John Day (carpenter)

John Day (* unknown, † June 22, 1774 ) is the first recorded deaths in an accident with a submarine. Day was an English Wagner and built with the financial support of Christopher Blake, an English gambler, a scratch built dive boat without motor. He built to a sloop of 50 tons displacement to carry superstructure with a wooden structure. At the Sloop 10 tons of ballast were fixed and then two more times 10 tons, which could be dropped. Rescuers should, after the boat had been closed, invite another 20 tons of ballast on the boat.

Day bet with Blake that he could dive with his boat to a depth of 100 feet (about 30.5 meters ) and could remain there for 12 hours in his boat and the moment.

On June 22, 1774 the boat from Plymouth was launched. Day went with a candle, water and biscuits on board. The boat was equipped with a hammock for the passenger. After the boat was locked, the weights were charged and the boat sank forever in depth. Day had been completely wrong in the calculation of the trim. This incident was the first recorded fatal accident involving a dive boat.