Höhlentauchunfall in Norwegen

Die Reihe von Unfallmeldungen reisst bedauerlicherweise nicht ab:

Am 16.8.06 ist in Norwegen ein Rebreather Taucher (CCR) in der Plura Höhle, in der Gegend von Mo i Rana (s. Plan) tödlich verunglückt, auf einer Tiefe zw. 75m und 110m und einer Eindringdistanz von ca. 1200m.
Einmal mehr konnte der Partner dem Verunglückten nicht helfen.

Low Vis Entry Pool
......Und einmal mehr konnten die von den Behörden aufgebotenen Feuer-wehrtaucher aufgrund ihrer Arbeitsgesetz-Vorschriften nicht für die Bergung eingesetzt werden....
(s. auch Unfall in der St. Sauveur)

Original-Story/Zeitung 1

Original-Story/Zeitung 2

Original-Story/Zeitung 3

Norwegian Discussion Board

Informationen zur Höhle (Plura Cave):

Info1 / Info 2

Die englischen Uebersetzungen verschiedener Meldungen:
16.8.06, by Svein Thomas Olufsen wrote:
Here is a thread froam a Norwegian discussionboard about the accident in Plura for those who are interrested. Some of the posts are written in english and the rest are in norwegian.

Todays news story (freely translated) sais that the divers were at 110m depth when the deceased started experiencing problems with his equipment. His buddy was able to get him to 75m depth where he ascertained that his buddy was dead and he had to leave him to save his own life.
Experienced divers from Oslo fire department and the police arrived on Sunday and they're working on coming up with a plan with divers from the Norwegian cave-diving community on how to safely execute the complex rescue operation. Before diving can commence they'll need an exemption from the Labour Inspection from the strict Norwegian rules on underwater work, and diving is presumed to start Tuesday earliest.

17.8.06, von www.rebreatherworl.com:
Yesterday a RB [CCR] cave diver dies while diving the Plura cave system in Norway. He was diving a Meg unit. It was a two man team. One diver got out. The deceased diver is expected to be 1200 meters inside the system at 75 meters. This is all the facts that I have on this RB fatality. I don´t want to speculate or write anything else before the body has been recovered. There are several RB cavedivers who are members of this forum who where/are on the sceen, and who can tell the story when they feel that they are ready. It is a great loss and tragedy. My thoughts go out to his family, friends, and the cave divers up in Plura.

On 2006-08-21 09:49, Øystein Mehus wrote:
Experienced divers from Oslo fire department and the police arrived on Sunday and they're working on coming up with a plan with divers from the Norwegian cave-diving community on how to safely execute the complex rescue operation. Before diving can commence they'll need an exemption from the Labour Inspection from the strict Norwegian rules on underwater work, and diving is presumed to start Tuesday earliest.
Todays news (NRK) states that an exemption has been rejected by the Labour Inspection, which means that the professional team from the fire department is not allowed to dive. The police has also rejected offers by a group of divers from the Norwegian cave diving community who has been standing by since Friday volunteering to perform a recovery attempt. The deceased diver, Ståle Tveitane, was diving a eCCR at the time of the accident and his buddy was Bjarte Vestøl, who has remained in the area awaiting the rescue operation.
There was an interview with Vestøl and long time Cave Instructor, Vebjørn Karlsen, who were both very critical towards the way the police handles the situation implying that the police is listening to antiquated "expertise" that no longer has the experience and ability to plan and conduct such rescue operations. The police are now contemplating bringing in a foreign rescue team from England or Italy.
[My comment to explain Norwegian regulations: Problem is that even with a foreign team, the police and authorities are responsible for the safety and in charge of the operation, and they're unlikely to give an exemption to dive without a "failsafe" plan, which in reality means that the body will not be recovered and be left in the cave].
There was also an interview with the deceased diver's father who expressed criticism as to why the police rejected offers from the volunteer group whom he knows as a very experienced set of cave divers who are willing to conduct the rescue operation freeing the authorities from any responsibility. He also expressed criticism to bringing in foreign divers, both from a time perspective and knowing that they're not familiar with the system and also criticised the information they'd received form the police in the past week. He was thankful for all the support and the efforts that were made though.

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