Article: Rescue Training Revisited

[Jim Lapenta]

The last rescue course I taught had people in jackets, back inflates, BPW's, a guy in full north Atlantic wreck gear (drysuit, doubles,etc) in August, and we covered all of these rigs. Now that I am diving SM, and in fact taught part of wreck course over the weekend in it, it will get added to the curriculum. I have always offered refreshers in rescue and for those who for whatever do not want to do the full course a one day rescue workshop since no diver should have to get in the water without at least the basics that I teach in the OW class.

I have heard of courses where everyone has to be in the same type of gear and other configurations are not discussed. To me that is the pinnacle of stupidity. It's incredibly narrow minded and have to wonder if some of it, given the shops that do it, is not profit driven.

 

[thez_yo]

"Rescue Course that includes a newer diver who immediately adopted recreational side-mount diving after her open-water certification." Inside joke.

Y'alls rang?

 

[Diver_Phil]

Working for a hospital as an administrative specialist, I am required to be BLS (Basic Life Support) certified and complete refresher training semi-annually. It would only make sense the same would apply in diving. Use it, or lose it. Not to mention practices change. BTW, isn't it required to have a valid BLS / CPR card in order to practice your rescue skills?

 

[Cave Diver Harry]

UHMS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR UNCONSCIOUS DIVER RESCUE...
...have changed. A significant point is that you SHOULD NOT automatically start stripping gear from yourself or the victim if just a relatively short swim from the boat or shore, where there are likely many willing hands waiting to speed the process.

Rescue breaths remain important; however, remember that you can only administer CPR on a flat, stable surface. It's foolish for one person to waste time stripping gear if only a short distance from a group of divers who can have the victim stripped of equipment and out of the water in seconds.

 

[DeepSeaDan]

I have a simple answer to dealing with ANY dive gear configuration: if you are managing an unresponsive diver, where the circumstances of the incident & the presentation of the victim indicate they are vital signs absent, and you are a considerable distance from an area where c.p.r. can be administered, then, with due care, CUT the equipment away from the patient by slicing through key webbing points you've identified during your pre-dive safety checks. This will require that you carry the appropriate tool(s) for the task, and a variety of seat-belt style cutters are available on the market.

They key factor here is speed - a v.s.a. patient needs a re-established circulating blood volume a.s.a.p., so don't waste precious time fumbling with the numerous clips, snaps, clasps & other rigging details inherent with complicated gear configurations, simply "cut & run."


Regards,
DSD

 

[Cave Diver Harry]

I have a simple answer to dealing with ANY dive gear configuration: if you are managing an unresponsive diver, where the circumstances of the incident & the presentation of the victim indicate they are vital signs absent, and you are a considerable distance from an area where c.p.r. can be administered, then, with due care, CUT the equipment away from the patient by slicing through key webbing points you've identified during your pre-dive safety checks. This will require that you carry the appropriate tool(s) for the task, and a variety of seat-belt style cutters are available on the market.

They key factor here is speed - a v.s.a. patient needs a re-established circulating blood volume a.s.a.p., so don't waste precious time fumbling with the numerous clips, snaps, clasps & other rigging details inherent with complicated gear configurations, simply "cut & run."


Regards,
DSD

That's excellent advice. I usually carry two Trilobyte line cutters (which will go through anything but steel fishing leader) and, when fishing line is around, I add trauma shears to that. You also bring up another paint, which is, if you and another diver choose to dive from your own boat or from an isolated spot on shore, you significantly increase risk factors by putting distance between yourselves and others who could help. Fortunately, most diving takes place from dive boats and shore sites with several people around.