Rescue Questions

Questions for instructors out there: I recall from the Rescue course some points I am now unclear about concerning an unconscious diver on the bottom. 1. Check if fins are on. Why? What does it matter when bringing him up? 2.Check SPG for max depth. This can be read after the rescue, no? 3.Wave hands in front of his mask to see if he may be concious. I can see where this may possibly help in the ascent or at the surface. 4.Check if octo is secured or has been used. Is this in case his buddy may have used it and may also be in trouble? Seems at least the first two things just take extra time when his brain goes longer without oxygen. Thanks in advance.

I will let the instructors handle the individual answers. Everything that you have asked about, are important observations for after the rescue/recovery to note. In review fins not on feet could explain some things, obviously checking the computer will tell alot. As far as equipment observation, that can speak volumes to many different aspects to what might have happened to the diver. I am not an instructor to I won't start giving text book answers. Just my 2 cents.

When I have been is rescue or worse, recovery, noticing all of the particulars of the scene are crutial.

TMHeimer:

Questions for instructors out there: I recall from the Rescue course some points I am now unclear about concerning an unconscious diver on the bottom. 1. Check if fins are on. Why? What does it matter when bringing him up?

Click to expand...

I was not instructed to do this.

2.Check SPG for max depth. This can be read after the rescue, no?

Click to expand...

I was not instructed to do this either.

3.Wave hands in front of his mask to see if he may be concious. I can see where this may possibly help in the ascent or at the surface.

Click to expand...

I was not instructed to do this either.

4.Check if octo is secured or has been used. Is this in case his buddy may have used it and may also be in trouble? Seems at least the first two things just take extra time when his brain goes longer without oxygen. Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

I was not instructed to do that either.

Hey TMH,

I had to read your post twice to make sure that I was reading it right.... Fins? Waving hands? It sounds like something from the 60's... yelling underwater to scare off sharks anyone?

You are exactly right in reference to depriving cells of O2 - this should be a pounding alarm bell in your head when performing the rescue. Just try to do it logically and methodically.

The only factor that I can see could be relevant at some stage of the rescue out of those you have mentioned would be checking the SPG for tank pressure rather than depth. Depth i don't undestand. Pressure however - this is to check if there has been an out of air situation - this will affect adding air to their BC to assist with lift and will also affect how buoyant they are (empty tank = + buoyancy) However, this hardly worth wasting time searching around for their gauges. You'll find out as soon as you test their power inflator on the bottom.

Your highest priority in rescuing an obviously unconscious casualty is getting them to the surface as fast as possibly without hurting yourself. You can do little underwater to help the victim in this case, so the only things you need to worry about are as follows.

1) On approach - look for any movement or bubbles whatsoever, and a quick look around to see if there may be evidence entanglement or any other dangers (marine creatures etc). Careful not to jeopardise your own safety! When you reach the victim, turn them over if necessary and immediately go for an earlobe/pressure point if available - response to painful stimuli is first point of call and, at a long shot, could wake them up. Waving won't.

2) Assess buoyancy quickly. Are you in boardies/thin exposure suit/semi/drysuit? Adjust weight of yourself and victim as quickly as possible, and lock your arm underneath theirs whilst holding onto their tank valve if possible for more stability. There is conjecture about removal of a flooded/partially full mask underwater. Leave it on as it's not doing any harm. You can take it off on the surface. Hold it and their regulator (if applicable) in place, start your ascent and stick to your ascent rate, managing yours and their buoyancy with your left hand. If they become too buoyant to control easily at any stage (drysuits can be problematic here) let them go and maintain your own ascent rate.

3) Start inflating your BC about 3ft/1m from the surface so by the time you hit the waves, at least one of you will be positively buoyant. Establish +ve buoyancy for them, get
their mask off, their reg out, two breaths straight away. Do NOT bother checking for a pulse. Whilst trying to get breaths in (hard as their lungs MAY be full of water), get your ass back to the boat/beach as fast as possible, all the while counting aloud your breaths in every five seconds. Ditch gear only if it will help water speed and they can do without it. If there is a tender/dinghy, get them in it and open the throttle. You can also start CPR in a tender. At the end of a minute cycle you can spend ten seconds moving or repositioning if need be.

From here you can get them onto a solid flat surface and continue or start CPR/admin of AED etc.

That's all in an ideal world. I've been unfortunate enough to drag a body off the bottom before and it's not nice. Hopefully this helps. It's excellent that you are asking these questions and thinking it through. Rescue is always case-by-case. It comes down to your ability to assess/adapt in a pressure situation - something you won't know until you do it. Adrenaline is a beautiful thing!

Let's see what the thesaurus-wielders make of this one.

Good luck TMH, keep your rescue skills slick.

I wasn't taught to do the first two during the rescue.

Waving hands in front of mask is important to make sure diver is actually in need of rescue. Doing this as opposed to grabbing or shaking a limb can be important as if the diver was truely unconscious you may jar the regulator out of his/her mouth since an unconscious diver will not be biting down on it.

Agree with the post by NudeDiver... waving the hands under the mask is a good idea but everything else is not required. You are taught to approach and assess the scene which might include you seeing the diver was missing his fins, but it's not a requirement to be taught it.

The aim is to establish responsiveness... an ok signal under the face is more polite than a smack on the head, just in case that person actually happens to be looking at macro stuff on the sea bed.... But assuming they don't respond to that then a sharp poke on the collarbone will wake most people up... and if they still don't respond then it's time to surface them and call for help.

It takes longer to type than it does to do it - this would all happen in a millisecond. And then - suppose the diver in distress was not wearing fins - well he won't be wearing fins later then, either, so somebody will notice it at some point!

The main thing is to determine resposniveness and get them to the surface as safely and quickly as possible.

I am also aware that a lot of instructors invent new and interesting things to do during the rescue course... it happens!

C.

PS Always feel free to PM me on subjects like this. Cheers.

Thanks guys for the explanations and added advice.

Of those items, the only thing I remember is the waving or otherwise making sure the "victim" isn't just someone who is lying on the bottom communing with the little fishies.

I have been reading my rescue book waiting for it to get a little warmer for class, and had a question on the ascent, I know I have to go up at a safe speed, but if there were people on the surface near enough to where the distressed diver would "pop" could I send him up "express" I just finished EFR and seems that not breathing = no heartbeat ~= dead. no heartbeat / breathing then no Nitrogen exchange no reason to go up slow might as well pop the top. also if there is any chance he can breath on his own at the surface faster is better. better to be alive in the deco chamber than dead. fully inflate his BC and let go? seems to make sense to me. tie a spool if you have one? not if there is significant current on surface or no one there then I would assume it is a recovery not a rescue. going up at a safe speed is for breathing divers.
no bubbles = no breathing / 4 sec assesment.

SailNaked:

I have been reading my rescue book waiting for it to get a little warmer for class, and had a question on the ascent, I know I have to go up at a safe speed, but if there were people on the surface near enough to where the distressed diver would "pop" could I send him up "express" I just finished EFR and seems that not breathing = no heartbeat ~= dead. no heartbeat / breathing then no Nitrogen exchange no reason to go up slow might as well pop the top.

Click to expand...

That's really interesting. maybe the medical folks have thoughts on the matter.

Based on nothing but soda bottles, I would guess that even with no circulation, a slow ascent would cause less bubbling than a fast one.

OTOH, even if the above is true, would there be more damage from prolonged O2 deprivation with a slow ascent or from nitrogen coming out of solution from a rapid ascent?


Terry