Video: Cylinder Explosion Injures Two on Dive Boat

On Wednesday, a UK Coastguard helicopter and an RNLI lifeboat crew rescued two casualties from the inshore survey vessel MTS Xplorer off the coast of Cornwall. A compressed air cylinder exploded aboard the boat, injuring the crewmembers, and they required medical evacuation. 

An all-weather lifeboat from the Falmouth RNLI, a Royal Navy fleet auxiliary and a Fisheries Protection vessel responded to the scene to assist. A Newquay Coastguard helicopter crew – consisting of Captain Darren Manser, Co-Pilot Ivan Hamilton, Winch Operator Andy Batchelor and Winchman Paramedic Carlton Real – lifted the two injured men to safety and brought them to a hospital for treatment. One was reportedly in serious condition, but neither had life-threatening injuries. 

The Xplorer was still seaworthy and was not at risk of fire, and the Fowley RNLI lifeboat took her in tow to bring her back into harbor. A third individual aboard the vessel was not harmed by the explosion, and was taken back into port by the Falmouth RNLI lifeboat.  

The vessel in distress was originally described by the UK Coastguard as a dredger, but UK media report that it was a small survey / dive support boat, the MTS Xplorer. Video from the scene confirms that the crewmembers were lifted from the Xplorer's deck. 

The RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) is a charitable, non-profit lifesaving force with 350 rescue boats located around the British Isles. Its volunteers and full-time lifeguards have been saving seafarers in UK waters for nearly 200 years.