Hopefully this is the right forum; if not, maybe mods can be so kind as to move this post.
Warning: this post might also count as a little graphic.
In his book "Dark Descent," Kevin F. McMurray describes the death of hard hat diver Edward Cossaboom who was doing salvage work on the recently sunk Empress of Ireland. I don't quite understand the physics of his death and was hoping someone could shed some light on the situation.
While doing his work, Cossaboom lost his footing at 75 feet and fell to the riverbed at 140 feet. His tenders weren't able to respond in time and the pressure differential shoved most of him up into the helmet:
So...what am I missing? Does the helmet and the air supply hose in this situation really present that much of a pressure differential when adding 2ATM of pressure?
Warning: this post might also count as a little graphic.
In his book "Dark Descent," Kevin F. McMurray describes the death of hard hat diver Edward Cossaboom who was doing salvage work on the recently sunk Empress of Ireland. I don't quite understand the physics of his death and was hoping someone could shed some light on the situation.
While doing his work, Cossaboom lost his footing at 75 feet and fell to the riverbed at 140 feet. His tenders weren't able to respond in time and the pressure differential shoved most of him up into the helmet:
By the time he hit the bottom the invading sea pressure had stripped the flesh from his bones. His skin and organs were pile-driven into the only part of his suit that was resistant to the pressure, his copper diving helmet.
McMurray explains that by breathing gas at ambient pressure we maintain enough internal pressure in our blood and organs to avoid being crushed. Free divers and other mammals routinely dive well below 140 feet without matching ambient pressure, and bodies are commonly recovered below that depth without having imploded. McMurray's explanation of needing to match ambient pressure therefore seems incomplete with respect to what happened to Cossaboom.
So...what am I missing? Does the helmet and the air supply hose in this situation really present that much of a pressure differential when adding 2ATM of pressure?
