Inspection Detail

Inspection: 106923915 - South Shore Golf Ball Retrieving, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Marlton Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 owned and operated a company that retrieved golf balls, by informal contract, from numerous golf clubs. The golf balls were either sold back to the respective clubs or were sorted, cleaned, and resold by the retrieval company. On April 29, Employee #1 and an acquaintance (who was the owner of a similar company) were at a pond about 60 yd wide by 10 ft deep. At about 3:00 p.m., Employee #1 began diving, employing a Huka device, which consists of a flotation device on which a compressor is mounted and runs surface supplied air to the diver and a backup cylinder. Employee #1 would periodically surface and bring golf balls to the shore, where the acquaintance sorted them. At about 7:00 p.m., Employee #1 surfaced, removed his breathing mask, and began swimming toward the acquaintance, pulling the diving apparatus in with him. Shortly thereafter, he called for help and then slipped under the water. The acquaintance yelled for help and then he and bystanders began rescue efforts. However, it took several minutes to bring Employee #1 to shore, as he was still wearing a 40 lb weight belt onto which a bag containing about 70 lb of golf balls had been secured. He died. Reportedly, Employee #1 had also been entangled in diving equipment. The water temperature was about 55 degrees F. The company had no safe practices manual; no first aid equipment was at the site; no two-way voice communication system was at the site to summon assistance; the diver was not continuously tended; and he was not equipped with a harness.

Keywords: WORK RULES, DROWN, ENTANGLED, DIVER, COMMERCIAL DIVING, WATER