News

“Last breath” diver to speak at Aberdeen event

4th October 2022

We're partnering with the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen Young Professionals to bring you a truly unmissable event next month.

“Last Breath – Reasoning with Life and Death at the Bottom of the North Sea”, is a chance to hear diver Chris Lemons’ incredible story first hand.

A commercial diver for over 14 years, he specialised in deep sea saturation diving and operated almost exclusively in the oil and gas industry.

In September 2012, a freak failure of the dynamic positioning system of the vessel he was working under resulted in his umbilical being severed. Chris was left on the seabed in complete darkness, 300 feet below the surface with only five minutes of breathing gas and no protection from the freezing temperatures.

His miraculous story of survival has remained a mystery to experts, and his 40-minute recovery has since become an inspiration to many across the industry and beyond.

Chris has gone on to become a leading public speaker, delivering an insightful and powerful testimony of the near-fatal incident that has since been developed into a feature-length documentary for the BBC and streaming on Netflix, called “Last Breath”.

Open to both members and non-members, the one-off evening event will be hosted by Hamish Penman, digital journalist at Energy Voice, on Wednesday 2 November at Aberdeen’s Union Kirk. As well as the chance to ask questions, it includes a three-course dinner as well as those important networking opportunities.

Exploring and discussing themes of leadership, crisis management, risk, decision-making and survival, Chris’s acute and emotional presentation gives a unique insight into his experiences.

Our managing director Wayne Henderson said: “Chris has an inspiring story to tell and we’re delighted to be able to support SPE Aberdeen Young Professionals as the main sponsor of this event.”

Book your place - or table – here.

Joe Sherratt, chairman of the SPE Aberdeen Young Professionals stated: “It’s an honour for the SPE Aberdeen Young Professionals to be able to host such an engaging evening, providing a new opportunity to welcome members and non-members to attend this one-off event, getting involved and finding out more about Chris’ incredible true story and the journey that has led him here.

“For a nightmare scenario to be transformed into such an inspirational tale is a testament to the bravery, leadership, and teamwork capabilities of Chris and his colleagues who were with him in the diving bell. By focusing on topics of teamwork, preparation, training, procedures, and the crucial role they play in real-life scenarios within his presentation, Chris, like SPE Aberdeen’s Young Professionals, enables the oil and gas industry to recognise the technical knowledge needed to navigate evolving energy needs safely and responsibly.”

You can hear more from Chris here.

Book your place - or table – here.