Stephen Owen O’MALLEY · Prevention of Future Deaths report

On 23rd May 2012 I commenced an investigation into the death of Stephen Owen O’MALLEY Aged 48. The investigation commenced on the 23rd May 2012 and was concluded on the 14th September 2015.

On Thursday, 3rd May 2012, Stephen Owen OMALLEY was working as a contracted commercial diver for Sub C Partners, based in Denmark. He was working in the North Sea on the Alpha Ventus offshore wind farm, some 45km North of Borkum, Northern Germany. He had been replacing bolts on the wind farm turbines. The vessel was approximately 25m away from the turbine he was working on. He was wearing a full diving suit, with a Kirby Morgan 27 watertight helmet, with an umbilical air supply of plain compressed air supplied by the surface vessel. The air is supplied directly into the helmet at face height and he also had reserve air supply in the tanks on his back. At approx. 3:32pm, he entered the water and began pulling himself along a guide rope towards the wind turbine structure. He was working at a depth of approximately 2m. Whilst making his way along the rope, he was observed to experience breathing difficulties. He complained his neck dam was too tight and it was restricting his breathing. He was instructed to make his way back to the vessel which he did, unaided. It was not appreciated as to the extent of his distress and difficulties until a short time after arriving back at the ladder, he became unresponsive. A rescue diver entered the water and after initially not being able to locate the C-clip on the back of his harness Mr O’Malley was eventually hooked onto a winch and taken aboard the vessel where attempts at resuscitation were commenced for approximately one hour before a doctor was flown out and confirmed he had sadly died. It is found on the balance of probabilities that Mr O’Malley has suffered a cardiac arrest as a result of hypoxia caused by his respiratory function being impaired by him hyperventilating as a result of difficulty in breathing from the compression on his neck from the neck dam ring. There is no evidence of any previously undiagnosed cardiomyopathy having any role in his death.

The court has been advised that rescue of Mr O’Malley from the sea was delayed because the standby diver could not locate the c-clip on the back of his harness which was to facilitate hoisting him from the water. The Court has heard that checking this c-clip is free and accessible is not part of the standard checks before a dive. Should such a check be part of the pre-dive protocol checks?