Rescue Questions

[SailNaked]

3 pages of discussion on how to raise an unconscious body from the depths. I think that makes the case for do what a reasonable person would do....

some good information here, good things to think about, how would you inflate their BC if they were OOA and how would you control your combined Accent rate if you over inflated either your BC or theirs, what would you have your buddy do? what if it were your buddy? what if they were in doubles or very heavy.

what if you had a DECO obligation? what if the boat were directly above. what if you had support divers in the water or were near shore with a lifeguard?

seems like it would be worth a thought about why the dude was on the bottom? heart attack? O2 tox, drown? OOA/ panic, too heavy jumped off boat went straight down panicked? bit by shark? jelly sting? cone shell? snake? alien? big underwater blob thing with a face? where is his buddy?

good advice to look about before rushing in, while bringing up look at gauges? out of air vs full tanks? his computer beeping, dive time over an hour? two hours? a dude with doubles at 120 ft with empty tanks, is in no hurry to get to the surface for his burial might as well let him enjoy the scenery on the way up.

probably not my first option to send him up fast but in the right situation not out of the question. (I always have a reel to tie him off with)

 

[DeepSeaDan]

3 pages of discussion on how to raise an unconscious body from the depths. I think that makes the case for do what a reasonable person would do....

some good information here, good things to think about, how would you inflate their BC if they were OOA and how would you control your combined Accent rate if you over inflated either your BC or theirs, what would you have your buddy do? what if it were your buddy? what if they were in doubles or very heavy.

what if you had a DECO obligation? what if the boat were directly above. what if you had support divers in the water or were near shore with a lifeguard?

seems like it would be worth a thought about why the dude was on the bottom? heart attack? O2 tox, drown? OOA/ panic, too heavy jumped off boat went straight down panicked? bit by shark? jelly sting? cone shell? snake? alien? big underwater blob thing with a face? where is his buddy?

good advice to look about before rushing in, while bringing up look at gauges? out of air vs full tanks? his computer beeping, dive time over an hour? two hours? a dude with doubles at 120 ft with empty tanks, is in no hurry to get to the surface for his burial might as well let him enjoy the scenery on the way up.

probably not my first option to send him up fast but in the right situation not out of the question. (I always have a reel to tie him off with)

...the fact that you are thinking ahead to some of the possible variables which could influence decision making. One thing I've taken to heart since deepsea diving school was the k.i.s.s. priciple. This takes on a significant importance in matters of rescue. The last thing you want to do is over-complicate the situation. An analogy could be made to the ever-increasing simplification of the c.p.r. protocol ( something many of us have lobbied for for years...). Accumulated data from many years of lay-rescuer responses brought the realization that folks just can't hold onto complicated, multi-step procedures. The knowledge just didn't stick. The answer was to simplify, make it easier to recall; with that came greater rescuer confidence & a greater willingness to step up & help.

A great way to prepare yourself for an eventuality is to play scenario games in your mind. Create different circumstances & work your way through them. Write them down if you wish. Challenge other like-minded individuals & debate the results. It is one of the best ways to get familiar with the possibilities, next to actually performing the rescues.

I greatly appreciate everyone that takes an interest in rescue. I know of no better way to honour your community than to take the time to learn & practice skills that may save a brother or sister divers life one day.

Regards,
DSD

 

[divetatoo]

...where you are coming from. To be clear, I was not suggesting rescuers fly by the seat of their pants on a whim. To return to the "toolbox" analogy, a newer, less experienced & practiced rescuer may have but a set of philips drivers & a ball-peen hammer from which to draw on, whereas a grizzled veteran of many rescue sessions, who has played with all the tools in his chest, will have a greater selection of options to apply to the job at hand. Is there a recognized rescue manual out there that defines & describes all the tools in the box? If there is, I haven't found it.

In firefighting, we operate utilizing "standard operating guidelines" or s.o.g.'s. They used to be called "standard operating procedures", but experience taught us that the word "procedure" was too confining for the dynamics of fire-rescue ops. I see a parallel in scuba rescue. We need room within the accepted standard practices to adapt to varying / changing circumstances. This is not to suggest that negligent or irresponsible behaviour is acceptable. I cannot wrap a person's octo hose around their neck & tow them to the surface because I felt it was the right thing to do at the time. Such action goes well outside the bounds of standard practice. But I can modify my body position in an effort to more efficiently lift a person to surface.

Regards,
DSD

I completely understand where you are coming from. I volunteer with the Sheriff service here and we also have SOG's. The example you are giving is improving on things you would use, which I commend. My concern is when a rescue becomes "creative" doing things that have not been proven to work or have not been tested. Changing positions or identifying other things in the scenario is not always a bad thing as scenarios change. Trying something that you don't know will work or you have not been trained to do is really gambling with peoples lives. And as someone pointed out, you do have liability issues i.e. good sam law. I don't believe there is a perfect rescue but if we stick to standards and constantly apply them, I believe we "tattoo" those skills into our subconcious. Again, please know this is only my opinion based on my own experience.