At 1630 h local time on 6 September 2019, a crew member was descending a ladder into the hold on UK-flagged general cargo vessel Emilie Bulker. With too much work to be done, there had been no atmospheric testing of the hold beforehand. It would be almost impossible to tell there was a problem initially, but with each successive step down into the dark, the seafarer was breathing in less oxygen, and more carbon monoxide. Placement of hands and feet on the ladder became muddled and unsteady; disorientation set in; and, almost to the bottom, his grip loosened, and he fell, unconscious, the short distance to the floor of the hold.
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