Diver died on Beaver Lake tonight

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huff442

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Messages
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Location
Pea Ridge, AR
# of dives
100 - 199
My son and I had just suited up at the bluffs, getting ready to do a few early evening dives. I heard a diver surface and <cough>. I looked out to his location and he seemed to be ok. He descended again, then resurfaced a few seconds later. He then started swimming on his back to the shore line. His buddies surfaced and followed him in. A minute later i heard someone yell, "Diver Emergency, call 911!". I was able to run, fully geared up, back to my truck and call 911. A divemaster was on site and started CPR. After 20 minutes of CPR by the EFR's and paramedics, he was still unresponsive. Medflight arrived and started working on him in the ambulance. The entire event lasted about an hour.

Someone said the diver was diabetic. He was around 50 years old and overweight. He had around 1000psi in his tank, so its possible he had a heart attack.

My 16 year old son was pretty shaken, having seen his first dead body. But he handled the situation like soldier, retrieving tools and equipment as we needed it.

A note out there to all those consider CPR and EFR classes: have the equipment you need to handle a situation with you at all times. I was shocked at how some people there were yelling at each other looked for things they couldn't find, or didn't have. I have to wonder if this mans life could have been saved....
 
While it's really too early to tell what happened, I would speculate that based on what you said about a "cough" upon surfacing, that sounds like a lung expansion injury - especially with how symptoms were quick to occur.

Despite how it happened, it is sad to hear a diver died today. My sympathies go out to his family and friends.
 
what time was this? I was out their yesterday almost all day.
 
I think one valuable lesson from this incident is the OP's suggestion that we have our emergency equipment ready and available at all times, and take regular EFR/O2 refresher courses. Our own lives, or the lives of the ones we love, could depend on it.
 
I keep my mouthpiece for CPR in my bag. If we teach a clss my hubby always brings oxygen. If on a boat I always find out where things are right away, since I'm often the only physician.
Never had to resuscitate a diver but my husband did in a class. (cardiac,stopped breathing) vie done qutite a few "codes" at various sporting events, graduations, etc. Hatenot having even a steoscpope or o2!
glad your son did well, maybe he'll go into some kind of emergency medicine.
How is Beaver Lake? We want to move to Ok, TX or even, possibly AR. I've read a lot about that lake.
I did my lake diving mostly at Lawtonka. Was certified at Canyon Lake, TX.
 
Wow dealing with death is not an easy thing. I wish first and foremost it would not have happened. If there is anything good that can be said about it though the diver passed away doing something he enjoyed and apparently loved.

As for anything said previously that was negative please remember one day we all will be the one who passes and would we want people to belittle us in front of our families? Tragedy happens all the time but it should not be treated like an everyday thing. Remember somewhere there are people whos brother, father, husband, uncle, cousin, son or friend is no longer calling them or planning outings and someone sleeps alone now.

May God bless the family and the one who passed away
 
I keep my mouthpiece for CPR in my bag. If we teach a clss my hubby always brings oxygen. If on a boat I always find out where things are right away, since I'm often the only physician.
Never had to resuscitate a diver but my husband did in a class. (cardiac,stopped breathing) vie done qutite a few "codes" at various sporting events, graduations, etc. Hatenot having even a steoscpope or o2!
glad your son did well, maybe he'll go into some kind of emergency medicine.
How is Beaver Lake? We want to move to Ok, TX or even, possibly AR. I've read a lot about that lake.
I did my lake diving mostly at Lawtonka. Was certified at Canyon Lake, TX.

My family and I move to Iowa for three years, only to realize how much we missed this area of Arkansas. We moved back last year. Beaver Lake has so much to offer: warm water, steep rocks bluffs, large fish and turtles, and a good local dive shop very close. My son and I dive there every Friday and Saturday. We'll dive on Sunday if I don't have to fly out Monday morning. Come check it out. If you like fresh water lakes, you'll love Beaver!
 
what time was this? I was out their yesterday almost all day.

We arrived at the lake around 7:00pm. I made the 911 call at 7:39pm. We were out there assisting till almost 10:00pm. It was a tough night. I was afraid my son wasn't going to dive again. He told his mother on the phone that he didn't want to get back into the water. I reminded him that this wasn't solely a dive incident, and the diver had medical complications. He decided to go back Saturday morning, and we dove till almost dark. He's a trooper....
 


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....A minute later i heard someone yell, "Diver Emergency, call 911!". I was able to run, fully geared up, back to my truck and call 911. A divemaster was on site and started CPR. After 20 minutes of CPR by the EFR's and paramedics, he was still unresponsive. Medflight arrived and started working on him in the ambulance. The entire event lasted about an hour....

This is the exact reason I ALWAYS have an automatic external defibrillator and 2 tanks of oxygen with me 100% of time. (CPR just buys a little time and is frequently performed improperly)

Many think it overkill; I have watched people die awaiting an AED and O2...I vowed that this won't happen again in my presence.

The reply to the OP that included 'blaming' comments about diabetes and obesity are premature and presumptive. That poster may consider an edit.
 

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