Question How to communicate with a panicked diver?

[SubNeo]

I recently joined a buddy (and his cousin) on a charter out of Jupiter, and on the second dive I noticed a diver following us looking a bit panicked. I hung back from my group and kept an eye on him briefly, until I noticed there were way too many bubbles coming from him (at which point I swam over). When I tried to signal "are you ok?" to them, he gestured behind him at his tank.

He was ok, he told me on the dock afterward that me "stopping by" let him take a deep breath and follow his training. There was a leak in his first stage and he was suddenly at 700 psi after ~15ish mins. But thinking back, if it wasn't as obvious as it was that the issue was a leak, what help could I have been besides offering my octo?

To anyone who has dealt with situations involving a panicked diver, how did you communicate with them (or vice versa, how did you communicate your problem to a buddy)?

 

[Ulfhedinn]

Are you asking what hand signs or ?

 

[Zane]

that me "stopping by" let him take a deep breath and follow his training.

This... I try and communicate to take deep breaths by using both hands in a slow, sweeping up/down motion toward my reg
Hopefully they calm down. Go from there with whatever the issue is, if it's not already apparent I'd give the "problem" signal and try to figure it out...

If they can't calm down or communicate what the issue is, then there's not much to do but ascend normally.

 

[Subcooled]

"How to communicate with a panicked diver?"
OK! What can a man say? From the rear, we suppose?

 

[SubNeo]

Are you asking what hand signs or ?

Anything really, although I'm not 100% sure they had the time to process me signaling "are you ok."

 

[SubNeo]

This... I try and communicate to take deep breaths by using both hands in a slow, sweeping up/down motion toward my reg
Hopefully they calm down. Go from there with whatever the issue is, if it's not already apparent I'd give the "problem" signal and try to figure it out...

If they can't calm down or communicate what the issue is, then there's not much to do but ascend normally.

Guess I really need to go take a Rescue course... I didn't think I'd come across something this quickly 0_0

I'm just thankful everyone made it back to the boat in one piece.

 

[johndiver999]

People will give you ok sign as a reflex, so you can ask and they can reciprocate, but don’t put much weight on it. The breathing rate and look in eyes are better metrics. If their breathing rate is elevated, then physicall proximity is often reassuring and may help. Also you can signal up and they may more readily agree to aborting the dive.

Once they reach a real panic situation, hands on and assistance to the surface are about all you can do

 

[Brett Hatch]

There was a good thread on a related topic a few months back, my thoughts on this are at the bottom of page 2: What do you do when donating to a panicked diver who initiates a buoyant ascent?

The thing to keep in mind is, divers who are panicking underwater are extremely dangerous to be around. If you do take a rescue course, this fact will be repeated over and over, and will likely be demonstrated to you several times. I agree with @Subcooled above, that they should ideally be engaged from behind, if at all. It's a good course, I recommend it.

From the way you tell this story, though, it doesn't sound like the diver was in a panicked state. Maybe more like anxious, nervous, or agitated, something like that. I think the right thing to do would be to approach cautiously, check in on them, and if they have an issue, see if you can help them sort it out. It sounds like that's more or less what you did, so, good job.

Sometimes when people are a little nervous, any human contact at all will do the trick. Just knowing that there's somebody there with them, who can help if needed, will put their mind at ease. Not all the times, but sometimes. You can signal a reminder to breathe slowly, give them a gentle signal to slow down, ask if they are having a problem, or tell them they have a problem if you can see one. Bubbles coming out of the first stage: "bubble" signal (touch the index to the thumb a few times, pointing up), point to their first stage, maybe a "small" signal if it's no big deal, or tell them to abort if it is a big leak.

Cheers.

 

[happy-diver]

So the plan was simple, drop off the shelf into 14m turn right and then swim in through the channel

So Frank turned left, and after much gesticulating for absolutely no response I ripped him by the ear

and don't annoy these guys and twenty of their mates on the left

 

[SubNeo]

From the way you tell this story, though, it doesn't sound like the diver was in a panicked state. Maybe more like anxious, nervous, or agitated, something like that. I think the right thing to do would be to approach cautiously, check in on them, and if they have an issue, see if you can help them sort it out.

This wasn't an outright "panic," it was the onset of panic. He was probably a minute away from becoming fully panicked.

I had a GoPro on my head at the time; watching it back, the entire interaction was ~15 seconds. Curious you mentioned eye contact, I didn't notice how hard he was locked onto my eyes.

I'd intended to do Rescue at some point regardless of the path I take with diving, but I think this cements my decision. I'd rather know than not know.