A subsequent investigation concluded that the accident was caused by human error. As William Crammond was killed in the incident, it is not known why he released the clamp before the chamber hatch was closed; investigators surmised that a combination of fatigue and deck noise may have lead to ...
On Nov. 5, 1983, an experienced tender named William Crammond was in the middle of a routine procedure aboard the Byford Dolphin, a semi-submersible oil rig operating in the North Sea. The rig was equipped with two pressurized living chambers, each holding two divers. Crammond had just conne...