Edmonds Diver in Distress

[danclem]

I was away from the news this past weekend. Does anyone have any information about this incident in Edmonds this past Friday? There does not appear to be much media coverage.

Thanks,

Dan

Diver In Distress Rescued In Edmonds

Posted: 6:31 pm PDT April 17, 2009

SEATTLE -- A diver in distress was pulled to shore by another diver at a dive park in Edmonds dock, said Washington State Ferries spokeswoman Susan Harris.


Two people were diving at the Brackett's Landing dive park in Edmonds when one diver pulled the other out and called for help.

The Edmonds Fire Department arrived and provided CPR to the diver, Harris said. He was transported to Stevens Hospital and his current condition has not been released.


Harris said he was alive when he was transported.

Copyright 2009 by KIROTV.com​

 

[Peter Guy]

The last report I read on a local board was that the diver was resuscitated and is still in the hospital. There has been very little other news about the diver's condition other than the diver was still alive.

 

[Peter Guy]

Thank you for the information.

This is just so sad.

 

[kdupreez]

my heart truly goes out to the victim, his family and friends of the victim, i wish you all the greatest of courage in this dire time you are going through. Our thoughts are with you guys.

Details on the actual dive:

The diver age 44, was found un-responsive on the surface with air in his BC. (This was the second dive of the day at Edmonds for both the divers with visibility at an average of about 10-15 feet ) They were at a depth of about 15 feet whilst returning towards shore at the end of the second dive when after less than a minute of the previous "You OK" check, his dive buddy realized he was missing. He searched for about a minute and surfaced, he then located his buddy adrift on the surface and when he failed to respond, swam towards him. he was found face out of the water but not breathing, a call for help was issued, and rescue breaths was administered while his gear was being removed and he was being brought to shore. once on shore, he was still not breathing and had no pulse. CPR was administered by the rescuer. A female Police Officer arrived within in less than a minute and she took over chest compressions while the rescuer continued rescue breaths. The paramedics arrived and the victim was resuscitated and stabilized. He is alive and in the hospital, but as of Tuesday was still not responsive and in a coma. there are some "positive" signs in the form of brain activity and we are all hopeful. The diver's buddy was the one who performed the rescue, it is purely because of his rescue diver training, skill and immense experience, that this diver is still alive.

although almost 100% certain the incident was because of "natural causes", as of now the cause is still unknown. The doctors ruled out a heart attack after some initial test results.

sorry, i will refrain from answering questions or posting any personal information about the victim, the family or rescuer and their current state of mind. I can only share the facts and information about the incident and current medical state of the victim to the diving community.

I can say that the family and rescuer will in due time and when they are ready, identify themselves and publish information to the general public. I firmly believe it is not for us to do so in their stead.

 

[danclem]

Thank's for everyone who shared information about this event. Best wishes for the diver, his family, friends, and colleagues.

Dan

 

[danclem]

Below is an up-date that appeared in the Everett Herald on Saturday April 25. We all wish Brian, Marlaine, family members, and friends the best.

Dan

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Everett, Wash.

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Published: Saturday, April 25, 2009
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Edmonds man still unconscious after diving accident
[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]By Jackson Holtz
Herald Writer

EDMONDS -- Every few minutes during their underwater dive, Fritz Rivera and Brian Berentson would look each other in the eyes and bring thumb to index finger to make the "OK" sign.

Late afternoon on April 17, Rivera glanced back through the murky waters in Edmonds Underwater Park for his friend. Berentson wasn't there.

"The protocol and the agreement, if we become separated, return to last spot, search for a minute, and then surface," Rivera said.

Rivera, an experienced scuba diver, turned around and looked for Berentson, 44.

The Snohomish man found his friend unconscious and not breathing floating at the surface in about 15 feet of water.

"It's definitely terrifying," Rivera said.

Rivera gave Berentson rescue breaths, blowing into his mouth as he quickly swam to shore. When Rivera reached the jetty, he and a bystander started CPR.

Edmonds police and rescue crews arrived shortly after that and joined the effort to save Berentson, a father of four and grandfather of two, with a third on the way.

It's unclear what happened. The Microsoft project manager may have suffered a heart attack or some other kind of health problem, but that's just speculation, Rivera said.

Now, the fight to keep Berentson alive continues in a special intensive care unit for people with brain injuries at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle.

In the week since being rescued, Berentson has remained in a coma, Rivera said.

Starved of oxygen, his body is struggling to recover. Doctors hope that with time, Berentson will show signs of improvement.

Berentson and his wife, Marlaine, are active in the Edmonds community. She's a familiar face while serving tables at Chanterelle Restaurant.

"She would like to be sure folks in the Edmonds area are aware of the incident and current condition of Brian," Rivera said.

Each year, about 20,000 divers wade into the protected waters just north of the ferry landing, Edmonds Fire Department Assistant Chief Mark Correira said.

Rescue crews are called about twice a year, he said. In 2008, paramedics and firefighters performed two rescues at the dive park.

Still, having an underwater buddy trained in CPR helps.

"That really increases the chance of survival," Correira said.

Since the accident, Rivera said he's replayed the dive over and over, searching for clues or answers to what happened.

"In my mind, I'm looking for what I could have done to prevent this," he said.

Many people including the police who responded, Berentson's doctors and scuba diving professionals have told Rivera there's another way to think of what he did for his friend.

"They all say the same thing," Rivera said. "He wouldn't be alive if I wasn't there."

Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com.

Help the family

Donations to a benevolent account can be made at any Washington Mutual/Chase bank branch under the name Brian Berentson. Updates on Berentson's condition and other information is available at the Web site: CaringBridge / brianberentson / Welcome.[/FONT]
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA [/FONT]

 

[Bobby Berenson]

Even though this was or is considered a diving accident,it shows that being trained in CPR is helpful whether or not you are called upon in an emergency. I recommend that people should contact any Red Cross, fire department, or hospital and take a class. Just doing compressions is helpful. In fact rescue breathing is sort of being phased out in CPR.

 

[cahaya]

Even though this was or is considered a diving accident,it shows that being trained in CPR is helpful whether or not you are called upon in an emergency. I recommend that people should contact any Red Cross, fire department, or hospital and take a class. Just doing compressions is helpful. In fact rescue breathing is sort of being phased out in CPR.

Its (rescue breathing) definitely being reduced. I just took a refresher course and its 30:2 and taking pulse has been phased out entirely.

 

[ElliottM]

I didn't see any updates to this, so I thought I should let anyone interested know that Brian passed away from complications related to his diving accident. I did not know Brian but am saddened by the loss of a member of our community.

Elliott