Woman critical after West Van scuba diving accident - Canada

[DandyDon]

From Woman critical after West Van scuba diving accident

A 46-year-old Port Moody woman was on life support in Vancouver General Hospital Sunday night after a scuba diving accident at Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver.

Sgt. Paul Skelton said police got a call at noon Sunday, after a female diver failed to surface while on a dive with her partner at the popular scuba diving spot near Horseshoe Bay.

After divers in the area were alerted, one diver was able to locate and retrieve the woman, who was brought to shore. After CPR was administered, the woman’s pulse was revived and she started breathing. She was airlifted to hospital.

Skelton said police don’t know how long the woman went without breathing.

“She’s on life support in the hyperbaric chamber at VGH,” Cpl. Fred Harding said Sunday night. “Her condition is extremely serious.”

 

[TheWetRookie]

The information that I have heard is that the diver ran out of air, and while air sharing to the surface, spat the reg out and sank back down to the bottom. Not sure why, possibly panic.

Another preventable accident. Please watch your pressure guages guys and gals.

 

[AquaSocMan]

I wonder how she's doing? Hope she makes it

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Prayers sent.

 

[99north]

Our thoughts and prayers to her and her family....may she pull thru this dilemma.
Lesson to all of us....experienced and inexperienced, you can never check your SPG too much...always make sure you have enough air !
99North

 

[fishguy]

As mentioned in a different thread, my wife and I surfaced right in the middle of rescue effort while we were completing our final OW certification dive. Very surreal.

It was fortunate that the coast guard auxillary had just completed assisting with a rescue diver course in a nearby bay so they were still in the area when the call came in. The emergency responders performed CPR for 35 minutes prior to the diver being stable enough to be sent to hospital via air ambulance. After a quick conversation with a paramedic, the initial longterm outlook for the diver was not good.

Hopefully she will be able to regain her health.

 

[tracydr]

How deep was this woman found? Anybody dive the area?

 

[fishguy]

Based on the reports, she was at about 45'.

 

[willabonger]

if you sink on that wall.. jeez.. you could tumble down real far..

heard rescuer got all bent outta shape from the retrieval and got put in the chamber (could be bull**** tho)..

drop weight.. exhale and hope for the best..? aghhhh..

 

[tonka97]

Thank you to all of the people involved in this rescue.