Bay Area hull cleaner killed on the job?

[fstbttms]

Have heard from two other hull cleaners that Sausalito-based William Swanson of Got Zinc? was killed while working in the Jack London Square Marina on Friday (5/3/13) but can find no independent verification of this. Phone calls and e-mails to Swanson's business have not been returned and I find nothing in the media about it. I hope it's not true, but does anybody have any info on this?

[The Flash]

what did you find out?

[fstbttms]

Not much detail so far. One of my compatriots in the biz was able to talk to a reporter at KTVU who did confirm that a body of a hull cleaner was retrieved from Jack London Square Marina in the wee hours Saturday morning. Apparently the wife called 911 when the diver didn't come home that night. An employee of the marina confirmed to me that it was William Swanson. But so far I have heard or read nothing official about the cause of death.

[GWB]

Do you guys who dive for a living experience a lot of stray voltage issues?

[fstbttms]

Not in saltwater. Almost all electric shock drownings (ESD) occur in freshwater.

[El Capitan]

Odd that a news reporter was there and didn't file a report.

[fstbttms]

Odd that a news reporter was there and didn't file a report.

Word is tonight that KTVU is waiting until the cause of death is determined before reporting the story. Also, it looks like the diver was found on the dock (not in the water) for whatever that's worth.

[djodenda]

I am sorry to hear about your colleague, Fast. Stay careful!

[Buzz Light Beer]

Any bullet holes in his wetsuit? Obvious signs of trauma? Maybe a heart attack?

He was on the dock for hours and no one noticed?

Condolences to Mrs Williams.

[fstbttms]

I am sorry to hear about your colleague, Fast. Stay careful!

Thanks. It is always my intention to dive safely.

[Sanity Check]

Word is tonight that KTVU is waiting until the cause of death is determined before reporting the story. Also, it looks like the diver was found on the dock (not in the water) for whatever that's worth.

They won't report it unless there was foul play. (Corporate media "if it bleeds it leads" syndrome.)

I'll add my condolences to the bereaved family members and friends.

As for occupational danger, I just saw one of those huge ugly brown jellyfish at South Beach the other day -- the sort that were infesting the Bay a few years back. And I've seen some rather aggressive looking seal lions too. I suppose marine life is one danger.

Also -- and this might be a bit of a stretch -- but it occurs to me that perhaps on occasion something going on inside the boat while a diver is working might present a risk. For instance, if a smallish boat was being cleaned and someone were to jump aboard or move the helm, might the diver risk concussion from one of the underwater planes?

This even more of a stretch perhaps, but if someone were to decide to crank the engine while it was in gear, might one get wound up in the prop? In industrial settings engine controls and start switches would be subject to LOTO (lock-out tag-out) protocols.

[fstbttms]

Just heard from a very reliable source at JLS Marina that Swanson actually was found in the water. I was hoping that wasn't the case. I just wish we could get some definitive info on this.

Regarding dangers on the job, I've been doing this for over 18 years and to my certain knowledge, during that time no hull cleaner in the Bay Area has ever been killed or seriously injured in the job until now, assuming Swanson's death was work-related.

[Charlie Tuna]

Sucky news. I know most divers are independent and few work as a team, but it might be prudent to
work in that capacity, or at least have a hired spotter / trainee. Did he have any known medical issues?

[fstbttms]

Sucky news. I know most divers are independent and few work as a team, but it might be prudent to work in that capacity, or at least have a hired spotter / trainee.

Full-on commercial divers do, of course, work with tenders. But most hull cleaners could not afford to pay somebody to stand around and watch them work. At least not without a dramatic price increase to the customer. And again, the hull cleaning industry here has an excellent safety record. What we don't want is any knee-jerk regulatory response to this incident.

Did he have any known medical issues?

We don't know if he had any medical issues. Hell, we dont know much of anything except that he died, apparently while cleaning a boat. Personally, I'm really hoping Swanson's death was caused by an underlying medical problem, for all the reasons I just mentioned.

[djodenda]

I used to clean my own bottom with a snorkle, mask and fins... I felt OK about it, but was always concerned about the nasty polluted water in Marina Del Rey, and, more importantly, about getting hung up on an underwater obstacle, and not be able to extricate myself before I ran out of air.

Once I started using SCUBA, it made me feel much safer, since, at those shallow depths, that it would be a long time before I ran out of air if I got myself hung up somehow..