A little Deep Diving Lore

[PrinceDakkar]

I love scuba diving lore. I know a fair amount of it. I cannot say it every bit of it is true but actually, I think most of it is. That said, may I tell you a story of some truly intrepid divers... Or maybe just stupid. Maybe someone else knows some more details.
This must have taken place in the 1930s or thereabouts. It was when newspapers were promoting what were essentially stunts, basically anything that would sell newspapers. This was one of those.
Three divers were going to go down in a diving bell to 1000 feet using a helium mix and two of them would exit the bell for a short scuba dive. One of the divers was a young newspaper reporter. This was part of the tragedy of the dive. This was in the early days of diving when what was theoretically possible was known better than it was realistically known would kill you.
They made the dive. The two divers left the bell and the bell surfaced. If I recall right (I used to know the details), one diver was never seen again. One diver that returned showed no ill effect. The newspaper reporter was okay when he reached the surface, but died shortly afterward. This was particularly tragic because he had a new young wife.
One thing that was learned fairly early in the history of diving was that trying to set depth records was something of a suicide exercise. Enjoy the diving, Prince Dakkar ...aka. you know who

 

[Akimbo]

This story is somewhat similar to Hannes Keller's 1,000' Dive in 1960 where a bell and HeO2 were used, a journalist died, and a safety diver was lost. I wonder if it is a variant of that true story?

The concept of using HeO2 was pretty new in the 1930s and barely known outside of the US Navy Experimental Diving Unit. It really didn't come to the public's attention until the USS Squalus rescue in 1939.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Hannes Keller's 1,000' Dive

 

[Akimbo]

... One thing that was learned fairly early in the history of diving was that trying to set depth records was something of a suicide exercise...

Although I generally agree, it depends on the purpose. A depth record for the sake of a record? Absolutely pointless. IMHO, the Keller dive doesn't fit in this category. Same with the Arne Zetterström Hydrogen-Oxygen dive in 1945. People died on both dives but they were well thought out and prepared for... given what was known at the time. Both were trying to prove concepts on a continuum of important research that has been successfully used.

 

[PrinceDakkar]

Hannes Keller's 1,000' Dive

That sounds like the accurate story... WOW!