The family of a North Sea diver has welcomed a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into his death more than two years after he lost his life at work.
Russell Robinson, 33, died while working underwater at the Balmoral platform, about 140 miles north-east of Aberdeen, in November 2011.
His baby daughter Nancy was born just three months before.
Mr Robinson died from asphyxiation, but the full circumstances have never been fully established.
Andrew Shanks, procurator fiscal for Aberdeen, has announced that a preliminary hearing will take place at the city’s sheriff court on May 13, with full proceedings to be launched on June 2.
The diver’s father, Richard, of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, said he and his family would travel to Aberdeen for the hearings.
“Finding out what happened to Russell will make our lives more bearable. We have always wanted an inquiry,” he said.
“We don’t know what caused Russell to die, it has not been established and we know very little about what happened that day.
“We need to know why a fit and healthy 33-year-old man can just drop dead in this way.”
It is understood that Mr Robinson was on a reconnaissance dive in waters surrounding the platform with a colleague.
His co-worker had returned to the dive bell following an issue with his helmet when Mr Robinson got into difficulty, his father said.
Mr Robinson sen added: “One of our concerns is why he was left on his own.
“The divers are in communication with each other but we do not know what conversations Russell had, if any.
“That is something for the inquiry.”
Mr Robinson jun had recently started work with Aberdeen-based Integrated Subsea Services (ISS) before he died, having left a job in Holland to earn more money following the birth of his daughter.
He was also a fully qualified scuba dive instructor and had taught the sport in the Philippines.
The diver’s father added: “Health and safety was paramount to Russell. He knew the risks and he knew you don’t take risks when you go underwater.
“We hope that we don’t find out that Russell’s death was someone’s fault. If it was, it means it could have been avoided.”
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