Uploaded July 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
One of the most miraculous stories of being lost underwater is that of Scottish diver Chris Lemons, an oil-rig worker who was working in the North Sea when his oxygen cord was severed.
The incident occurred when the ship to which he was attached began to drift -- the result of strong winds combined with a technical failure onboard. The 8,000-ton boat, set adrift, dragged Chris along the seabed.
Chris’s oxygen cord became tangled in the structure he had been working on and disconnected from his diving suit. This also disconnected the power from his headlamp, throwing him into complete darkness at a depth of around 330 feet, as well as cutting off his supply of warmth.
His communication line with the dive supervisor was also severed. This left him completely and utterly alone, with little hope of survival. The suit contained around 5 minutes of oxygen, but the rescue would take at least half an hour.
Chris later told the BBC that he "accepted there was no hope of survival," saying, "I was powerless to do anything to save myself. A quiet resignation came over me. [...] I remember it being a period of great sadness, really, of disbelief. [...] I thought of everybody at home and the chaos I would cause."
Having accepted his impending death, Chris lay down on the seabed, where he fell unconscious.
As the rescue crew finally reached Chris, they fully expected to retrieve a corpse. However, after mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Chris - against all odds - awoke.
The suit's highly concentrated oxygen had saturated his skin tissues and leached into his body enough that he was able to survive for the necessary 30 minutes. His recovery was so remarkable that he returned to diving just three weeks later...
One of the most miraculous stories of being lost underwater is that of Scottish diver Chris Lemons, an oil-rig worker who was working in the North Sea when his oxygen cord was severed.
The incident occurred when the ship to which he was attached began to drift -- the result of strong winds combined with a technical failure onboard. The 8,000-ton boat, set adrift, dragged Chris along the seabed.
Chris’s oxygen cord became tangled in the structure he had been working on and disconnected from his diving suit. This also disconnected the power from his headlamp, throwing him into complete darkness at a depth of around 330 feet, as well as cutting off his supply of warmth.
His communication line with the dive supervisor was also severed. This left him completely and utterly alone, with little hope of survival. The suit contained around 5 minutes of oxygen, but the rescue would take at least half an hour.
Chris later told the BBC that he "accepted there was no hope of survival," saying, "I was powerless to do anything to save myself. A quiet resignation came over me. [...] I remember it being a period of great sadness, really, of disbelief. [...] I thought of everybody at home and the chaos I would cause."
Having accepted his impending death, Chris lay down on the seabed, where he fell unconscious.
As the rescue crew finally reached Chris, they fully expected to retrieve a corpse. However, after mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Chris - against all odds - awoke.
The suit's highly concentrated oxygen had saturated his skin tissues and leached into his body enough that he was able to survive for the necessary 30 minutes. His recovery was so remarkable that he returned to diving just three weeks later...
