First record of the death of a helmeted diver:

From Public Ledger and Daily Advertiser, Thursday 03 November 1836 Newspaper:

Fatal occurrence at Guernsey:

The circumstances connected with this sad affair are the following: - This day week, we announced on Thursday, the French Aimée Rose, with a Cargo of soap, candles, and oil of vitriol, struck a rock off the coast of Alderney and sunk. An agreement, the object of which was to save the cargo, having been entered into between the French Consul and the [Guernsey] Submarine Society, three of the members, namely Messrs. Peter Gallienne, Morris and Brown, left this island[Guernsey] for Alderney on Friday, with the diving apparatus, in order forthwith to commence operations on the wreck. They hired for this purpose a small cutter belonging to a Mr. Bichard of the Vale, landing at Alderney at 5 o'clock in evening, they found the Alderney boatmen "we mention it to their shame and disgrace" unfavourably disposed to the object of their visit. They had, however, the good fortune to meet the King's Procureur on arriving, who readily promised them his assistance and protection. That protection it was soon found would needed, for the boatmen saluted the cutter's crew, as well as the three divers, with vollies of abuse, demanding to know what authority they had come to save the wreck, - as though the wreck had been their own property. The Procureur interfered, and promised the crew that he should place them under the protection of the police, and at the same time threatened the buccaneers, that if they proceded to any overt acts, he would call out the military, and request them to fire upon them. Notwithstanding this threat, they went from house to house in the evening, endeavouring to excite the minds of the people, and requiring them to meet the following day near the wreck, and prevent the submarine intruders from working upon it.

On Saturday, however, the King's Procureur sent them four police officers, and during the day himself frequently visited the spot. Two boats' crews, composed of trustworthy persons, also readily assisted the divers. The operations with the diving apparatus commenced at 11 o'clock Saturday morning. Mr. Peter Gallienne, clad in the water-proof dress and the apparatus, part of which consists of helmet which protects the head, descended the wreck in about six fathoms water, and after a while succeeded in sending up several carboys of oil and vitriol, weighing about 300lbs each. After having remained under water about hour, he came up quite well, cheerful, and apparently but little fatigued, he took refreshments, and after reposing a while, made a second descent, and shortly after sent up two more carboys of vitriol. It is usual when a diver under water keeps up, by means of jerks, the communication between him and those in the boat above, who have charge of the life-rope and air-pump. After he had been nearly half an hour below, those who had charge of the life-rope thought they felt a slight jerk, and had him immediately raised. On reaching the boat, he complained that they had raised him without cause, observing that he felt quite well, and had given no signal. The two other members, however, offered to relieve him, but he declined, observing that he was not at all fatigued.

He was therefore, at his own request, let down again, and sent up another carboy. Almost immediately after, a sudden jerk was felt, which drew both the life-rope and air-pipe several feet over the boat's side. Those who held fast the life-rope made the signal - "all right?" Not receiving an immediate reply, they instantly repeated it, when finding the second signal unanswered, they forthwith hauled him up. The time that elapsed from the sudden jerk (which it is supposed was occasioned by his falling) to their getting him up, could not have exceed two minutes. On his reaching the surface, it was perceived he was motionless, and that there was froth on the glass of the helmet, the cloth of which was instantly cut to give him air. It was however too late - the helmet was removed, and it was evident he was quite dead. They immediately landed the body, and called Dr. Franklin who punctured the temporal artery without effect, and gave it as his opinion that his death had been caused by apoplexy. A coroner's inquest was held on the body. Verdict accordingly.

The two other members the Submarine Society, with the corpse of their unfortunate colleague, arrived here yesterday morning in the cutter in which they had left, the melancholy event having naturally put an end to their operations. Mr. Gallienne was a sober, steady, enterprising, and well informed young man.

From Public Ledger and Daily Advertiser, Tuesday 25 October 1836

A French chasse-marée [coasting vessel], named L'Aimée Rose, of Nantes, Louzau master, whilst on her passage from Rouen to Brest with a cargo consisting of soap, candles, cheese, vitriol, etc., was lost off Alderney, on Monday afternoon [17 October 1836]. She was coming down the Race, or passage, between Alderney and France, when, owing to the dense fog that prevailed, the crew ran her on the Brichetais rock, off the south-east point of Alderney, (precisely on the spot where the Hinchinbrook-packet was lost about ten years ago[2 Feb 1826]), and she soon after sunk. The crew, composed of three men and boy, took to the boat; but not knowing the land, they remained all the evening and night, laying close along shore, until Tuesday morning, when they landed on Alderney.