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Underwater Solutions GroupUnderwater Solutions Group

Safety & Compliance

The First Hours Of A Casualty: Assessment Before Intervention

Why the initial underwater assessment determines the cost and risk of everything that follows an incident.

Published
27 Feb 2026
Last updated
27 Feb 2026
Author
USG salvage team
Reviewed by
PLACEHOLDER — salvage master review pending

Information Is Incomplete By Definition

In the first hours after an incident, reports conflict. Draft readings, soundings and eyewitness accounts rarely match the actual underwater situation, and decisions taken on that basis tend to be expensive.

Sequence Matters

We work in a fixed order, regardless of pressure to act.

  • Record the situation as found, with time stamps
  • Establish the actual underwater condition of hull and seabed
  • Share findings with owner, insurer and authority
  • Only then fix the method

Evidence And Claims

Everything recorded before intervention becomes part of the claim file. Losing that record by acting first is a common and avoidable mistake.

02Editorial record

Sources and review

Author
USG salvage team
Reviewer
PLACEHOLDER — salvage master review pending
Published
27 Feb 2026
Last updated
27 Feb 2026
Sources
  • Internal response procedure USG salvage procedure — internal

This article has been reviewed and approved by the named reviewer before publication.

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