| SALMON INDUSTRY DIVER PERISHES |
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| Written by Patagonia Times Staff | |
| Tuesday, 06 May 2008 | |
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Yet another salmon industry diver has died in Region X, which houses much of Chile’s US$2.2 billion farmed salmon industry. Nelson Andrés Rebolledo Bustamante, 29, died on April 25 after diving for the Cultivos Marinos Chiloé salmon company off the coast of Chiloé. The reported cause of death was Acute Decompression Illness (ADI), better known as the “bends.” According to Cristián Soto of Region X’s Professional Divers Union, Rebolledo was diving at depths of between 30-40 meters. Later he began complaining of common ADI symptoms – shortness of breath, and chest and arm pains. Rebolledo, who was taken to a hospital in Puerto Montt, died at approximately 3 a.m. the following morning.ADI occurs when people are exposed to high pressure for long periods of time, a condition that causes a build up of nitrogen within the body. Rebolledo is the third industry diver to perish this year and the 54th Chilean salmon industry worker to die since 2005, the NGO Ecoceanos reported. Critics of the Chilean salmon industry say poor equipment, training and oversight are to blame for the high mortality rate. Soto insists, for example, that divers are regularly expected to descend beyond legal limits. “For those of us who work on installing and maintaining the nets, this is something that happens to us every day. Every day we go down further than we’re supposed to. Why do we do it? Because if we don’t, we’ll be out of work,” he said. By Patagonia Times Staff |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 06 May 2008 ) |
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