Freediver accident - Blue Springs, FL

[Johnoly]

Not many details yet, but a 17 yr old free diver was diving the boil in Blue Springs. Was reported that he saw an airbubble at depth and tried to get a breath off of it. It turned out to be a high concentration of CO2. The freediver surfaced and passed out. He was dragged to the side by his brother and friends with CPR, then airlifted by helicopter to Halifax hospital. He was conscious when loaded.

Lucky kid! Links as they are posted.

 

[mike_s]

uhmmmmm..

I've never heard of anyone trying to breath successfully from air bubbles at depth. Please tell me that this was just some crazy stunt thing... or do free divers really try this stuff? I mean besides C02, there are so many other problems that could go wrong with this idea.

 

[LiteHedded]

there's a dome at about 15 feet you can fill up with air from an octo and spend some of your safety stop in.
he probably saw someone there and didn't realize they sucked up all the o2

question: if a freediver took a breath from that dome wouldn't that air expand as he swam up? odds are this freediver was olding his breath right?

 

[mike_s]

that was another thing I was worried about what the depth he "took" the breath at. If a free diver breaths off your octo at lets say 35 feet and does a rapid ascent (like most free divers do), then it could cause lung damage if they don't exhale properly.

 

[El Orans]

It's definitely not standard procedure.

 

[LiteHedded]

that was another thing I was worried about what the depth he "took" the breath at. If a free diver breaths off your octo at lets say 35 feet and does a rapid ascent (like most free divers do), then it could cause lung damage if they don't exhale properly.

this dome is right at 15 feet. it's just big enough to stick your head up into
there's actually another smaller one but they're both at the same depth.

 

[mikerault]

In the Turks and Caicos they had a French Game show where the contestants had to free dive down to an iron cage where there were "mermaids" if you choose the right one they would give you a hit off an air regulator, if not you had to shoot back up to the surface. Same thing I guess. They discontinued the show after several incidents involving lung embolisms...the cage is there still (I think they call the dive site "Thunderdome" )

Mike

 

[freediver]

uhmmmmm..

I've never heard of anyone trying to breath successfully from air bubbles at depth. Please tell me that this was just some crazy stunt thing... He made an unfortunate decision and likely thought it would have a more favorable outcome. or do free divers really try this stuff? Most certainly not. Just so everyone will know, this is NOT an established practice in freediving. I mean besides C02, there are so many other problems that could go wrong with this idea. Yes, once he takes that breath he is essentially under the same overexpansion rules that would apply to a scuba diver.

.

 

[Johnoly]

One local news station picked it up, but the story is incorrect/misleading in that they make it seem he took a breath on a reg. On the live shot interview with the diver's brother, he clearly said " Air bubble" on TV. Typical sloppy reporting like so many other dive accidents. Looks like the diver went for a chamber ride.

http://www.local6.com/news/9370945/detail.html

Teen Injured After Sucking In Diver's Carbon Dioxide

POSTED: 4:24 pm EDT June 14, 2006
UPDATED: 4:59 pm EDT June 14, 2006

A 17-year-old swimmer was transported to a hospital Wednesday after he accidentally sucked in carbon dioxide from a scuba diver, according to a Local 6 News report.

Authorities said when the teen swimmer surfaced at Blue Springs Park in Volusia he began coughing up blood.

The victim apparently sucked in carbon dioxide from a nearby diver but how it happened is still being investigated, the report said. The teen was not scuba diving, witnesses said.

The victim was transported to Florida Hospital South in Orlando for treatment.

Local 6 News reported that he was fighting for his life and was being treated in a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

 

[sasscuba]

wow