A welder was tasked to repair a hole in the hull of a barge. Assisted by two other employees, he opened the hatch into the compartment where the repair was to be made. A welding machine was positioned on-deck near the hatch. Carrying the welding leads, the welder climbed down to the repair site. The compartment was flooded with five inches of water, so he quickly became wet. He inserted a welding rod into the electrode holder. He waded back through the compartment, and climbed up to the deck. He turned on the welding machine. And went below to repair the hole. He burned the first rod and dropped the stub into the water. He picked up a new welding rod. And, as he inserted it into the electrode holder, he completed the circuit between the electrode holder and ground. Current flowed through his saturated glove, through his wet body, out his submerged steel-toed shoes and into the steel deck that he was standing on. The location of the victim inside the barge made rescue difficult. Because no rescue equipment was available at the job site, the fire department was called. They were not trained in contained space rescue. Upon arrival, they found that the victim was beyond resuscitation. A competent person should check the space prior to entry. The water in the space should have been pumped out or boards should have been placed above the water for the welder to stand on. Do not weld while standing in water. The welder was not properly trained to perform welding operations in wet environments. Employers must ensure their local fire departments are trained to provide emergency rescue. If not, arrangements should be made with other parties to provide this service. Or, employers need to develop their own in-house rescue team. Open access holes in decks should be adequately guarded to prevent employees from accidently falling down them.