Caribbean diving disaster that tragically had lone survivor is 'physically uncomfortable to listen to'
Disclaimer: Article contains content some readers may find upsetting
There's a reason that commercial diving is one of the most well-paid jobs you can get, and that reason is the immense danger.
One incident involving five divers ended up turning into a nightmarish way to die for four of them and a horrific ordeal for the survivor. And it's not even the prospect of sharks, the bends, or the tools they used that caused the problem.
Now, this is something which is truly horrifying.
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The five divers - Christopher Boodram, Fyzal Kurban, Yusuf Henry, Kazim Ali Jr, and Rishi Nagassar - had been dispatched to carry out repair work on an underwater pipeline in Trinidad and Tobago in 2022.
The pipe was used to carry oil from ships out at sea directly to the shoreline. It had two ends jutting out, with one out at sea and the other coming up on land, with about 1,200ft of underwater pipe connecting them.
They worked in a hyperbaric chamber, or pressurised chamber, which had had the water pumped out of it to allow for some nuts to be changed on a section of pipe in order to fix a leak.
However, when the crew removed an inflatable plug using a lever, this created a pressure differential, resulting in all five divers being sucked into the pipeline, which had a 30 inch diameter.
Fyzal Kurban, Yusuf Henry, Kazim Ali Jr, and Rishi Nagassar all sadly died in the ordeal. However, Christopher Boodram was able to make his way to safety.
To do so, he had to push his way through the water and an oil-filled pipeline with an injured arm. While he was undoubtedly traumatised by the incident, he managed to escape with his life.
The incident was subsequently investigated by the Commission of Enquiry in Trinidad and Tobago.
Boodram had to take a number of breaks while giving his testimony about the incident, which saw four of his colleagues lose their lives.
He said: “Mind you all, in there was like an unbelievable nightmare. Your eyes are burning. Every time you try to open your eyes, it burns. It is pitch black; you cannot see anything.
"Your throat is burning. Your ears are ringing, and your body is sore. Inside there was not just a crawl through a pipe like how plenty of people might be thinking."
He continued: “I started seeing a little light in the habitat. I swear to God it was the angel of death coming for me. I told myself that this was the light that people talk about.”
Boodram clarified that it had been his colleagues who had told him the right direction to go, otherwise he would never have been able to make it out of the pipeline alive.
After Boodram made it out of the pipeline, he said he pleaded with people to rescue the other divers before an ambulance took him to San Fernando General Hospital.
Topics: News, World News
Kit Roberts