Diver accident in Michigan

[GrierHPharmD]

Bob, what can I say that hasn't been said over and over already. I commend your coolheadedness in what must one of the worst possible situations in which you could find yourself. Sure, there were some minor deviations from the textbook scenario, but your account gave me goosebumps. I can only hope that I would behave in that manner if I was confronted by such a nightmare scenario. I'm not sure that many of us would have what it takes.

My family offers thoughts, prayers and wishes for a speedy, complete recovery.

All the best to you and yours,
-Grier

 

[dab]

What boat were you on? Great Job.

 

[Land Locked]

Thanks for sharing Bob.
You did a great job! You took a very serious situation and pulled both
of you out alive. I was cpr certified many, many years ago when I trained
to be a life gaurd. I decided it has been too long and took the Dan DEMP
course. I'm glad I did, I did not realize how out of date my skills were.
Word of advice to all, practice your skills, and consider keeping your cpr
skills up-to-date also. I recommend keeping current on your Dan membership
and consider taking the Dan DEMP course. I now carry an O2 kit no matter
what kind of diving I'm doing.
Best wishes, sounds like she is going to recover fully thanks to your quick thinking!

 

[bobmaggi]

I don't know for sure that the boat didn't have O2, just that no one could find it when it was needed.
Also, both my wife and I carry DAN insurance, I don't know exactly how this is going to play out but I'm sure that having it will be very helpful. I gave my card to the emergency room doctor but I haven't contacted DAN myself - does anyone know the procedure on this?
Thanks to everyone for their encouragement. She is getting stronger, they removed O2 from the ventilator for 1/2 hour today to see how well she keep her blood oxygenated and she did very good. Tommorrow they are going to keep it off for a longer time to see how she reacts. Right now we are getting positive signs but the big one for me will be when she wakes up for the first time!
Time to get back up the room again,

Bob

 

[PRL]

1-919-684-4326 is the emergency # for DAN they will accept collect calls. Give them a call, they should be in contact with the doctors.

Non-emergency # is 1-919-684-2948

www.diversalertnetwork.org

 

[DandyDon]

1-919-684-4326 is the emergency # for DAN they will accept collect calls. Give them a call, they should be in contact with the doctors.

Non-emergency # is 1-919-684-2948

www.diversalertnetwork.org

This is something you do when you need immediate medical advise, I think.

DAN insurance will pay what your other coverage does not. The hospital will handle the billing for you I believe. You may want to call their business office on Monday.

 

[jonnythan]

Wouldn't not having O2 onboard be a violation and a cause for them to lose PADI cert, or something? I guess this adds to the recommendation that we should ask, before we leave the dock, if they have O2 onboard and where it is?

I don't believe PADI certifies dive boats.

It's always a good idea to make sure the boat you're diving from has O2 on board, because not all do. AFAIK there's no law or regulation governing this but I could be very wrong.

 

[DandyDon]

I don't know either. I thought it was required by US Coast Guard regs for a commercial dive boat, but I don't know. Padi wouldn't be involved.

The one time I needed to request O2 for a diver in my group, the Cozumel operator had a kit, but it didn't work.

 

[Cacia]

I don't know either. I thought it was required by US Coast Guard regs for a commercial.....

I wish you and your wife the best. I had to resucitate my infant son and even though I was a medi-vac critical care nurse and had performed CPR on a few hundred people it was so different. The dread and horror of it shoots through your spine in a way I can still feel when I think about it.

You did really great, trust me. Looking back and "questioning everything" is part of a normal healthy reaction I believe. About the rescue breathing on the swim at the surface: Yes that is the protocol but everytime I have practiced that I am thinking how unlikely it would be to perform effectively especially if there are any surface conditions to speak of. Getting the chin in the correct postion with the tongue out of the back of the throat is the tricky part even for professionals when administering rescue breathing even with another person ,an ambu bag, and a backboard.

I have two other thoughts:

1) The guys idea about "gag/choke/vomit 101" is actually a useful concept. I think Instructors should discuss this when they do the free flow regulator exercise. If students spend time on this one, they will invariably sputter a little and probably fine-tune their airway control, when trying to breathe in the presence of water. Passing a reg back and forth, though not taught for PADI OW, is a very useful skill to master optimal airway control.

2) I believe that, at least here in Haiwaii, a boat's "COI" from the Coast Guard does NOT require O2 as strange as that seems. They do require aspirin in the first aid kit! O2 on boats I think is "litigation driven" but not required. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.
I think location of the O2 on a dive charter is an integral part of the dive briefing.
More important than a lot of other things we cover. Ideally, it should be visible.

Heartfelt Best Wishes,

 

[Vtdiver2]

While no one ever wants to be put in the situation you were put into, you can be proud that you remained clear headed, remembered your training and in using it saved a loved one's life. You can be my dive buddy anytime. You and your wife are in my prayers.
Chris