11 y/o Surfaces with Convulsions

[Rae HalfTheHill]

Just read a sheriff report on an incident involving an 11 year old diving with family and a dive master off Looe Key, Florida. Apparently surfaced and began convulsing, taken to lower keys medical center then airlifted to Miami. More details to follow.

 

[Biotech Diver]

Just read a sheriff report on an incident involving an 11 year old diving with family and a dive master off Looe Key, Florida. Apparently surfaced and began convulsing, taken to lower keys medical center then airlifted to Miami. More details to follow.

That’s terrible. Hope he pulls through and fully recovers.

 

[Biotech Diver]

Found this:

6:47 p.m. — 11-Year-Old Boy Airlifted To A Hospital Following Dive Incident Off Looe Key

They were diving in 20 feet of water so that pretty much rules out DCS, oxygen toxicity, and the bends. Likely a medical event not related to the dive.

 

[Ukmc]

Found this:

6:47 p.m. — 11-Year-Old Boy Airlifted To A Hospital Following Dive Incident Off Looe Key

They were diving in 20 feet of water so that pretty much rules out DCS, oxygen toxicity, and the bends. Likely a medical event not related to the dive.

Not necessarily. If he bolted for the surface, there are all kind of troubles he could have gotten in including AGE. I really hope he is doing well. My son is a diver of similar age...

 

[Curious_George]

Hope he is ok as well - and for sure lots of bad stuff can happen at way less depth than that.

Have to say, thats a tough decision - people taking kids that young diving. I get it, pop wants to dive and it’s tough skipping diving, or dealing with the guilt of leaving the kid behind. And sure, many kids can and do dive safely at a very young age, but why couldn’t it wait until they were just 5 years older?

 

[BoltSnap]

I don't teach kids younger than 16 years old anymore.


If you don't trust them to drive your most expensive car, you can't trust them to dive...

 

[Angelo Farina]

Hope he is ok as well - and for sure lots of bad stuff can happen at way less depth than that.

Have to say, thats a tough decision - people taking kids that young diving. I get it, pop wants to dive and it’s tough skipping diving, or dealing with the guilt of leaving the kid behind. And sure, many kids can and do dive safely at a very young age, but why couldn’t it wait until they were just 5 years older?

I started giving air tanks to my sons in the pool at 2 years old. At 5 years they were diving in the sea, down to 4 or 5 meters. No BCD, of course. They never had any problems underwater (or swimming), as they started swimming way before walking...
I understand that most parents do not think that diving at such young age is reasonable. But both I and my wife are instructors, my wife is also a specialised instructor for babies, and we started our sons to enjoy water as soon as possible. The time spent in water or under water together with them has been probably the best time of our life!
And it is much easier to have your son following strictly your instructions when he is 5, than when it is 11 or 12...
Furthermore, below 3 years, they have no fear of anything! So better starting early, in my opinion, than at 10-12 years, which is a very troublesome age for technical and behavioural training.

 

[Biotech Diver]

Not necessarily. If he bolted for the surface, there are all kind of troubles he could have gotten in including AGE. I really hope he is doing well. My son is a diver of similar age...

We are talking about the cause of convulsions here. I still think it’s a high probability you can rule those things out.

 

[doctormike]

We are talking about the cause of convulsions here. I still think it’s a high probability you can rule those things out.

I'm not sure why we are "ruling anything out" with minimal information about this particular tragedy.

But for the purposes of general education, people should know what AGE is, how it can result in neurological injury and how it can be caused by shallow water ascent barotrauma. Also, "convulsions" is not a diagnosis, but a symptom that absolutely could be a sign of a neurological injury.

 

[Biotech Diver]

I'm not sure why we are "ruling anything out" with minimal information about this particular tragedy.

But for the purposes of general education, people should know what AGE is, how it can result in neurological injury and how it can be caused by shallow water ascent barotrauma. Also, "convulsions" is not a diagnosis, but a symptom that absolutely could be a sign of a neurological injury.[/

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