Scuba Diver Survives Horrific Pipe Accident, Colleagues Trapped

Summary

A routine maintenance job on an inactive underwater oil pipeline turned into a nightmare on February 25th, 2022, when a high-pressure air vacuum, known as Delta P, catastrophically pulled five divers into a narrow 12200-foot pipe. Christopher Budam, the sole survivor, described the terrifying event where the sudden deflation of a massive plug in the pipe caused the air from their habitat to rush into the pipe, sucking the divers, their equipment, and seawater with them. They were propelled along the pipe, suffering severe injuries and struggling to breathe. Christopher and one other diver, Fisal, managed to navigate flooded sections of the pipe on breath holds, eventually reaching scuba tanks to extend their air supply. Christopher eventually made it back to the habitat, but authorities deemed it too dangerous to send rescue teams in. Tragically, the four other divers remained trapped and their voices could be heard banging on the pipe for two days. On February 27th, the noises stopped, and their bodies were recovered on February 28th and March 3rd. The incident highlights a failure to properly equalize pressure before undoing the plug, a preventable measure. The investigation is ongoing, but the survivor and others blame the company, Peria Fuel, for the delay in rescue efforts.