Children die playing with scuba gear left in pool - Jensen Beach, Florida

[KevinNM]

Trust me breathing 100% He on the surface will pass you out within 1 min, even 30 seconds. But this is getting totally off topic on such a tragic post.

Akimbo has a story about getting a line full of deep mix on the dock due to some sort of major f/u, took one breath and collapsed. Once breathing air was fine. So my suspicion is that revival wouldn’t have been a major issue if done in time. Horrible.

 

[tridacna]

One reason we don't use Balloon Grade helium in diving (well, responsible gas blenders don't) is that some gas manufacturers add a percentage of Oxygen to the Balloon Grade because they KNOW that kids are going to breath it.

I yield to Wookie. Just found this:

https://exitinternational.net/docs/Heliumdilution.pdf

 

[OTF]

Anecdote - When I was a kid I watched my friend pass out for a few seconds from huffing too much balloon helium to make his voice funny. Didn't take much to do it. He was totally fine and got right back up to keep joking around. Easily deadly underwater though.

 

[rjack321]

Excerpting from one site: Grades of helium: the differences and uses

This is accurate for my region/suppliers. Everything is grade 5. The lowest grade (industrial) has less documentation and are only vacuumed once at the plant before refilling. The UHP and above grades have two vacuums pulled at the plant before refilling and come with paperwork. You cannot find any helium intentionally spiked with O2 as a "balloon safe" grade or anything like that.

 

[shoredivr]

The kids, Zale Dudas, 9, and her brother Saxon Nairne, 7, were with their father Rodney Nairne. Rodney Nairne and Suzie Dudas own Submerge Scooters
Two young siblings die after possible drowning incident in Jensen Beach
and https://weartv.com/news/local/2-young-siblings-die-after-using-scuba-equipment-in-florida-pool

That’s painful to hear.

 

[beester]

Akimbo has a story about getting a line full of deep mix on the dock due to some sort of major f/u, took one breath and collapsed. Once breathing air was fine. So my suspicion is that revival wouldn’t have been a major issue if done in time. Horrible.

A bit after i did full trimix (T2) a couple of guys and me experimented breathing hypoxic mixes in a friendly filling station... while breathing 15/55 i could do push ups, jog in place for a couple of minutes before feeling anything, even with real hypoxic mixes, without exercise it takes a bit... bit the kicker was pure He. Everyone of us would pass out after 2,3,4 breaths.. you dont feel anything and blackout comes up so fast you dont have time even to take the reg out of your mouth. As if flipping a switch. Gaining consciousness once you breath air again is almost as fast.

Since then I am much more aware and afraid of hypoxia.. both in oc hypoxic context, as in rebreather diving.

 

[Julius SCHMIDT]

Terrible I can't get over it, I feel it in my chest

 

[nadwidny]

A bit after i did full trimix (T2) a couple of guys and me experimented breathing hypoxic mixes in a friendly filling station... while breathing 15/55 i could do push ups, jog in place for a couple of minutes before feeling anything, even with real hypoxic mixes, without exercise it takes a bit... bit the kicker was pure He. Everyone of us would pass out after 2,3,4 breaths.. you dont feel anything and blackout comes up so fast you dont have time even to take the reg out of your mouth. As if flipping a switch. Gaining consciousness once you breath air again is almost as fast.

My experience was quite different. The onset was as quick as you describe but it was apparently 5-ish minutes before I turned from blue to pink, another 15 or so minutes before I became aware of my surroundings and about 4 or 5 hours before my head cleared. Didn't have the strength to walk until the next morning.

 

[mderrick]

I would like to point out that the previously described anecdotes of deliberately inducing hypoxia as ad hoc experiments or "party tricks" using helium or hypoxic trimix blends are very ill considered and reckless behaviors. While a brief exposure might be perceived as having no risk of brain death due to prolonged oxygen deprivation, that is not the only concern. Deliberately inducing hypoxia, even very briefly, carries a well documented and significant risk of triggering a heart attack and/or stroke in predisposed individuals or those with undiagnosed pre-existing conditions.

 

[johndiver999]

Thanks for the warnings and info. At least it sounds like the young children drifted off in the most painless manner; in contrast to the family, which will suffer forever.