19561]

The barge was a McDermott barge and was working for ACT in China. The partners in the joint venture included Texaco and Chevron and I think AGIP. One of the Texaco engineers onboard had worked with me in the eighties and when the barge sank, he was in the water for several hours. McDermott had cut the margin of safety and delayed moving out of the path of the storm. When a memorial service was held a year after the accident (I believe) the oil companies sent representatives but McDermott did not. I was doing a job for ACT in 1992 as a consultant (I left Texaco in 1990) and this was a major topic of discussion among us at the ACT office.

[@peekaboo4390]

My dad was a submariner and his biggest fear was this scenario, submariners are a special bread of men and I think only surpassed by these fearless commercial saturation divers working at great depths in the darkness. RIP men.

[@waterlinestories]

Yeah can you imagine being stuck in a metal tube with no way out while sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

[@jeremiahwashington7080]

He won’t face the enemy face to face without hiding under the water in an endless ocean, his worst fear was dying from an accident, that’s not brave or a man.

[@peekaboo4390]

@@jeremiahwashington7080 hahahahah .. keyboard warrior alert.

[@OneBiasedOpinion]

I’d imagine it’s slightly worse for submariners, given that the majority of submarines are vessels of war and subject to being targeted at any moment with explosive weaponry.

[@peterclarke7240]

Go back to playing Call of Duty, you pathetic excuse for a man.

[@jamalt5]

I'm a life support technician, basically running the saturation chamber and I can't imagine this scenario. I don't get why they didn't have an HRC. I guess things have just really changed over the times. Our captain tells us to leave the second any bad weather pops up lol, I couldn't imagine staying during a typhoon.

[@Piercy0812]

Is there any sense in that they should have been let out early, while the boat was still afloat ? Decompression sickness could obviously be an issue, but I wonder to what degree and if it can be mitigated ? Ie, could they have been released early , placed on oxygen ( or similar ) and had a chance , or were the risks too high ? The aftermath suggests they would have avoided dcs. But that's hindsight , so wondering really how bad the risks were at the time .

[@mavor101]

@@Piercy0812 Being at 60ft still is a LOT of decompression left to go. Chance of dying from them popping the hatch would probably have been higher than the chance of the boat sinking honestly. Like, being saturated at 60ft is REALLY bad if you are forced to go straight to 0ft.. life-long disability or instant death sort of bad. Perhaps if they had been able to wait until the absolute last moment, BEFORE the ship actually sunk, and then did it as a "the ship is already sunk, best of luck boys". But at that point, everyone had probably already abandoned ship, not to mention the extreme threat to one's life sticking around to depressurize the capsule from the outside. The decision probably would have been easier if they were around 10ft or so.

[@llamamanism]

I’ve done quite a lot of open circuit sport diving all round the tropics so have a layman’s understanding of what was going on with these guys. The clear way you tell this technically complex story is a pleasure to listen to but my deepest condolences for these poor divers is just not enough

[@waterlinestories]

Brilliant. I'm so glad to hear. Thanks for saying so

[@hungryhedgehog4201]

I feel like there is a lot of talk about astronauts live and how they are isolated and not enough about how there are just people living under the water. As someone with Thalassophobia this is nightmare fuel but props to the people who do it, sounds like really hard work. I hope they got unions.

[@seanmillette4323]

This gives me anxiety just hearing about it. It would be terrifying

[@mattgosling2657]

Mate I've just come across your channel and watched about 6 vids, really entertaining stories and this job sounds really dangerous the divers doing this for a living deserve to be really well paid.

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks, these are just such rich stories to work with.

[@cattymajiv]

I sure hope they are making at least $300,000 a year, if not much more than that!

[@micahrowe]

It’s fun to get in on a great channel early on before it blows up. Your delivery is fantastic. Thank you

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks I really appreciate that. I certainly hope it blows up. Welcome aboard.

[@morad5119]

Fascinating and sad story. Wow, opening that hatch stuck to a sinking ship and hoping for life... Great channel. Keep up the good work.

[@waterlinestories]

Yep, you know it’s make or break. Got to be really scary.

[@conzmoleman]

I was super engrossed in this video and plan to immediately binge all your videos. BUT I have one suggestion: the radical switch from ambient dramatic music to upbeat, bubbly music during explanatory interludes is a bit too jarring. I’m not even sure it’s necessary at all, but if you leave it, it should be a bit more subtle. And certainly the volume must be more normalized. Keep up the good work.

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks, yes a few people have said the same. I like to think I'm getting better as we go.

[@conzmoleman]

@@waterlinestories you should delete your 7 minute video with all the smash cuts that was poorly received. if that was the first one I ever saw from your channel, I’d never have watched another one. luckily I happened to see this one first and subscribed.

[@waterlinestories]

Yeah I've thought about it. I think you're right

[@EFFEZE]

Just found your channel. Definitely subbed. Hope you keep at it bud because every video I've just binged has been really well done

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks. Just polishing the script for the next video. Then a good few days editing so next week. I really appreciate you saying so.

[@waterlinestories]

Ha, thanks. Only a few weeks in so it's great to get such good feedback.

[@MothraMissWorld]

I have severe thalassophobia & aquaphobia, naturally this is my new favorite channel lmao. Yes, waterline, keep proving me sane!

[@waterlinestories]

Ha ha. And yet you're drawn to it. I'm actually a diving instructor, I love the water and the deep. Over the years I've taught people to scuba dive who have done it precisely because of their fear of the water and most turned out to be great divers.

[@PrezVeto]

@@waterlinestories I wonder if the panicking effect of being underwater (in people prone to it) is somewhat lessened by having it kept away from your nose and eyes most of the time by the mask. It would make sense for a primal anti-suffocation reflex to be triggered by the sensation of something covering that part of the face. (Yes, the mask covers it, but not as tightly as water would!)

[@waterlinestories]

@@PrezVeto Well its partly experience. Im ok under water with no mask provided I have a regulator to breath. Its the regulator more than the mask. I even dream that Im underwater and breathing normally. It just comes with experience. It still gets nerve racking though when things go wrong.

[@awkwardautistic]

Oh no way. I have an extremely severe phobia of worms.... I would scream and gag if I even saw a thumbnail of a worm video lol.

[@ericmuijs1938]

High quality content, really like your videos. Good story telling, photos and explanations!

[@thomaskositzki9424]

Being sucked down with your vessel like that is just pure nightmare fuel. Harrowing yet fascinating at the same time...

[@HarryFlashmanVC]

Having trained in the Submarine escape tower the phenomenon of breathing out the compressed air from your lungs is an extraordinary feeling. It just keeps coming.

[@TheFend3r]

This should have never happened, how this work was allowed to go ahead with no Hyperbaric Life Boat is a sin. As much as the guys said at least they're not in the North Sea, this work would never have been allowed to happen with no HLB. Poor guys

[@waterlinestories]

True. I think the industry was probably far less regulated back then. Although I know stuff likes this still happens. I always trust big oil to cut corners where they can.

[@norml.hugh-mann]

Hyperbaric lifeboats are a newish invention...in fact in 2001 when I got into the field they were still "the new toy" on the decks of the best sat boats @Stolt Offshore US, which got bought by CalDive in the 2000s..I personally don't have much faith in them...there is just too long of a procedure to be effective in a rapid emergency as often the crew use the hyperbaric lifeboat as an overflow housing for n extra sat team and we would have to transfer the other 1 or 2×2man team inside the lifeboat chamber and isolate disconnect it all and hope nothing fouls It...and if your boats going down in less than 10 min or capsized it ain't happening But you work with the tools you have...there is no perfectly safe sat diving ops

[@randomschmo5778]

@@waterlinestories - And i trust Big Tech and Big Government to shill for the genital mutilation of children, and the mass murder of hundreds of thousands or millions of people, so they can get rich off pharmaceutical company bribes.

[@bodieb1233]

Very good job overviewing this horror. I was riveted to every scenario and word. Thank you and god bless all those heroic people who died.

[@willr6887]

You have a good channel. The voice & accent is pleasant for the listeners, the photos/videos are great for viewers. For the morbidly curious among us, please, keep it up! :)

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks for saying so. I really appreciate that

[@mahogany3947]

I like your content a lot . I've always been kind of afraid of water. But watching your videos helps me cope with it

[@iandonchi1034]

I worked on the db29 in bass straight just prior to its demise in Asia, during a bad storm the main crane boom fell out of its cradle and on crashing to deck it tore the crane support structure apart requiring a month to repair ,Billy young wore a gold plated hard hat covered in ornate decorations and I'm told he stayed at the helm and rode the barge down

[@airtightindustries]

I really enjoyed your respective approach to the storytelling. Job well done

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks

[@SheepdogColumbus]

i've been binging your channel. I could give two shits about diving and most other stuff having to do with leaving land, but you make these stories so entertaining, easy to understand, and interesting. You are a very good story teller. I wish you the best in getting a high sub count.

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks, I really appreciate that

[@juliahaynie764]

Glad to have found your channel. I think that your explanation of saturation diving from a few videos ago was really good. Might be good to let people know that they can get a full explanation by going back to it.

[@waterlinestories]

Hey cool. Thanks for watching. Yes good idea. Ill build that into the next videos I make.

[@beverlyreiner-baillargeon6205]

I can not believe anyone would want to be a saturation diver. That is a terrible way to die. I really feel for those men.

[@Flyingmsdaisy]

$14,000 a week helps.

[@beverlyreiner-baillargeon6205]

@@Flyingmsdaisy Well all I can say is bless your heart and please be very safe down there. 🤗🤗

[@MyFriendlyPup]

​@@Flyingmsdaisyit helps a dead man?

[@mr_b_hhc]

My father was a sat diver and only as an adult do I appreciate the god awful things he endured to feed us. So many men have perished in unimaginable ways just to bring us oil and gas (and intercontinental communication of course). May all of these brave men rest in peace and spare a thought the next time you fill you car, use the internet or throw away a plastic container.

[@chadreed8032]

It’s always when money / time supersedes safety that these situations occur. Same in any profession. Very scary.

[@waterlinestories]

Yep. Let management make decisions that a sailor should make.

[@Cammmmeron]

That'd be terrifying, knowing there is nothing you can do and the odds of survival are little to none. Then when you do go for it and you make a break for it you're pulled down by the ship sinking. Horrible

[@jagc1969]

Terriffic video! And a real nightmare for those poor divers. Thanks for sharing.

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks. Not s great situation.

[@asc.445]

I remember this well being from Hull and the reporting that came with the incident. Another totally avoidable manslaughter incident.

[@waterlinestories]

Yep. Its amazing to see how many decisions are based on keeping costs low. The time to run and then get back to the site is far higher than trying to ride it out. Especially since its Typhoon Billy at the helm. The egos play in and its a disaster waiting to happen.

[@HULLGRAFFITI]

Yay...'ello mate.

[@edm9527]

I started my carrier as a sat tech in April 1991, I remember this like it was yesterday

[@donbongz4732]

Love your content. Binging it the last two days.

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks I appreciate that. Got done great stories on the way Inn the next few weeks.

[@vossti]

Man Saturation diving is a super high risk job..heard so many sad stories of sat diving incidences.....and exactly as you put it, your life is in other hands....

[@handcrafted30]

WTF, how had this channel only got this many subs. Subbed! Great content.

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks. I really appreciate that.

[@renegadewolfhound8786]

Thanks for the video! The background audio was great at causing suspense. I had unnecessary difficulty hearing you speak, but at least I felt unsettled. Good stuff overall!

[@iskinmind7020]

It is strange these divers were not evacuated from their capsule when the barge started taking on water. 60 feet is very, very rarely lethal. In our diving school we were told that the most treaturous depth is between 18 and 22 meters, about 60 feet. This is the limit when decompression sickness will start getting you hard. But lethal cases at this point are so far and wide between, that I really can not think of any. Most recover from that just fine.

[@someone6170]

It may come down to the level of nitrogen in the bloodstream. I'm assuming your diving school generally does dives to this depth where the decompression stops and time is in the order of minutes not 3 days.

[@cattymajiv]

@@someone6170 Someone else just a bit above said the complete opposite. They said it would 100% be death or permanent severe disability. I'm no judge of qualifications, but it sounded like their experience was more extensive than this guy.

[@linosclassics]

This is not recreational diving. These divers were fully saturated Going from 3 to 1atm quasi instantly in those conditions is very similar to opening the proverbial coca cola bottle.

[@robertschemonia5617]

I have to say. I do not understand how a top notch, quality KZbin channel like this, has so few subscribers, but there is channels out there that post garbage quality content, and have millions of videos.

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks. I only started this channel just over 1 month ago so itt will take time too build up. I really appreciate your support

[@andrewpinner3181]

Thanks for reporting. This was (obviously) a very sad tragedy.

[@TravelingVanLife]

I knew Big Steve as we called him, and I knew his wife at the time Julie, he introduced me to Commercial Diving just before this happened, top bloke.

[@terrydavis8451]

Wow awesome channel. I love diving stories.

[@waterlinestories]

Yeah theres something about it that just pulls you in. Thanks for watching

[@magsman448]

What a nightmare of a situation. RIP Fellas.

[@mitchrich6]

Other than the claimed suction , I feel the barge over the inverted capsule must have taken the escaping divers like a large solid net.

[@laurabell48]

I am happy I found your channel, I really appreciate all the details and occasional pictures, subbed.

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks. Welcome to the waterline

[@Zman82]

I can't imagine going through this.

[@waterlinestories]

Yeah quite something

[@oliver13809]

I was a commercial diver at the time and remember this very well.

[@MASmeinezeit]

Hi, From where do we know what they did insinde the chamber? Are there cameras and mics in there? Hard to hear that they couldnt make it...

[@waterlinestories]

No Mics or cameras. I did have to infer. 3 Of the divers were found floating which means they made it out the chamber. The last was found inside the chamber held up by a hammock he had fashioned to keep his head as high as possible. He had a would that would have made it difficult to escape and autopsy showed he asphyxiated or ran out of oxygen. The others drowned.

[@cad5238]

Exactly!

[@MASmeinezeit]

@@waterlinestories Thanks! You do a great job on those videos. I was just curious.

[@robertthoth3936]

Excellent video and I’m loving the sheer mania the soundtrack is putting off. Serious Hunter Thompson X Bill Nye vibes 😅

[@waterlinestories]

Ha ha. Thanks. I've toned it down recently because I've had quite a few comments to say it's too much. I don't know, I liked it. Immersive Thanks for saying so

[@1bsubsnouploads823]

You deserve way more subs wow. Keep it up i can tell youre gonna make it big. Great videos, 10/10 quality

[@waterlinestories]

Awesome. Thanks for saying so

[@maxrock1237]

Your channel is awesome! Thank you for these amazing videos!

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks for saying so. I really appreciate that

[@bigbadboo659]

Just found your channel n it's awesome started watching at 11.30 n I'm still at it at 3.45 thanks from the UK 🇬🇧

[@waterlinestories]

Brilliant, thanks and welcome aboard

[@Royed]

I gotta love the relaxing chill background music as your describe a horrifying life threatening situation. Lmfao "So boys and girls! As the water level slowly rises our divers slowly run out of air!! YAAAAAAYYYYYY!!! You know what that means? THAT'S RIGHT! THEY'LL DIE!!!"

[@KongTown]

Nice video

[@glenntaylor1834]

I need some clarification. If the DB29 is underwater at 60 feet, how is Brian able to see the baruge members? He can see the deck hands faces?

[@williamwiese9963]

Almost went to work for Mc Dermett, great video

[@waterlinestories]

McDermott are big in this field so its not surprising you have come across them. Also not surprising that so many accidents have happened under their watch just because of the scale of their operation.

[@FliesLikeABrick]

Not sure if you've made changes in videos since this one, but the music was too distracting for me to finish watching this video. Both mixed in too loudly and strange choices of music for some parts of the video (too upbeat). I hope this feedback is taken in the same spirit I am sharing it with, thanks

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks, yes this is an early video that I mixed the sound on. I was testing something that made sense in my head. I’ve got someone much better than me to work on the audio now. Thanks for the comment

[@nileist6666]

Scared me just hearing about this....damn terrifying to be alone in that bell, in the dark.

[@matthewrogers94mr]

This is something that they should now allow big companies do, safety features should not be cut in order to save money or to say make room for other equipment and stuff.

[@waterlinestories]

True. As far as I can tell there are still parts of the world who allow it.

[@JZeroo]

great story telling loved the video - just one thing some of these background music choices are horrendous

[@waterlinestories]

Yeah done of my earlier videos I really need to redo.

[@charlesdaniel2313]

Damn... I was a sat team surface support for a long time... We stayed behind cause we had 4 guys decompressing.. on board a ship with a hurricane coming . Port Fourchon...!

[@michelledavis5562]

Very well done! Thank u! Now I'm a new subscriber!

[@waterlinestories]

Welcome aboard

[@CaseyReads]

God, what a terrifying way to die. I commend the people who do that kind of work, because the risk of catastrophic death is fucking scary as hell

[@waterlinestories]

I wouldn’t want to go that way

[@nikiandre6998]

really interesting videos.

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks for saying so

[@markstoudt7769]

Was the company held criminally liable for removing the decompression lifeboat?

[@waterlinestories]

No, I don't believe there's a regulation to require it.

[@natesmith3073]

God damn I can't imagine taking a job out at sea without being able to even swim. I have always known how too swim since I was fairly young I took lessons at a pool my dad's company had for employees/family of employees. I also got certified to scuba dive in relatively rough conditions in the ocean and not a more controlled environment like a pool or quarry such that my mother had given up being unable to stay in the water for the required hour treading water. So I am very comfortable in the water and still a job out on a boat is kind of terrifying to me so I can't even imagine taking that job without knowing how to swim.

[@ebenbooysen4356]

Baie dankie vir die video.

[@waterlinestories]

Plesier

[@David-DK-Kerr]

Easy sub on this one! Bro your sh** is gonna blow up quick! Guaranteed! Keep ‘em coming! Nicely done!

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks thats awesome to hear.

[@miapdx503]

The men that do these dangerous jobs earn every penny. They risk their lives, for a living. God bless them. 🌹⚓

[@norml.hugh-mann]

You also gotta understand that they didnt have TV or conputers or even am/fm radios in the chamber back then....the divers ONLY knew what they were told by management from the moment they entered the system....nowdays they put a tv to a portal...(maybe more by now)They had no papers ...just books and boardgames back then......McDermott was an actual dive company too...obviously

[@andrewfowens]

You've got to do a video about this sunken titanic submarine.

[@waterlinestories]

I think You're right

[@ashkebora7262]

Good job on the story and visual aids. Background music is a bit too loud, though. Decent choices, so wasn't too noticeable until the crazy piano started going ham! Even without the current, the divers had a really hard task of them... Even if they had a perfect, calm sixty feet to swim, that's a LONG distance to swim while holding your breath even when not going through a crazy adrenaline pumping experience! I think they still made the right choice between a bad choice and a _really_ bad choice.

[@waterlinestories]

Yeah, lesser of the two evils. Noted on the music. Thanks for the feedback

[@awkwardautistic]

No it's really not.. in my opinion it's fine.

[@ashkebora7262]

@@awkwardautistic I'm on high quality headphones, so the mix amplitude is much more obvious. Kind of like how people on headphones complain a lot less about slightly muddied vocals. It can be a difficult mixing multiple things together that need to be heard equally on all of the different sound reproduction devices, but luckily, background music _isn't_ one of the things that needs to be heard clearly.

[@awkwardautistic]

@@ashkebora7262 So am I lol .. and I have super sensitive hearing on top of it. Maybe mess with your audio settings. Edit. Ok I went back and listened again and it's a bit too loud. You're right.

[@falten2]

Just found this channel. I'm hanging around :)

[@waterlinestories]

Awesome. Thanks for coming. Please sit in the waiting room. Our next adventure will be with you in a few days time.

[@TemenosL]

Music was really inappropriate. Otherwise, great video!

[@chrisnunya4015]

Finally something else I can say I'm proud of Australia for!

[@Rejoice.]

What if the three had waited a bit for the barge to sink more? Was that not an option? What if they had waited a few more hours to pop the hatch and go? Or waited in the bubble a bit longer with Brian and then go?

[@davidnoe7307]

Question from a completely clueless individual: Since it was the sinking barge's "vacuum current" that kept them from swimming to the surface in time, would it have helped their situation to wait until the barge sunk past them to leave and start their swim to the surface? It sounds like they could hear the barge rolling, but maybe they didn't know it was sinking? With the delicate balance of pressure, could they have even waited at all?

[@waterlinestories]

After I published this, Ive had a few people who were close to the situation leave some comments and fill in some gaps. The barge flipped upside down. The chamber hatch was facing into the centre of the barge. That means the divers had to make their way around several obstructions before getting to the edge of the barge and swimming up. So it would seem that they were pinned under the sinking barge while they tried to get to the side which dragged them deeper for some time before they arrived at the edge where they could then start a swim that was just too far for anyone to make.

[@cad5238]

As I jumped from the stbd stern next to the sat unit i tied a Norwegian marker buoy with rope ! As much as I could find ! We were unable to mate the bell to the chamber! For god's sake we were past 11° which was past the limit! to capsize.i put on some diver booties kept my knife,and radio.I called the the radio room and Captain Billy was still sending out our mayday. Along with a brave radio operator!He stayed at his post like a real captain!.god bless him.as I jumped a Philippine guy grabbed me around my neck .as I jumped i was impaled on metal protruding.it was around my groin area! I hit my right leg hard also .It opened a fish fillet cut down my thigh. I hit the water and I lost the radio! I looked towards the bow and god those waves were monsters,the sky was grey and the clouds looked like boiling water.That wave passed,and then a tremendous roar! I was going down down down! My ears kept popping.i rolled into a ball . Pulled my knife and put it against my chest.i was not going to inhale salt water.i saw something very spiritual after that .i saw two men drown. And a light passed over them.i can't say anymore right now.goodnight.i also tied two medical O2 canisters close to the chamber hatch.and some sedatives from dr.tony.for the divers.Thats that's the gods truth.I won't forget them .You want details to this. No one should witness what I saw no one !Another was pinned to a bulkhead by a gantry crane ! I couldn't get him loose ! He begged me to get him loose .i couldn't. It was a moment I felt so helpless.. I've live through this every single day.I can still hear his voice.God please forgive me!I now live alone in a small house in the mountains. The rescue alone was heart stopping fear by RAF Helo pilots flying a suicide mission. We nearly crashed,but those boys saved us.The boy who grabbed my neck died going in .

[@johnnybodangus2529]

Really well done and haven't heard this one before 👍

[@waterlinestories]

Thanks for watching.

[@jozefdkois]

My take away from this is ''AT LEAST I AM NOT A DIVER'' as opposed to ''AT LEAST WE DON'T HAVE TO FREEZE OUR BUTTS OFF IN THE NORTH SEA"

[@waterlinestories]

😂

[@TheHenrikah]

Amazing channel and content ..perhaps a choice of a different music genre would be appropriate, it sounds like elevator music ...but else thanks and keep up the good work😊

[@waterlinestories]

Yes some earlier videos were out of place

[@anovosedlik]

Wait...this is a stupid question but if they let the barge fall before exiting would that have been better? Or where they directly under it and had to leave right away?

[@anthonycammack2616]

Their fate wasnt sealed by opening the door, their fate was sealed by the cheap ass that removed the release device to have more room for pipe on the deck-SMH

[@rms3]

The image at 2:38 shows the DB 50 installing the process module on the ATP Titan, a project I designed and managed.

[@waterlinestories]

Oh wow. Interesting, are you an engineer?

[@rms3]

@@waterlinestories an executive in charge of deepwater development. Engineer by profession.

[@waterlinestories]

It's a fascinating part of the world to work in. Engineering so deep must be challenging

[@jekanyika]

How were the crew saved?

[@chuckyxii10]

were they trying to escape with their gear on? If so I don't think the suction of sinking barge is what prevented them from surfacing. While it certainly does occur it is only temporary, which is why people do live tell about it even if they don't have breathing gear.

[@norml.hugh-mann]

They don't cook inside the sat chanber...all food and laundry is transferred via the medlock into the system by tenders (usually apprentice divers) outside Divers insides ONLY escape is their daily excursion into the bell, down to work depth, and into their hot-water suits and into the sea...they can go as far as their 300' hose will let them go...there is an upper and lower excursion limits they can go up or down without compromising their sat Hyperbaric lifeboats are great in theory but at least last time a worked near one it was a rarely practiced 15-30minute procedure to detatch it...making it about as impractical as one can make somerhing for emergencies.

[@waterlinestories]

Ah Cool. Thanks for the extra info.

[@waterlinestories]

Hey. Ive had a number of people email me and ask me to cover Chris Lemon. Ill do the story because its entered the zeitgeist but I wanted to ask around and see if there is any information or an angle that would be more interesting than 'By the Grace of God'. I dont want to do a copy and paste style video. Do you have any opinions? If so, could you email me [e-mail]

[@Suicidal_Soy_Sauce]

Question for anyone knowledgeable: if they'd have waited for the ship to sink and not cause the vacuum effect sucking them under, would they have possibly survived? Or did they simply have no knowledge of the ship sinking and decided to swim up at the wrong time?

[@waterlinestories]

Pros and Cons. The would have been able to get free of the ship and swim without any down current. But then the depth the barge settles in would have been almost impossible to swim up from. It was a lose, lose situation.

[@marky5493]

@@waterlinestories and of coarse if the depth increased past the pressure of the chamber the door is gonna open up anyway:( I used to dive until I realized you putting your life in others hands

[@211212112]

Dam this is sad and messed up. I imagine dude with the hurt leg hopped but couldn’t know the divers didn’t make it.

[@waterlinestories]

I’m sure, but he also had good own demons to slay

[@zanderkoekemoer1510]

South African accent on point💨

[@cornkobmansanto17]

I’m glad someone does this stuff. But I really don’t think you could pay me enough to do this. I just can’t put my life in the hands of another. Great channel and great videos! You deserve more subs than you have. I definitely subbed and clicked the bell.

[@waterlinestories]

Yeah I couldn't do the job but I'd love to do some saturation diving. Welcome aboard

[@awkwardautistic]

That's why they are paid well.

[@kylehenline3245]

We put our lives in the hands of another every time we drive lol. Nothing but a painted line and mutual agreement stopping fatal head on collisions on so many two lane freeways.

[@tappajaav]

@@kylehenline3245 Don't even have to drive. You could be onboard another driver. You could be walking next to a road.

[@ilivetoflyxD]

the conversations and recounting of what one of the divers felt seem, invented to me. whats the source on it?

[@des-ex-diver]

Kitchen in sat? Cooking in sat? Who puts this crap together? 😮 all food comes in via a lock.