AmRus
Registered
On the morning of September 19th, 2007, I joined the Dive-Ins Limassol, Cyprus-based Center, for a trip to Larnaca to dive the Zenobia, a wreck located at 25 ~ 42 meters. Our planned two dives were for 30+ meters and 25+ meters. Our group of nine experienced divers and divemasters were part of a large boat outing with divers from other companies.
Although my Suunto D9 registered no alarms during the dives, about 10 minutes following exit (climbing up the ladder with tank) onto the dive boat after the second dive, I began to experience the onset of the symptoms of decompression illness (DCI). This presented itself in sudden fatigue, intermittent but uncontrollable coughing sessions, dizziness and then a near total decrease in vision. Dive-Ins divemasters, David Mitchell and Yvette M - Bezuidenhous, though active with other divers in our group, were monitoring my increasing difficulties and, at the onset of decrease in vision, I was easily able to notify them that I was indeed in difficulty.
I was given oxygen, which immediately solved my vision problem, and the boat returned to shore where, with a portable oxygen canister in hand, I was escorted to a vehicle for transport to the nearest dive center. A dive-specialist doctor had already been called by Dive-In and I met him at the local dive center. After his evaluation, I was diagnosed with possible DCI, transported to Limassol and processed into the Dive-In hyperbaric chamber. During this processing (final evaluation by the same doctor, who had traveled to Limassol as well), it was determined that I was indeed suffering from a significant episode of DCI. The time from reporting the problem to entry into the chamber was about 2 1/2 hours (as I recall).
Throughout the 6 1/2 hour treatment in the chamber, I sweated profusely, resulting in my becoming clinically acutely dehydrated, despite the efforts of the attendant, Dmitry Dzhapunov, and the companys managing director, Clive Martin, both of whom stayed in the chamber with me due to my difficulties. I was unable to sit upright without becoming dizzy and nauseous (toward the end I vomited much of the water I had taken in). At one point, according to Clive, I blacked out and went into convulsions - he thought they had lost me. Indeed, Clive got 'bent' from the exertion in helping me and was subsequently rewarded with his own stay in the chamber.
The doctor and staff were waiting upon my exit from the chamber, as well as an ambulance. With my blood pressure only about 60/30, I looked like a Smurf - the same color as my blue hospital scrubs. The doctor ordered my urgent transport to a local private clinic, where it was determined that my kidneys were not functioning. I was placed on a saline IV (a total of 5 liters were eventually replaced into my system) and carefully monitored. I was in the Intensive Care Unit for five days.
At the recommendation of the initial dive doctor (a noted cardiologist in his own right), I was subsequently transported to the Nicosia General Hospital where I was admitted for monitoring by kidney, heart and lung specialists. After three days, I was released with the opinions that I had completely recovered from my incident, but with a requirement to see a dive-specialist doctor for a complete checkup before diving again.
My recovery was in large part due to the immediate first aid treatment by Dive-Ins divemasters, subsequent professional evaluation and directions by the attending doctor, professional attention by the Dive-In hyperbaric specialists and follow-up care by the clinic and hospital doctors and staff. In every step of this process, I was most fortunate to be surrounded (sometimes literally) by caring, experienced professionals.
_______-
Dive Profiles (from Suunto D9)
I.
Air: Nitrox 30%
Dive Time: 34min. total
Water Temp: 27 C
Max Depth: 30.4 M
Surface Interval: 2H 05M
II.
Air: Nitrox 30%
Dive Time: 37min. total
Water Temp: 27 C
Max Depth: 27.5 M
____________-
What went wrong?
In my opinion this was an incident of diver error. I failed to properly monitor my own physical condition and undertook not one, but two challenging deep dives (the second dive involved entering the wreck). I noticed that my oxygen intake during both dives was significantly increased over my norm, but failed to realize the ramifications.
I am a holiday diver. Although I have dived for over 5 years and have a Rescue Diver certification, I am at best a 52 year old hobby diver who dives twice a year while on holiday. I am also somewhat overweight. I failed to take these conditions into account and went on a dive beyond my capacity. Had I stopped at the first dive, I would not have experienced the DCI incident which led to my dehydration and subsequent problems. For the record, the doctor does not think that these subsequent problems were caused by the DCI, but may have been triggered by it.
I have read in this Forum that we must dive within our limitations. I was within my training parameters (having dived the Zen several times over the past few summers) and was not aware at the time that I may have been diving outside my physical limitations. The dive felt completely normal to me: no surprises, no anxiety. I had no idea I had a problem until the symptoms appeared. This fact continues to bother me.
I have continued diving, under a more conservative dive profile (P1). I take my general state of health into account before a diving holiday and at least a month before a trip increase my ongoing aerobic exercise program. I have had no further problems, including last summer's week-long live-aboard (Hurgada on the M/V Gelen - great trip! - sponsored by Dive-In) where we explored several wrecks, including entries into the Thistlegorm at 30 meters.
By the way, and not incidentally: The DAN people were absolutely fantastic and I didn't suffer even a 'financial inconvenience'. I would never dive without their insurance policy being up to date.
P.S. For those who are strong of stomach, I have attached a picture of mine, taken just before my entry into the chamber.
__________-
This is my first post on ScubaBoard and I hope others will find this story of some value in their future diving activities.
Although my Suunto D9 registered no alarms during the dives, about 10 minutes following exit (climbing up the ladder with tank) onto the dive boat after the second dive, I began to experience the onset of the symptoms of decompression illness (DCI). This presented itself in sudden fatigue, intermittent but uncontrollable coughing sessions, dizziness and then a near total decrease in vision. Dive-Ins divemasters, David Mitchell and Yvette M - Bezuidenhous, though active with other divers in our group, were monitoring my increasing difficulties and, at the onset of decrease in vision, I was easily able to notify them that I was indeed in difficulty.
I was given oxygen, which immediately solved my vision problem, and the boat returned to shore where, with a portable oxygen canister in hand, I was escorted to a vehicle for transport to the nearest dive center. A dive-specialist doctor had already been called by Dive-In and I met him at the local dive center. After his evaluation, I was diagnosed with possible DCI, transported to Limassol and processed into the Dive-In hyperbaric chamber. During this processing (final evaluation by the same doctor, who had traveled to Limassol as well), it was determined that I was indeed suffering from a significant episode of DCI. The time from reporting the problem to entry into the chamber was about 2 1/2 hours (as I recall).
Throughout the 6 1/2 hour treatment in the chamber, I sweated profusely, resulting in my becoming clinically acutely dehydrated, despite the efforts of the attendant, Dmitry Dzhapunov, and the companys managing director, Clive Martin, both of whom stayed in the chamber with me due to my difficulties. I was unable to sit upright without becoming dizzy and nauseous (toward the end I vomited much of the water I had taken in). At one point, according to Clive, I blacked out and went into convulsions - he thought they had lost me. Indeed, Clive got 'bent' from the exertion in helping me and was subsequently rewarded with his own stay in the chamber.
The doctor and staff were waiting upon my exit from the chamber, as well as an ambulance. With my blood pressure only about 60/30, I looked like a Smurf - the same color as my blue hospital scrubs. The doctor ordered my urgent transport to a local private clinic, where it was determined that my kidneys were not functioning. I was placed on a saline IV (a total of 5 liters were eventually replaced into my system) and carefully monitored. I was in the Intensive Care Unit for five days.
At the recommendation of the initial dive doctor (a noted cardiologist in his own right), I was subsequently transported to the Nicosia General Hospital where I was admitted for monitoring by kidney, heart and lung specialists. After three days, I was released with the opinions that I had completely recovered from my incident, but with a requirement to see a dive-specialist doctor for a complete checkup before diving again.
My recovery was in large part due to the immediate first aid treatment by Dive-Ins divemasters, subsequent professional evaluation and directions by the attending doctor, professional attention by the Dive-In hyperbaric specialists and follow-up care by the clinic and hospital doctors and staff. In every step of this process, I was most fortunate to be surrounded (sometimes literally) by caring, experienced professionals.
_______-
Dive Profiles (from Suunto D9)
I.
Air: Nitrox 30%
Dive Time: 34min. total
Water Temp: 27 C
Max Depth: 30.4 M
Surface Interval: 2H 05M
II.
Air: Nitrox 30%
Dive Time: 37min. total
Water Temp: 27 C
Max Depth: 27.5 M
____________-
What went wrong?
In my opinion this was an incident of diver error. I failed to properly monitor my own physical condition and undertook not one, but two challenging deep dives (the second dive involved entering the wreck). I noticed that my oxygen intake during both dives was significantly increased over my norm, but failed to realize the ramifications.
I am a holiday diver. Although I have dived for over 5 years and have a Rescue Diver certification, I am at best a 52 year old hobby diver who dives twice a year while on holiday. I am also somewhat overweight. I failed to take these conditions into account and went on a dive beyond my capacity. Had I stopped at the first dive, I would not have experienced the DCI incident which led to my dehydration and subsequent problems. For the record, the doctor does not think that these subsequent problems were caused by the DCI, but may have been triggered by it.
I have read in this Forum that we must dive within our limitations. I was within my training parameters (having dived the Zen several times over the past few summers) and was not aware at the time that I may have been diving outside my physical limitations. The dive felt completely normal to me: no surprises, no anxiety. I had no idea I had a problem until the symptoms appeared. This fact continues to bother me.
I have continued diving, under a more conservative dive profile (P1). I take my general state of health into account before a diving holiday and at least a month before a trip increase my ongoing aerobic exercise program. I have had no further problems, including last summer's week-long live-aboard (Hurgada on the M/V Gelen - great trip! - sponsored by Dive-In) where we explored several wrecks, including entries into the Thistlegorm at 30 meters.
By the way, and not incidentally: The DAN people were absolutely fantastic and I didn't suffer even a 'financial inconvenience'. I would never dive without their insurance policy being up to date.
P.S. For those who are strong of stomach, I have attached a picture of mine, taken just before my entry into the chamber.
__________-
This is my first post on ScubaBoard and I hope others will find this story of some value in their future diving activities.
