What should be done with unconcious diver at depth?

xjeslesx · Mar 26, 2009

What is the best course of action if I encounter an unconscious diver at depth? My gut tells me to inflate the person's BCD and shoot them to the surface. No worries about lung over expansion but they may have an embolism. I figure this is better than a slow ascent and drowning.

Please let me know what the proper procedure is?

Thanks

fairybasslet · Mar 26, 2009

Take a rescue class. Then you will learn the correct procedures.

newman_diver · Mar 26, 2009

Ditto on the rescue class.

You want to get them to the surface quickly but under control. You also want to maintain an open airway on ascent. This will allow air to escape the lungs.

ScubaSteve · Mar 26, 2009

Unless this question is pertinent to a specific accident or incident that everybody can try to learn from, I think the question should perhaps be moved to [-]Advanced Scuba Discussions[/-] another area of the board.

Edit

The post was incorrectly placed initially and moved. If my suggestion (that is all it was) was wrong, then talk to the Mod that moved it.

Diver0001 · Mar 26, 2009

xjeslesx:
What is the best course of action if I encounter an unconscious diver at depth? My gut tells me to inflate the person's BCD and shoot them to the surface. No worries about lung over expansion but they may have an embolism. I figure this is better than a slow ascent and drowning.

Please let me know what the proper procedure is?

Thanks

I haven't read any of the other responses yet so forgive me if I'm repeating.

First and foremost, take a rescue class. This course covers the very question and gives you techniques and skills to deal with this very event.

Secondly, drowning--assuming you survive it--is, perhaps suprisingly, less damaging than AGE (artierial gas embolism). Lifting the victim to the surface under control is better than "shooting" them in most cases.

That said, a quick rescue is better than a slow one.... so you're really juggling 26 balls and hoping that you don't drop any during a rescue. It's well worth your while to take the rescue course and learn the "best" practices so you don't waste more time than you have to if you're ever confronted with needing to perform a rescue.

R..

Blackwood · Mar 26, 2009

ScubaSteve001:
Unless this question is pertinent to a specific accident or incident that everybody can try to learn from, I think the question should perhaps be moved to Advanced Scuba Discussions.

Unless losing consciousness underwater is limited to "advanced" divers, I disagree.

Darcey · Mar 26, 2009

Tripple ditto on the Rescue Class.

I know they cover things like this briefly in OW (or at least my instructor did) but you really need to take Rescue to learn the proper way as you could do some serious damage to the already unconcious victim if you don't know what you're donig.

snturner · Mar 26, 2009

If the diver still has the reg in their mouth, keep it there. Execute a controlled assent, once on surface remove regulator, give breaths as described in "Rescue Class". At the same time you should be moving the diver back to the boat or shore(which ever is closet). Get the victim out of the water. Now the part no one wants to mention - Screw it up and you both will die. Simple huh.

Rhone Man · Mar 26, 2009

Not to hijack the thread (too late!) but I remember during my TDI course being taught that if you had incurred a deco obligation and you had an unconscious diver at depth, you only took them up as shallow as you could personally go and then you shoot them the rest of the way. I remember thinking that sounded like bad advice - surely it would be better to take them all the way up and then return back down alone to complete your deco without lingering at the surface (small risk to you vs big risk to them). The Tec instructors on the board can correct me if I am wrong, but I am pretty sure that's what I recollect being taught.

xjeslesx · Mar 26, 2009

I have already signed up for my Rescue class, it will be in early April. The reason I posted this thread was to get an idea of what I should do, if an emergency were to happen.

I am really surprised more people do not ask this question. Also I am disappointed that this thread was moved from 'accidents and incidents', this emergency could affect anyone.

What should be done with unconcious diver at depth?

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xjeslesx

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fairybasslet

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newman_diver

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ScubaSteve

Wow.....what a DB

Diver0001

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