Diving with Death - Brazil

January 2005
Fishermen in Brazil run the risk of being crippled or killed as they dive for lobsters. Forced to use dangerous equipment, many suffocate underwater

With lobsters disappearing from shallow waters, fishermen now have to dive to depths of 50m to catch them. Their bodies become saturated with nitrogen, leaving them at risk of the dreaded Bends. "I couldn't take the pain. I thought I was going to die," describes one victim. Without the proper equipment, they can only guess how long they should stay underwater. Fishing villagers are full of disabled divers who made a slight miscalculation.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• journeyman
• pictures
• brazil
• diving
• death
• fishing
• villagers
• lobsters
• dangerous
• equipment
• news
• documentary
• current affairs
• journeyman pictures

[amazonkid]

These people are ignorant, that is true. Brazil has a high level of illiteracy compared to developed country. Brazil continues to underinvest in education.

But it is equally ignorant of us to expect them to act and behave as we do when it comes to reasoning. It is a cultural ignorance to call these people idiots. They simply never had the opportunities that are available to people in developed nations.

Brazil still has a lot to learn and we have a lot to learn about Brazil.

[ricafe]

Os caras vão a profundidades de 40 a 50m sem conhecimento, sem equipamento, enfim sem orientação alguma. A embolia gasosa nessas regiões é o que mais desabilita estes coitados... isso deveria ser profissionalizado ou supervisionado pelo governo local. Uma vergonha isso ainda existir no Brasil a ponto de virar um documentário. Ainda estamos longe de sermos um pais onde existe oportunidade igual para todos !

[marinefish321]

yes OIJJ30 and you can get good dive stories and videos on the net too. try the myscubastory site. type myscubastory into google and its the first one

[VoceNaoValeNada13]

@amazonkid Obrigada!

[tofuComputer]

Subtitles??

[sacramentocruz]

A great risk to support their families. One has to do what is necessary to work for each days meal. Times are tough for so many good people.

[MarinaToledoBaptista]

What you peole who are not brazilians do not grasp is that NOBODY but a brazilian who's lived here can remotely understand the situation here. It's easy to say the country is under developed when development itself is so relative, isn't it? If americans call being obese and stupid development, then I am glad to say Brazil is ten times more developed human-wise than some of the north americans we can see around. I am proud to be brazilian and I believe that Brazil is getting bettern and better.

[Chuckjagermeister]

I don't think it's like they don't understand the processes of tissue load, etc etc. They understand it in simple terms. They just simply rely on faith and luck and their love of diving and catching lobsters. Send 'em a bunch of dive watches and depth gauges. They would probably make some awesome [legit] divers.

[justjrandomuser]

I find it very difficult to have sympathy for those who knowingly perpetuate their own downfall. In the end death will claim them or they will destroy what little resource they had until they have nothing. Until some catalyst changes things greed will hold sway.