Diver dies while working on rig unrelated to spill
A waste services company says a diver performing maintenance on a client's rig in the Gulf of Mexico, unrelated to the massive oil spill, has died after an underwater accident.
A statement from Chicago-based Veolia Environmental Services North America says the diver was working at a depth of about 250 feet from the company's Normand Clipper vessel when "what might have been an underwater explosion" happened about 11:30 a.m. CDT Friday.
Veolia says rescue teams retrieved the diver but paramedics weren't able to resuscitate him.
The company didn't specify the client. But Margaret Cooper with Houston-based Chevron U.S.A. confirms a Veolia contractor died while performing maintenance on a Chevron rig that had been damaged by a hurricane in recent years.
Legal facts :
Lakeside is a gated community from the end of June through Labor Day. To enter Lakeside during the summer Chautauqua season, individuals must pay a gate fee, which helps support maintenance and improvements in town. Activities that are provided as part of the gate fee include sport and water sport activities, as well as Christian-themed activities and worship, in keeping with the area's history. There is a program every night in the spacious Hoover Auditorium, twenty-six shuffleboard courts, tennis courts, and all kinds of children's activities. The summer calendar includes some activities for which there is an extra charge, such as miniature golf, movies at the Orchestra Hall theater, and a historical tour of homes. Lakeside also has a large pier jutting into Lake Erie, which offers fishing, swimming, kayaking, and sailing. Lakeside also features a handful of unique stores. Additionally, the dining opportunities in the area are varied, including numerous types of cuisine and a variety of settings. The miniature golf course opened in 1963 and was recently renovated in 2008.
Lakeside is also the home of both the prestigious annual international shuffleboard competition and the national competition.
SKorean president visits shipwreck; diver dies
South Korea's president ordered the military on alert Tuesday for any moves by rival North Korea after the defense minister said last week's explosion that sank a South Korean ship may have been caused by a North Korean mine.
The blast ripped the 1,200-ton ship apart last Friday night during a routine patrol near Baengnyeong Island near the tense maritime border west of the divided Korean peninsula. Fifty-eight crew members, including the captain, were plucked to safety; 46 are missing, with dim prospects for their survival.
A 53-year-old diver who lost consciousness during the underwater mission to locate the missing crewmen died Tuesday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. A second diver was being treated for injuries, officials said.
As the search continued, divers prepared to break into the ship Tuesday, Rear Adm. Lee Ki-sik of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters. He said there were no signs of life inside.
President Lee Myung-bak flew to wreckage site to review search operations, meet with marines and console family members, the presidential Blue House said.
Baengnyeong is just eight miles (13 kilometers) from and within sight of a North Korean military base where surface-to-ship guided missiles and artillery are heavily deployed, presidential spokesman Park Sun-kyoo said.
Lee told officers South Korea must maintain its military readiness until North Korea gives up its nuclear weapons program.
"When we are strong, we can defend ourselves. If we are weak, we'll face more danger," Lee said. "South Korea's military should be strong."
Earlier Tuesday, Lee ordered his military to stay alert for any moves by rival North Korea.
"Since the sinking took place at the front line, the military should thoroughly prepare for any move by North Korea," Lee told his Cabinet, according to his spokesman.
Military officials say the exact cause of the explosion remains unclear, and U.S. and South Korean officials said there was no evidence of North Korean involvement.
However, Defense Minister Kim Tae-young told lawmakers Monday that a floating mine dispatched from North Korea was one of several scenarios for the disaster.
"North Korea may have intentionally floated underwater mines to inflict damage on us," Kim said.
The two Koreas remain in a state of war because their three-year conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, in 1953. North Korea disputes the sea border drawn by the United Nations in 1953, and the western waters near the spot where the Cheonan went down have been the site of three bloody skirmishes between North and South.
Related information:
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.
Diving is one of the most popular Olympic sports with spectators. Competitors possess many of the same characteristics as gymnasts and dancers, including strength, flexibility, kinaesthetic judgment and air awareness.
China came to prominence several decades ago when the sport was revolutionized by national coach Liang Boxi and after intense study of the dominant Louganis. China has lost few world titles since. The success of Greg Louganis has led to American strength in diving internationally. Other noted countries in the sport include Italy, Australia and Canada.
