Berry L. Cannon | |
|---|---|
 Berry L. Cannon | |
| Born | (1935-03-22)22 March 1935 |
| Died | 17 February 1969(1969-02-17) (aged 33) offSan Clemente Island,California, U.S. |
| Other names | Berry Louis Cannon |
| Alma mater | University of Florida, B.S. 1962 |
| Occupation(s) | Electronics engineer,aquanaut |
| Spouse | Mary Lou Cannon |
Berry Louis Cannon (March 22, 1935 – February 17, 1969)[1][2][3] was anAmericanaquanaut who served on theSEALAB II and III projects of theUnited States Navy. Cannon died while attempting to repair SEALAB III. A U.S. Navy Board of Inquiry concluded that Cannon died ofcarbon dioxide poisoning, and that his diving rig'sbaralyme canister, which should have absorbed thecarbon dioxide Cannon exhaled, was empty.[4][5]
Born March 22, 1935, Cannon grew up inWilliston, Florida, where he was raised by his grandmother. He was captain of his high school football team and graduated from Williston High School.[6] Cannon joined theUnited States Navy after high school and served for four years, becoming aMineman Second Class. At one time he served at theHawthorne Naval Ammunition Depot inHawthorne, Nevada, where he was on theboxing team. Cannon graduated from theUniversity of Florida in 1962 with aBachelor of Science degree inElectronic Engineering.[7][8][9]
Cannon was a civilian electronics engineer at theU.S. Navy Mine Defense Laboratory inPanama City, Florida, where he designed intercommunications systems.[2][9][10] From August 28 to September 12, 1965, Cannon served on the first crew of SEALAB II nearLa Jolla,California.[11][12][13][14] He received the Navy'sSuperior Civilian Service Award for his participation in the project.[15]
In 1969, Cannon was assigned to Team One for the SEALAB III project, which would take place offSan Clemente Island. He was one of four members of Team One assigned to open and secure the habitat, alongside fellow aquanautsRobert A. Barth,Richard Blackburn andJohn Reaves. On February 16, 1969, the SEALAB IIIhabitat sprang a leak. Cannon, Barth, Blackburn and Reaves were twice sent down to SEALAB in the Personnel Transfer Capsule (PTC) in an attempt to repair the problem.[10][16]
Shortly after 0500 hours on February 17, Cannon began to convulse while working on the exterior of the habitat. Barth tried to save him, holding his head in the breathable gas pocket of the skirt surrounding SEALAB's entrance and unsuccessfully attempting to force the mouthpiece of the emergencyaqua-lungregulator between Cannon's teeth. Finally, Barth dragged Cannon back toward the PTC, where his fellow aquanauts helped him bring Cannon inside and Reaves and Blackburn attempted resuscitation.[2][17][18] When the PTC reached the surface it was obvious that Cannon was dead. His body was placed in the outer airlock of the deckdecompression chamber (DDC), returned to surface pressure and brought toSan Diego Naval Hospital.[2][19] Cannon's funeral was held at Humphrey Mortuary inChula Vista, California, on February 19. He was buried at Wacahoota Baptist Cemetery incentral Florida.[6]
It was widely reported in the news media that Cannon had died of aheart attack.[2] However, the official board of inquiry, held inSan Diego from February 28 to March 12, 1969, concluded that Cannon had in fact died ofcarbon dioxide poisoning. The carbon dioxide-scrubbing baralyme canister on Cannon's Mark IX diving rig was empty. The SEALAB III aquanauts, including Cannon, did not set up their own diving rigs. The identity of the person who failed to refill the baralyme canister was never determined.[2] SEALABmedical officer Paul G. Linweaver later suggested that Cannon would have realized his equipment was faulty had he not been suffering from extreme cold due to breathing pressurizedhelium.[20] Surgeon commanderJohn Rawlins, aRoyal Navy medical officer assigned to the project, also suggested thathypothermia was a contributing factor.[21]
According toJohn Piña Craven, the U.S. Navy's head of theDeep Submergence Systems Project of which SEALAB was a part, SEALAB III had been "plagued with strange failures at the very start of operations". According to Craven, while the other divers were undergoing the weeklongdecompression, repeated attempts were made to sabotage their air supply by someone aboard the command barge. Eventually, a guard was posted on the decompression chamber and the men were recovered safely. A potentially unstable suspect was identified by the staff psychiatrist but the culprit was never prosecuted. Craven suggests this may have been done to spare the Navy bad press so soon after theUSS Pueblo (AGER-2) incident.[22] As a result, it has been suggested that Cannon's death was amurder.[23]
Cannon was married to Mary Lou Cannon and had three sons.[6][24] He was known for seldom complaining if his complaint would go against command authority.[2] He enjoyed reading the works ofZane Grey.[8]
The Berry L. Cannon Memorial Aquarium was dedicated in 1970 to the distinguished honor and memory of Berry L. Cannon. It became part of theCitrus County School District's Marine Science Station inCrystal River, FL.
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