But confronted with the real thing for the first time, Mr. Holloway realized there were no floorhands on the drilling floor to respond.

A waterfall of mud was pouring off the drilling floor to the main deck.

A mixture, including mud and gas, initially gushes out of the well and cascades off the drilling floor.

Mr. Holloway returned to work, and he and the other floorhands got busy cleaning the drilling floor.

They would have to pass through a watertight door to get to the drilling floor.

The lights showed gas spreading over the rig, from the drilling floor to the main deck.

But those efforts to prevent an explosion on the drilling floor did not affect the engines.

All but Mr. Burkeen had been working either on the drilling floor or just below it.

Mr. Ezell was so focused on getting to the drilling floor he did not respond.

Someone here may have later tried to activate an emergency shutdown of systems on the drilling floor, but it does not prevent the explosions.