Question How Screwed Would I Have Been?

[SubNeo]

Was doing a casual dive off Ocean Reef park on Saturday (parking at Blue Heron was a joke) and almost bumped into a stonefish. I understand they are quite poisonous, and my buddy helped notify me that I was getting a bit too close to outright pushing off the little prickly fellow (we were close to shore so the back and forth was quite tricky, and in 10ft of water).

If I'd been pricked by the thing, would my Rescue diver buddy have to kick into overdrive and drag me up the shoreline? Same deal for lionfish or other dangerous animals?

Mostly asking this question out of curiosity. I'm not quite to qualifying for Rescue diver yet (need 40 dives under 15 ft according to SDI), but I feel like I'd be completely useless if the tables were flipped. What if my buddy had gotten stung and was half unconscious and unable to "hold my hand" as I try to help him?

 

[RIHappyDiver]

Was doing a casual dive off Ocean Reef park on Saturday (parking at Blue Heron was a joke) and almost bumped into a stonefish. I understand they are quite poisonous, and my buddy helped notify me that I was getting a bit too close to outright pushing off the little prickly fellow (we were close to shore so the back and forth was quite tricky, and in 10ft of water).

If I'd been pricked by the thing, would my Rescue diver buddy have to kick into overdrive and drag me up the shoreline? Same deal for lionfish or other dangerous animals?

Mostly asking this question out of curiosity. I'm not quite to qualifying for Rescue diver yet (need 40 dives under 15 ft according to SDI), but I feel like I'd be completely useless if the tables were flipped. What if my buddy had gotten stung and was half unconscious and unable to "hold my hand" as I try to help him?

You're thinking ahead, which is good. My understanding is that while the sting can, in rare cases, be fatal, generally they are tremendiously painful and can lead to rather severe complications if not treated in a timely manner. However, unless you or your buddy have a low pain tolerance, it would be something that should cause kicking into overdrive, or dragging anyone to shoreline.
There is a class available through DAN called First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries that is worth looking into. If you can't find anyone local to you to take it from you can take it virtually through Dive Right In Scuba. Their listing shows it as PADI, but all the material was provided by DAN.
Hope that helps. Enjoy your diving, but keep up the "What If" attitude. It will serve you well.

Erik

 

[SubNeo]

You're thinking ahead, which is good. My understanding is that while the sting can, in rare cases, be fatal, generally they are tremendiously painful and can lead to rather severe complications if not treated in a timely manner. However, unless you or your buddy have a low pain tolerance, it would be something that should cause kicking into overdrive, or dragging anyone to shoreline.
There is a class available through DAN called First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries that is worth looking into. If you can't find anyone local to you to take it from you can take it virtually through Dive Right In Scuba. Their listing shows it as PADI, but all the material was provided by DAN.
Hope that helps. Enjoy your diving, but keep up the "What If" attitude. It will serve you well.

Erik

I'm a super type-a person, I've already got my own "arrangement system" for my equipment. I just never want to wind up unprepared for something I could have been prepared for. Ignorance ain't bliss.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Stonefish are only in the Indo-Pacific. I assume it was a Scorpionfish.

Scorpionfish envenomation is intensely painful, rarely fatal. Per DAN, "First aid for scorpionfish envenomations follows the same protocol as that for stingrays: Irrigate and immerse the affected area in hot water; remove foreign material and scrub the wound. Leave the wound open, and if the wound appears to become infected, administer antibiotics with activity against marine organisms."

 

[100days-a-year]

Roughly lionfish pain. But it can also get infected easier being a bigger hole and a bottom dweller. Dive ender and a couple of hours of nauseating pain.

 

[ATJ]

Note that stonefishes (at least 2 species) and lionfishes (various species) are ALL scorpionfishes. They all have venomous dorsal spines and the degree of pain various between the species.

 

[SubNeo]

Note that stonefishes (at least 2 species) and lionfishes (various species) are ALL scorpionfishes. They all have venomous dorsal spines and the degree of pain various between the species.

Ah, ok yea it was a scorpionfish. Dive ender seems like a light outcome compared to an ambulance ride.

 

[TMHeimer]

The PADI Rescue manuel does (did? I took it in '06) have some info. on how to treat stings, but nothing that I recall specific on how to deal with these occurrences while diving. But, I applaud you diving with a Rescue diver buddy and advise that for all new divers if possible.
We generally don't have those sort of nasties in N.S., just other things to deal with.
That DAN course RIHappyDiver mentions sounds like a good idea. If it were me, I guess I would do what my rescue training advises-- tow ASAP to shore and deal with the injury there. If far from shore, decide if rescue
breaths and/or removing the scuba unit while towing are things to consider. Can't do CPR in the water if it comes to that.

 

[Still Kicking]

Dive First Aid has a new clinically tested ointment that blocks the pain receptors and greatly reduces the discomfort from lionfish and scorpionfish stings.

I picked some up at DEMA. Shortly after i got back my wife got stung by a bee and she said it was way beyond a normal sting (hit a nerve, rare species of bee?) but the pain subsided rapidly after she used the cream.

Link won't paste for some reason but google Stingmaster.

 

[Couv]

StingMaster

StingMaster is an OTC topical ointment that blocks the pain caused by marine life stings.

www.divegearexpress.com