A sheriff presiding over a fatal accident inquiry into the death of a young North Sea diver wants to explore the possibility that he may have unknowingly been suffering from diabetes.
During the first two days of the inquiry into the death of Russell Robinson, the court heard how the 33-year-old started to become disorientated while carrying out a routine familiarisation dive at the Balmoral Platform.
Mr Robinson’s colleagues, Simon Bradley and Paul Stone, who were working with him from the diver’s bell, told the inquiry that his speech also started to become gargled and his movement slowed while he was more than 140 metres below the sea.
Minutes later, on October 30, 2011, Mr Robinson started to panic and screamed out that he was out of gas and struggling to breathe.
However technical checks on the equipment showed he should be getting a sufficient supply of gas for him to rely on.
Mr Robinson later collapsed onto a platform situated directly below the bell having struggled to pull himself back up his umbilacle cord leaving his colleagues trying to hoist him to safety.
Mr Bradley told the inquiry that when Mr Robinson was back inside the bell he removed his diving helmet in order to carry out CPR and found his face was blue and he had blood in his mouth.
He also claimed Mr Robinson’s mouth smelled like pear drop sweeties.
Speaking yesterday morning before more evidence was led, Sheriff Annella Cowan told the inquiry she intended to ask questions of the medical professionals due to be called as witnesses about the possibility the young dad may have been suffering from diabetes.
She said: “The smell of boiled sweets, or pear drops, instantly raises concerns to me that he may have been suffering from diabetes.
“Mr Robinson was an 18 stone man at one point when he stopped smoking and obesity is a major contributing factor to this.
“Other signs were mentioned such as anxiety, garbled speech, disorientation. I am really starting to wonder about diabetes.”
The court previously heard that Mr Robinson had passed three medicals before he was allocated the diving job and no concerns were raised about him working.
The inquiry continues today.
