Police save diver at sea - Mandurah, Western Australia

[DandyDon]

Diver lucky to be alive after suffering from decompression sickness

Mitchell Goodwin, 36, was diving when disaster struck 15 nautical miles off the coast of Mandurah, Western Australia, on November 15.

www.dailymail.co.uk

(The timing in this article does not make sense as I doubt that he started his second dive immediately after his first dive, which another site reports was to 47 meters.)

A diver who suffered from decompression sickness is lucky to be alive after quick-thinking police resuscitated him.

Mitchell Goodwin, 36, was diving with mates when disaster struck 15 nautical miles off the coast of Mandurah, Western Australia, on November 15.

Goodwin began to suffer from decompression sickness, which is caused when a diver ascends to the surface of the water too quickly.

Goodwin revealed that he felt perfectly fine after resurfacing from his first dive and only began to feel unwell ten minutes later during his second dive.

'I started to head back in for my second dive,' he said. 'Ten minutes of driving my own vessel, I felt nauseas, felt something coming on.

'I couldn't stand up myself. I lost my hearing, I lost my sight. Then blanked out.'

Mr Goodwin was onboard with a couple of other divers who tried to phone authorities for help.

The boat was so far offshore that there was poor mobile reception and the divers only managed to contact authorities for a brief few seconds.

Senior constable Ian Pembridge was on duty at the time saying that authorities only knew the boat was 15 nautical miles off the coast.

'We didn't know what we were going into. We realised Mitchell was already unconscious and appeared to be deteriorating rapidly.'

Authorities released footage of the dramatic moment the boat was located and when the medical team swooped in to save Mr Goodwin.

He is seen in the video lying flat on his back with an oxygen mask wrapped around his face.

'I was concerned that he was going critical,' senior constable Ian Pembridge said. 'He appeared to stop breathing a couple of times.'

The rescuers managed to get Mr Goodwin back to shore before he was rushed to Fiona Stanley Hospital.

It was the closest hospital that had a hyperbaric chamber which is used to pump oxygen back into patients who are suffering from conditions such as decompression syndrome.

Mr Goodwin revealed the long road to recovery with doctors believing that he would be left paralysed for life.

'I was told after the fourth day they didn't think I would walk again,' Mr Goodwin said.

'The hospital said if it wasn't for the officers, I could've been either not here, or not able to walk.'

 

[DandyDon]

This article makes more sense...

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

After diving off the coast of Western Australia last month Mitchell Goodwin started to feel nauseous.

Then he lost his hearing, sight and blacked out on the back of his boat.

The experienced 36-year-diver was hunting for crayfish off the coast of Mandurah and had descended to a depth of 42 metres.

He was suffering from a condition well-known to divers; decompression sickness.

Speaking to 9News, Goodwin said he spent too long underwater and ascended to the surface too fast.

"I spent too long on the bottom. I was supposed to be down there for 18 minutes, instead spent 27," he said."I was meant to take two decompression stops. I only took one so I pushed the limit and got caught for it and paid the price.

"I felt nauseous, felt something coming on couldn't stand up myself so I sat down, lost my hearing.

"I lost my sight and then blacked out."

Decompression sickness – also known as the bends – can occur when divers descend beyond a depth of 10 metres and then rise to the surface too quickly without taking necessary decompression stops; a pause during the diver's ascent.

This can cause nitrogen bubbles to form within the body's tissues and blood stream. Symptoms include pain in the muscles and joints, cramp, numbness, nausea, paralysis – and in extreme cases, can cause death.

Goodwin was spared this fate due to the quick actions of police.

Officers found him unconscious on the back of his boat, after his mother and partner made an emergency call for help.

Senior Constable Ian Bembridge told 9News he didn't know what to expect from the call out.

"The only information we had was there was a diver suffering from the bends," he said.

"We just didn't know what to expect, it was very sketchy.

"We just knew that time was of the essence, it was critical."

Goodwin was stabilised, given oxygen support and taken to hospital after finally arriving on shore.

Goodwin temporarily lost his hearing, sight and was paralysed but has since made a full recovery.

He spent a week at the Fiona Stanley Hospital and a further two weeks in a decompression chamber.

Doctors say if it wasn't for the quick police response he could've died.

"I was told by the hospital that what saved my life was the oxygen and what helped me all the way through," Goodwin said."So I take my hat off to them."

 

[OTF]

"It was the closest hospital that had a hyperbaric chamber which is used to pump oxygen back into patients who are suffering from conditions such as decompression syndrome."