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Diver Dies of Bends Filming for Natl. Geographic

By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff

Posted May 25, 2009 5:21 AM CDT

(Newser) – An underwater photographer has died of the bends while filming for National Geographic, reports the Telegraph. Carl Spencer, 37, was part of team exploring the the British World War I hospital ship HMHS Britannic, the sister ship of the Titanic, off the coast of Greece. He collapsed and was airlifted to an Athens military base, where he was declared dead. The bends, or decompression sickness, occurs when deep-water divers surface too quickly and nitrogen bubbles form in the blood.

Decompression sickness occurs when deep-water divers surface too quickly and nitrogen bubbles form in the blood.
Decompression sickness occurs when deep-water divers surface too quickly and nitrogen bubbles form in the blood.   (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Divers risk decompression sickness, which occurs when they surface too quickly and nitrogen bubbles form in the blood.
Divers risk decompression sickness, which occurs when they surface too quickly and nitrogen bubbles form in the blood.   (©Filip del Buceo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 2 of 2 comments
riffran
May 26, 2009 1:26 AM CDT
had a very MILD case once.......and that was horrible.....po fellah.....I can't imagine having a lethal dose of it......my condolences to the family.
Mad
May 25, 2009 8:55 AM CDT
Mighty painful way to go, but at least he was doing what he loved

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