| Date | 8 August 1979 |
|---|---|
| Location | Thistle oil field, East Shetland Basin, North Sea, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 61°21′47″N 1°34′47″E / 61.36306°N 1.57972°E |
| Cause | Lift wire separated from diving bell |
| Participants | Richard Arthur Walker, Victor Francis "Skip" Guiel Jr. |
| Outcome | Recovery of bodies of Walker and Guiel |
| Inquiries | Fatal accident inquiry, 11-21 May 1981 |
| Trial | Crown v. Infabco Diving Services, Ltd. |
| Litigation | Wrongful-death lawsuits, Scotland and United States |
The Wildrake diving accident was an incident in Scotland in August 1979 that killed two American commercial divers. During a routine dive in the East Shetland Basin of the North Sea, the diving bell of the diving support vessel MS Wildrake became separated from its main lift wire at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft). Although the bell was eventually recovered by Wildrake, its two occupants, 32-year-old Richard Arthur Walker and 28-year-old Victor Francis "Skip" Guiel Jr., died of hypothermia. The accident resulted in extensive subsequent litigation and led to important safety changes in the diving industry.[1][2][3]
- ^ Carson 1982, pp. 275–280, 295–296.
- ^ Limbrick 2001, pp. 160–162.
- ^ Smart 2011, p. [page needed].