Newly Certified Rescue Diver - Question

[DivemasterDennis]

One variation on the question: When Debbie and I are diving on our own, we use a large innertube like float for our dive flag, and it has a center area in which we put a water bottle, a rescue breath barrier, and a few other first aid supplies that may be useful in the water. Our big DAN kit stay ashore with the O2 kit. That practice notwithstanding, the priority with a distress diver is to a) surface them safely and b) get them to shore or the boat. Time is everything.
DivemasterDennis

 

[TSandM]

Honestly, I don't think there is anyone who can really provide effective ventilation to a diver who is floating on the surface. It's difficult enough to do on a stable platform. In all the Rescue classes I've been involved with (my own, and the ones I've helped teach) I have never seen anyone who looked as though they could come CLOSE to providing effective respirations in the water.

I'm with the others. My mask is actually a nonrebreather mask attached to an O2 kit in the car . . . and it's been used.

 

[Subcooled]

Reserve breathing gas and a conservative dive profile during the dive, a written rescue plan with exact coordinates of the dive site, a mobile phone (outside the victims locked car), and an oxygen tank on shore will probably be the first priorities.

If your buddy needs rescue breathing then (s)he probably also needs a coffin.

Giving CPR helps you feel better after the burial. You tried. A mask may be handy.

Never give up hope, though. CPR might be a life saving deed. But nothing is guaranteed.

I don't have a resuscitation mask. I save the money for the flowers.

I have done CPR for real. On a hard floor. And no. Ventilation wasn't easy. I fear it is inefficient in the water and near impossible if there are waves.

 

[WB2GLP]

If your buddy needs rescue breathing then (s)he probably also needs a coffin. Giving CPR helps you feel better after the burial. I don't have a resuscitation mask. I save the money for the flowers.

Never give up hope.

Sounds like you already have.

 

[Aguablanco1]

Would rather carry something that would really help. Rescue sausage, strobe light or horn comes to mind. If they are unresponsive the most important thing, after getting them to the surface, is compressions and O2. Why slow down to give breaths?
RichH

 

[Bogtrotter]

Congrats! I don't carry mine, I recall my rescue instructor saying the actual possibility of contracting anything by doing mouth to mouth is extremely low. I basically agree that hauling arse and getting the victim to land/boat for cpr should be the focus if it's not too far away.

 

[mruseless]

Sounds like you already have.

Is your experience giving CPR different from Subcooled's?

 

[tplyons]

Nope, I don't carry the mask. In my experience with rescue scenarios, only a handful of times do people remember that it's there AND can grab it before shedding their gear. Personally, with my BCD inflated, I can't get at mine if its in the pocket, so I don't bother carrying. And if I'm using a BP/W, I don't have any pockets to hold it in, except thigh pockets which are already full.

Mine's in my first aid kit, on shore, not too far from the O2 kit.

 

[tracydr]

It's always in my dive bag. Honestly, rescue breathing on the way back to shore is a waste of time. Swim as fast as you can and get them to shore faster. Trying to give them ineffective rescue breaths along the way is really not going to help much of anything.
Even real world, rescue breaths have been basically taken out of CPR. I don't think they're much help except that they do seem to help drownings, since real world drownings don't have the same statistics as regular cardiac events. More like pediatric CPR, where oxygen and rescue breathing truly might be the turning point for the whole rescue.
If we're shore diving and able to bring all our stuff we always have our DAN O2 kit. It's never been used for a dive rescue. I've done one drowning rescue from a swimming pool but it was before I had my DAN kit. It was in OK and my neighbor's grandson had a near-drowning. I was called after he was pulled from the pull, pulseless and not breathing. I gave CPR and was able to get him back. Luckily, I knew what I was doing because the EMTs weren't pediatric trained. It was a long ride for him to the ER and they didn't even know how to use a bag. They wanted to use blow by on a non-breathing child and didn't want to do chest compressions even though his heart rate was very,very slow.
It was so gratifying to see this child a few days later when they brought me a pie to thank me! He was totally intact due to the very cold water! ( his core temp was 92 degrees at the ER!).
Folks, take your EFR training seriously! This was a tougher scenario, since it was a pediatric rescue but even regular CPR would have made a big difference.

 

[Subcooled]

Sounds like you already have.

I prepare myself mentally for the worst case,
to lessen post traumatic stress would something happen.

Some divers I know lost their friend and it is a horrible experience.

One thing that may a little bit explain why I don't have a pocket mask is that I
dive in small lakes (mines) where the shore is close by and there are no waves.
(and my drysuit pockets are too small )