Darnold9999
Contributor
Lynne you ask Interesting questions. Have been on both ends of a rescue or non rescue as it were. Once got myself into a situation that the DM basicly waved by-by good luck(you idiot:shakehead ). She made the right choice - I got myself out and she would have made that process much much more difficult attempting a rescue.
Have "helped" another diver (not a rescue but was going that way) and remember thinking "we are at 70 feet and going down - at 130 I am letting go". Didn't come to that but the thought process was there. Would I have followed through - probably not - know there is a safety margin so would continue until I was at the edge of the margin roughly 150 or so in that situation. If the problem had not resolved I think I would have waved by-by good luck. At least I like to think so. This was an insta-buddy so no relationship issues to deal with.
The problem I see with the whole rescue issue is that there is no black and white - just degrees of risk. At 70 feet was I at risk trying to stop a runaway sinking panicking diver? Yes, but a minimal risk - at 150 feet with the same diver yes but now the risk is extreme. Where exactly do you draw the line? A situation where a "rescue" is required is not a discrete event, but a whole series of events that lead up to it and then another different series of events that make up the rescue. The initial rescue might be quite benign and then go south rapidly - could you disengage part way through? Harder than not initialting the rescue at all - particularly narked and task focused.
IMHO it would be really really hard to make the decision not to help unless it was absolutly clear that helping would have no chance of success or was obvious that I would be the second fatality. Otherwise you step in and do your best and take your chances.
Have "helped" another diver (not a rescue but was going that way) and remember thinking "we are at 70 feet and going down - at 130 I am letting go". Didn't come to that but the thought process was there. Would I have followed through - probably not - know there is a safety margin so would continue until I was at the edge of the margin roughly 150 or so in that situation. If the problem had not resolved I think I would have waved by-by good luck. At least I like to think so. This was an insta-buddy so no relationship issues to deal with.
The problem I see with the whole rescue issue is that there is no black and white - just degrees of risk. At 70 feet was I at risk trying to stop a runaway sinking panicking diver? Yes, but a minimal risk - at 150 feet with the same diver yes but now the risk is extreme. Where exactly do you draw the line? A situation where a "rescue" is required is not a discrete event, but a whole series of events that lead up to it and then another different series of events that make up the rescue. The initial rescue might be quite benign and then go south rapidly - could you disengage part way through? Harder than not initialting the rescue at all - particularly narked and task focused.
IMHO it would be really really hard to make the decision not to help unless it was absolutly clear that helping would have no chance of success or was obvious that I would be the second fatality. Otherwise you step in and do your best and take your chances.