nolatom
Contributor
Since taking Rescue? Not really. Had a shared-air ascent when a buddy in a threesome ran low, but it went smoothly so not really a "rescue".
But before taking Rescue, I found myself offshore on a rough-seas night dive at Stetson Bank, at the end of which while approaching the ladder tag line from the side I saw the end of the line jerk out of the hands of Diver A and recoil back to the boat. But she had her fins off and it looked as though she was buoyant and had air. So not an emergency, right? Not exactly. She started doing that vertical bicycle kick faster and faster, no thought of just putting her fins back on, drifting away from the boat. The boat crew already had their hands full with divers struggling to reboard at the stern, so it was just me and her, it seemed (her buddy had climbed the other ladder and was unaware). I swam fast to get between her and the line, hoping to be the "bridge" if I could grab both. No dice, too far. As I looked at her I could see that "dinner plate eyes" thing, she had panicked. So I circled around, grabbed her from the side, and began kicking towards the line. It wasn't all that far, but it took forever with me finning for two against the seas and wind. I have never breathed that hard through a regulator, before or since. I prayed I wouldn't tap out because I'd probably have to let her go, and it was too rough for breathing without the reg.
But I didn't run out , and finally managed to get her hand onto the end of the line, it took three crew to get her up the ladder. I was exhausted, finally got on the ladder and the deck, sat down, and noticed my gauge was zeroed and the reg was breathing real hard, I was "out".
To her credit, she didn't attack me, and let me tow her. But she, ahem, wasn't tiny and wasn't able to help. She was in tears on the dive deck with the DMs gathered around, but was physically okay. Later she came over and said, "you saved my life". I sort of doubt that, and even doubt if it was a true "rescue" since she had air and was buoyant, but it was nice to hear. It cost both of us our weight belts (must have tangled buckles or something, nothing I could do, couldn't let go of her), and on next morning's dive I found hers, but not mine. The irony...
Being "pre-Rescue", I probably did many things wrong, but God watches over drunks and semi-newbies? I got away with it. A few months late I did take Rescue.
But before taking Rescue, I found myself offshore on a rough-seas night dive at Stetson Bank, at the end of which while approaching the ladder tag line from the side I saw the end of the line jerk out of the hands of Diver A and recoil back to the boat. But she had her fins off and it looked as though she was buoyant and had air. So not an emergency, right? Not exactly. She started doing that vertical bicycle kick faster and faster, no thought of just putting her fins back on, drifting away from the boat. The boat crew already had their hands full with divers struggling to reboard at the stern, so it was just me and her, it seemed (her buddy had climbed the other ladder and was unaware). I swam fast to get between her and the line, hoping to be the "bridge" if I could grab both. No dice, too far. As I looked at her I could see that "dinner plate eyes" thing, she had panicked. So I circled around, grabbed her from the side, and began kicking towards the line. It wasn't all that far, but it took forever with me finning for two against the seas and wind. I have never breathed that hard through a regulator, before or since. I prayed I wouldn't tap out because I'd probably have to let her go, and it was too rough for breathing without the reg.
But I didn't run out , and finally managed to get her hand onto the end of the line, it took three crew to get her up the ladder. I was exhausted, finally got on the ladder and the deck, sat down, and noticed my gauge was zeroed and the reg was breathing real hard, I was "out".
To her credit, she didn't attack me, and let me tow her. But she, ahem, wasn't tiny and wasn't able to help. She was in tears on the dive deck with the DMs gathered around, but was physically okay. Later she came over and said, "you saved my life". I sort of doubt that, and even doubt if it was a true "rescue" since she had air and was buoyant, but it was nice to hear. It cost both of us our weight belts (must have tangled buckles or something, nothing I could do, couldn't let go of her), and on next morning's dive I found hers, but not mine. The irony...
Being "pre-Rescue", I probably did many things wrong, but God watches over drunks and semi-newbies? I got away with it. A few months late I did take Rescue.