Abstract: At approximately 9:00 a.m. on May 17, 1997, Employee #1, a diver with a diving crew, entered the water at the Lady of the Isle Casino Water Vessel near Bossier City, LA. He was working on the port side, approximately 9 ft below the water surface, blowing silt away from the vessel with a two-nozzle jet gun and a hydraulic submersible pump. The pump was approximately 13 ft below the water, suspended from a crane boom that was situated on a nearby sandbar with the other diving equipment and personnel. At approximately 9:09 a.m., Employee #1's air/communication cable or hose was sucked into the impeller on the submersible pump and cut, ending communication between the diver and the crew on the sandbar. A standby diver entered the water, found Employee #1, and brought him to the sandbar at approximately 9:20 a.m. Employee #1 died at a local hospital. Hydraulic power to the submersible pump was cut off at the time contact was lost. The pump had several 8 in. wide openings at the top through which silt could enter to be pumped away. A rope guard had been installed by the crew to reduce the size of the openings, but the 2 in. diameter air hose could still be sucked in.