Perils of a Pearl Diver

1895

Hanging Head Down For Half an Hour Before Being Rescued

I had not been diving more than three weeks when my first accident happened, says a writer in the Cosmopolitan, and it was so utterly unexpected and so nearly cost me my life that it taught me a lesson which I never forgot.

It happened in the following simple way: "I had been working in about ten fathoms of water, a fairly good patch of shell, for several hours, and about dinner time, having a full bag, I screwed up the valve, to make myself lighter, and gave the customary signal to be pulled up. The life-line tautened, and I was soon lifted from my feet and being drawn toward the lighter water above. The angry frame of mind that usually attends a diver at work passes away he is raised to the surface, and I was within ten feet of the boat, and just getting good-tempered again at the thought of a mouthful of fresh air, when I felt a sudden jerk under my left arm, and at the same instant my progress was stopped. Before I realized what was the matter the air pipe that held it under my arm, slipped over it, and I was pulled head downward, while the hauling of the boys above on the life-line, which was fast around my waist, raised the lower part of my body and left me suspended heels up!

"In the first few moments of my surprise and terror I did not stop to think what had happened; my presence of mind deserted me, and I struggled and screamed like a caged madman. I felt that I was trapped and I was in an agony of fright. After a little while, having kicked myself into a state of exhaustion and common sense, I reasoned out the case of my dilemma. As the strain on the air pipe was downward and that of the life-line upward, I concluded that the air pipe must be fast below, and that the only thing to be done was to go down again and clear it.

"First, I regulated the air in my dress, letting out as much as I could spare, for in my present position all the air went into my legs and kept them floating upward, and then I tried to make the boys understand that I wanted them to lower me. All my jerks and shakes on the life-line, however, failed to get what I wanted. They obstinately held the line taut, trying every few minutes to pull me in halves. Fortunately all my gear was in very good shape or they would have accomplished it. I learned afterward that all on deck were so scared that they were of no use, but they finally had sense enough to signal for help, and, after hanging between the top and the bottom for about half an hour, my air pipe was loosened from below by another diver and I was pulled up, thankful enough to get my feet down to their proper level once more."