What should be done with unconcious diver at depth?

[Teamcasa]

While i'm not a fan of responses like, "Take the course", "Ask your instructor" or "do a search" , sometimes a more complete answer just points out just how complicated the answer could be.

Mike (merxlin) did a great job of demonstrating this in his post.

A word of caution however, do not take lightly the warnings of just how complicated some rescue situations can be. The adage of better one dead than two is no joke and it is a serious concern. Again, see Mike's response.

I think you missed the point. The idea to take a rescue class is spot on. Without getting into the various agencies and the training standards, it is invaluable as both a buddy rescue and self rescue tool.

It is also almost impossible to be "qualified" based on reading a post. Will you have more knowledge than someone who did not read the information? Of course. But do you know what it feels like when you inflate someones BC, start them up, then have the buoyancy change in both your and their BC? Do you know how to respond? You may know how you are supposed to respond but until you try it, you may not be able to execute it.

So in order to answer the question, here are some for you: What will your reaction be upon finding such a diver? What do you think will happen to your SAC rate while you are doing so? Will you remember to check your gages and make sure you have enough gas to do a controlled ascent? How do you manage your BC and theirs? What if they are OOA and you can't inflate their BC? What do you do with them once you get them up to the surface? If and when do you drop their weights? Do you know how to do a rescue tow? How far from help are you? Can you perform rescue breaths once you get them to the surface? Do you need to remove their gear? What will you do if they regain consciousness on the way up and panic?

Granted, if you find an unconscious diver they will be better on the surface than underwater. But getting them their is just one aspect of what needs to be done. So the short answer is " use a controlled and safe ascent". Shooting them to the surface will probably do more harm than good. The best answer is learn how to do that safely for both you and them. There's nothing elitist about that. You are better off crossing your arms and doing nothing than doing more harm to you and/or the other diver.

 

[fairybasslet]

So I can cross my arms and declare I'm not qualified to help?

If you don't want to take a chance that you might wind up dead, that might not be a bad idea.

There is no limit to the amount of text that can be in a post.

Some people have jobs and a social life.

I thought this forum was a resource to educate divers?

Uh, yeah.

Is it really just a hangout for elitist master divers?

Yep, now get outta here. Oops. I'd better get out too because I'm not a master diver. oh my

 

[fairybasslet]

I do agree that this does not need to be in the advanced discussion. We (SEI) teach this skill to open water divers in pool session 6 or 7. We also do rescue tow with rescue breaths and gear removal, paniced diver at surface, and 2 other rescue/tired diver tows in OW class. So to say it's not taught til rescue is not entirely correct. It depends on the agency and instructor.

Well, that is how diving should be taught. I never heard of that agency.

 

[merxlin]

Oops. I'd better get out too because I'm not a master diver. oh my

I had to do the same thing on a fishing thread while we were talking about the best way to use bait........

 

[bluebubble1995]

Fact: Most divers will never take the rescue course (but should).
Fact: Attempting to educate the masses on a forum can't hurt.
Many people research scuba forums prior to their next trip. Odds are they don't plan to squeeze in a rescue course before their trip. If they come across a diver in need they might do the right thing if they learned a few tips here today.

 

[bluebubble1995]

Here is the answer the OP wanted.

The PADI Rescue Course book is on amazon for pennies.

 

[HisLovelyBride]

FWIW, when I suggested this thread doesn't belong in Advanced, I didn't realize that it had come from Accidents/Incidents (which I think is for specific incidents, not hypothetical ones). Rather, I assumed it came from Basic (where I maintain it belongs).


In any case, I think that those who are suggesting that the OP take a rescue class aren't trying to hide or conceal information. Rather, they're pointing to a better venue to learn such a skill. Some things are hard to describe in text, and are better demonstrated. Rescuing an unresponsive diver is one of those things.

Given the internet, a video is a good place to start. Here's one, but without the accompanying voice-over it's not of complete use.

YouTube - toxing diver rescue

Thanks for sharing the video link. A picture is worth a thousand words!

 

[Teamcasa]

Bluebubble, thanks for posting that but Mikes post points out variations that need to be considered.

Maybe a better question (answered by your post) would be; I am a fairly new diver and at 40 and I notice my buddy has become unconscious. What would be the safest course of action for a non-rescue trained diver.

 

[rstofer]

OP, there is no reason you can't buy the manual and DVD in anticipation of your course. You can watch and read all you want. But it won't be until you have really done this in open water that you find out just how difficult it really is.

My personal observation of Rescue: the open water dives are very shallow. If is far more difficult to bring a diver up from 100' and, I suspect, more likely that you would have to.

FWIW, you will also need current CPR and First Aid certification so, if you don't already have these, go ahead and sign up with your agency of choice. Red Cross and most hospitals offer the program almost weekly.

If you have additional questions beyond the training material, you can buy "Scuba Diving Safety" by Dan Orr and Eric Douglas.

Most people here know the answer but they don't want to be put on the spot when the inevitable "but he said..." comes around. Only instructors acting in an official capacity have the insurance to cover them when things go sideways. Why would anyone risk any kind of negative feedback just to provide you with an answer you can clearly get from a book or DVD?

You need to be especially proficient in California now that our Calif Supreme Court has essentially removed any 'good samaritan' protection. There was a thread about a month ago (just after the SC ruling) where the idea of just swimming away was debated. It's still worth thinking about.

Richard

 

[xjeslesx]

Bickering does not help anyone.