Three water tower diving inspectors rescued, one died - Fresno, California

[DandyDon]

Diver rescued from Fresno State water tower has died

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) — One of the divers who was rescued from the Fresno State water tower on Wednesday has died, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.

The man has been identified as Jason Peters, 27 of Palm Coast, Florida.

Peters was part of a crew of three divers who were rescued from the water tower after the Fresno Fire Department said one of them had became unresponsive from heat exaustion.

The divers were taking part in a regular inspection and cleaning of the tower, which was too tall for the Fresno Fire Department’s ladder. The height forced crews to use a rope system to get the inspectors down.

“Very difficult,” said Fresno Firefighter Mike Gilbert. “This is probably one of the most technical operations that we do. We had to put the patient on the board. Connect it to the lowering system and then drop them down to the basket.”

The water tank serves as a 150,000-gallon reserve for the University’s potable drinking water system. The inspectors were employees of LiquiVision Technology, a diving company based out of Oregon and contracted by Fresno State.

This year, the blazing sun and high temperatures took a toll on the workers.

“The extended work period, the strenuous workday, and with the work, they were doing up there in the heat and the high humidity,” said Gilbert. “It just overcame them.”

All three divers had to be lowered to the ladder by the fire department’s ropes due to heat exhaustion. One was given CPR and rushed to the hospital by ambulance for cardiac arrest.

We reached out to LiquiVision Technology but the company would not comment.

Fresno State had issued a statement after the rescue on Wednesday and said its thoughts were the diver who was rescued.

 

[wgw04024]

Somehow this sounds like a cluster f$#@

 

[fsardone]

This is a work operation. I expect health and safety (or whatever the name of the agency is in USA) to get involved and slam the company.

 

[DaveC]

Were they diving or were they doing work outside the tower?

 

[txgoose]

This is a work operation. I expect health and safety (or whatever the name of the agency is in USA) to get involved and slam the company.

OSHA does frown on baking the staff. A light roasting is okay but you gotta water and electrolyte the crap out of them.

 

[Rollin Bonz]

Were they diving or were they doing work outside the tower?

Article refers to them as divers
Me thinks it tough to dive outside of the water tower....

 

[DandyDon]

Were they diving or were they doing work outside the tower?

Diving inside the elevated water tank to inspect and repair as needed. It sounds like very scary work, climbing up there, hauling gear up, entering the dark tank, etc. even without the excessive heat.

Being rescued by lowering on ropes adds to the fear even for the survivors.

 

[letterboy]

I just sent this article to some of our staff at the water plant.

We just had divers at our facility inspecting the insides of our tanks.

Everyone takes the inspections lightly.

At our plant the guys were in drysuits, diving helmets and it was ~90* outside...

 

[Dan]

It's hard to tell whether the divers were inside or outside the water tower when the fire fighter came and rescued them. In the video, I see ropes from the platform up and over the top of the water tower where the manhole entry for inspection inside the tower. Also I see rescuers on the platform, one is hauling up a stretcher to the platform and another squatting on the platform. I assume he's checking up one of divers, who's lying on the platform.

 

[wgw04024]

In hindsight, you'd think they'd schedule these activities in appropriate temperatures, given the gear and logistics in that. Or, have it all dropped off by a heli at the clients expense.....