A commercial diver was killed on Monday, August 22, while doing maintenance work at a Nova Austral company farm in Chile’s Magallanes region, local media reported.
The diver, Kateryn Yaneth Pérez Mora, was an employee of the service company Austral Service SpA.
Two other commercial divers from the same company were hurt during the rescue attempt. Michael Delgado Aguayo and Eduardo Cruz Leal suffered decompression and were taken to the hospital for treatment, the reports said.
“We express our deep sorrow at Kateryn’s death and send our sincere condolences to her family, friends and co-workers,” Norwegian-owned Nova Austral was quoted as saying.
“According to preliminary information, the operation by Austral Service was carried out in accordance with established security protocols and in compliance with existing regulations and standards for this type of work,” it said.
The local Police has ruled out the involvement of third parties in the accident, reported news outlet Mundo Aquicola.
Read also: Chile delivers ‘clear signal’ to rule violators, revokes Nova Austral’s licenses
The Chilean Salmon Council, a guild made up of AquaChile, Australis, Cermaq, Mowi and Salmones Aysén, lamented the tragic incident.
The council called on players in the salmon farming industry “to continue reinforcing the standards and strict respect for the regulations established by law to safeguard the health, safety and life of the workers.”
The Association of Salmon Farmers of Magallanes likewise made a call to the industry to fill the security gaps that exist in the area.
“This is an incident that mourns our industry and our people. As Salmonicultores de Magallanes we want to emphasize that it is an unacceptable fact, so we hope that the investigation of this terrible accident will allow us to determine its causes and that the salmon sector advances with the focus on safety as an essential value,” it said.
