Nonbreathing victim + deco stop. How to handle it.

[MikeFerrara]

I had a student one time who asked "what do I do if...?" I answered and he said "but what if...?" I answered and he said "but what if...?"

Finally i had to tell him that you were only allowed so many mistakes on one dive.

The first goal of a rescue class should be to develope the ability to avoid problems by using good dive practices and making good decisions. With that in mind why is there so many questions about accidental deco obligations? The first thing is to learn dive planning and don't have these kinds of accidents. This may seem like a harsh point of view but the fact is lots of rec divers push their computers into deco. They even do it while following a resort DM. They think nothing of it.

I would rather discuss how to avoid such a mess than what to do once your in it.

 

[rmediver2002]

Naval policy would be to disregard any decompression obligation (the diver may get DCS if you ommit a stop but will not survive long after breathing stops)

Accend at 30 fpm and begin CPR or rescue breathing and alert EMS

* it is also worth mentioning that there is usually a chamber on the dive site for miltary diving and a chamber is always required if conducting planned decompression diving. This policy would be in effect regardless of diving profile - treat the worst symptom...

 

[jiveturkey]

Uncle Pug once bubbled...

Soooo.... you just happen to pass into a decompression obligation....

Hmmm.... well....

1. Make sure you don't.
2. If you are trained and have planned your deco dive you will already have taken into account that scenario and have the solution planned as well.

What if a diver goes missing and it happens when you're looking for him? You find him and you realize that now the situation is more complicated because you have a decompression stop to do. This is just an example. There are lots of reasons why this situation could occur. It'd be good to know what to do if you made a mistake. You can't just say don't get into a decompression dive if you don't plan to and everything will be cool. These thing can happen.

 

[O-ring]

jiveturkey once bubbled...


What if a diver goes missing and it happens when you're looking for him? You find him and you realize that now the situation is more complicated because you have a decompression stop to do. This is just an example. There are lots of reasons why this situation could occur. It'd be good to know what to do if you made a mistake. You can't just say don't get into a decompression dive if you don't plan to and everything will be cool. These thing can happen.

Hell, I do most of the time anyway.... I am sure someone more experienced will step in and correct me anyway, but I would blow the stop. If you are on a recreational dive and accidentally "slip" into deco for whatever reason, I can't imagine that you would have that long of an obligation racked up. How often do you look at your computer anyway? I would have to grab the diver, follow standard rescue SOP with regard to regulator in mouth/out of mouth, etc., maintain a decent ascent rate, and get him/her to the surface.

 

[WreckWriter]

that's right Eric. With the given scenario, at rec depths and with rec gear, you're talking about a minimal deco obligation.

Tom

 

[MikeFerrara]

I still have a problem with the scenario. At the depths where I think rec divers should be the vast majority will run out of gas before no deco time. So...if this happens you are still being cought doing bad things.

Your rescue material should also point out that your search ends when you run out of time or low on gas.

The first most important thing that will avoid problems and injuries is to dive within your training and abilities. That means not going to deep/long without the right training and equipment.

What you will do to help a injured diver when you have a deco obligation is a subject that will come up in your technical training and later in planning your technical dives. Untill then it really would be best to stay within the NDL.

 

[Uncle Pug]

jiveturkey once bubbled...
What if...

You can't just say don't get into a decompression dive if you don't plan to and everything will be cool. These thing can happen.

Re-read Mike's post!

If you really think that deco obligations are unavoidable because "these things can happen" then I suggest you get the training to deal with them.

 

[jiveturkey]

Uncle Pug once bubbled...

Re-read Mike's post!

If you really think that deco obligations are unavoidable because "these things can happen" then I suggest you get the training to deal with them.

Ok..point taken. I guess the situation I'm describing is beyond my capabilities as a rec diver. And like Mike said, for every answer you guys give me, I can always come up with another "what if" scenario. There are so many variables to consider and many of them would require more knowledge than a recreational Rescue Diver course can give me.

 

[MikeFerrara]

jiveturkey once bubbled...


Ok..point taken. I guess the situation I'm describing is beyond my capabilities as a rec diver. And like Mike said, for every answer you guys give me, I can always come up with another "what if" scenario. There are so many variables to consider and many of them would require more knowledge than a recreational Rescue Diver course can give me.

You are right there are many variables. No two situations are exactly alike and the solutions will also be different depending on recourses and other variables. A rescue course should also stress this and strive to give you tools for your tool box and a chance to practice techniques. When things really go wrong you have the tools and experience/practice behind you but you'll need to think your way through it and apply the tools you have in a way that makes sense for that situation.

 

[builderbloke]

its nice to know that everybody here knows what they should do in "that situation" as in dont be in "that situation" which is great i was tought the same thing BUT s**t happens right and if it did what would you do?
i think thats what jive turkeys getting at and allthough i know what i should do i dont think its what i would do

scenario.. me and my buddy allways say that if were split up we would search for 5 min and than surface i would probebly sea rch for longer, viz in the uk isnt much more than 10 meters on a good day so chances are your looking for each outher next to one and outher without realiseing it the deco thing if it was a safty stop i would skip it and surface if in my search i had gone to far in to deco and there was a good chance i was gunna get bent going through my ceiling then i would stop (chances are hes dead anyway but whats the point in being there if your to bent to help) .
but at my ceiling i would deploy my dsmb with the line going through a D ring on my buddys stab jacket then let him go up on his own this way the boat will find him and and start helping if the boat dosent then you know where he is when you surface.

hope that helps jiveturkey

just for the record thats what i would do its not in the book and is not recomended as safe diving (dont try this at home kids )