Thank you!
.. a very good job done and by you and a very good post about it
.. a very good job done and by you and a very good post about it
Rescue diver, theory vs practice
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instant_lunatic
Guest
I am new to diving, but have been a volunteer firefighter for 27 years, currently holding the rank of Captain. I will say this in one sentence: this is why you train, train, train - and then train some more. When a call comes in to 911, they dispatch enough equipment to handle the worst case scenario of what has been called in. Then, when the first unit gets on scene, they can make the call to cancel unneeded resources. It's better to have and not need - than to need and not have. You should ALWAYS treat a situation as the real deal, worst case - you can always back off if needed - it never seems real, trust me. And one other thing - DO NOT PANIC. Worst thing you can do in an emergency situation - you MUST keep a clear head to make life or death decisions correctly - in spite of the fact you want to scream and run the other way. Those first few seconds/minutes can make the difference in a successful ending and a disaster. My prayers are with this person.
Coldwater_Canuck
Contributor
Very good post, I think posting actual accounts like this in the Rescue course would probably be very helpful (I haven't taken it yet). The problem with this type of theory is it's taking one bluemap and applying it to all situations, it seems like everyone there did a good job of using common sense for the most part, and you noticed the two big mistakes you did make (the snorkeler leaving, and not noticing the DiveMaster in shock). I've also go tot say that given you're a Divemaster and I assume have a pony bottle, the choice to temporarily go solo in relatively shallow and safe area (I assume since you had a OW class) seems like pretty low risk given the situation. I wouldn't have done that myself due to my inexperience, but if I had more dives and training under my belt, I probably would have made the same decision.
The three things that did stand out to me, however were:
1.) Someone telling your OW class to join the search is obviously an extreme example of what you were saying, but it made me think of a more general question. Were there only two dive teams because those were the only people there ready to go and qualified, or did you purposely want to limit the number of people to avoid confusion?
2.) When you talk about the diver foaming blood, you mentioned the mental aspect. But is there any danger to the rescuers here, especially if they were not in a drysuit? I know there are certain diseases which can be transmitted through blood and if there were any open wounds (even if not known about) is it possible for infection? Or is the blood too diluted from the water for this to be a concern?
3. The divemaster going into shock was truly eye opening, I guess being a newbie diver, you kind of see the veteran divemaster as being invincible and able to save you if something goes wrong, the fact that he became not just useless, but a liability, is a little bit scary.
But hearing this definately makes me realize I need to take the Rescue Course sooner rather than later.
The three things that did stand out to me, however were:
1.) Someone telling your OW class to join the search is obviously an extreme example of what you were saying, but it made me think of a more general question. Were there only two dive teams because those were the only people there ready to go and qualified, or did you purposely want to limit the number of people to avoid confusion?
2.) When you talk about the diver foaming blood, you mentioned the mental aspect. But is there any danger to the rescuers here, especially if they were not in a drysuit? I know there are certain diseases which can be transmitted through blood and if there were any open wounds (even if not known about) is it possible for infection? Or is the blood too diluted from the water for this to be a concern?
3. The divemaster going into shock was truly eye opening, I guess being a newbie diver, you kind of see the veteran divemaster as being invincible and able to save you if something goes wrong, the fact that he became not just useless, but a liability, is a little bit scary.
But hearing this definately makes me realize I need to take the Rescue Course sooner rather than later.
Water Bug
Registered
Great post thanks. I had intention of taking the rescue course as well and this just solidifies it for me.
I agree with Coldwater_Canuk the fact that the DM became useless concerns me as I usually dive with Instabuddies and various DMs I am continually learning from my experience and what I read on this board that I have been putting too much trust in the DMs. Concerns about CPR on a individual who is bleeding from the mouth I expect would inhibit proper treatment if the appropriate equipment for protection is not available. And I can't imagine the
risk if the students in the class had joined in the search as prodded by the bystander.
You post is extremely well written and I have learned from it. I look forward to reading more of your posts to find the pearls of wisdom within them that was previously suggested in this thread.
Thoughts and prayers are with the victim and all involved.
I agree with Coldwater_Canuk the fact that the DM became useless concerns me as I usually dive with Instabuddies and various DMs I am continually learning from my experience and what I read on this board that I have been putting too much trust in the DMs. Concerns about CPR on a individual who is bleeding from the mouth I expect would inhibit proper treatment if the appropriate equipment for protection is not available. And I can't imagine the
risk if the students in the class had joined in the search as prodded by the bystander.
You post is extremely well written and I have learned from it. I look forward to reading more of your posts to find the pearls of wisdom within them that was previously suggested in this thread.
Thoughts and prayers are with the victim and all involved.
Thank you for helping your fellow diver and thanks to all who helped in the rescue.
In real life situations, emergencies never go perfect. You did a great Job!
Thanks for a great post
Prayers for the Victim and all the people involved with this situation.
In real life situations, emergencies never go perfect. You did a great Job!
Thanks for a great post
Prayers for the Victim and all the people involved with this situation.
DiverDurf
Contributor
To the OP: what an absolutely outstanding analysis of the chain of events, and I sincerely "thank you" for giving this newbie an insight into a rescue event. I'm sure someone else has already said it, but I think you also deserve a ton of gratitude for being willing to act in an emergency. I've been in many emergency situations in combat and in my current job, and you'd be surprised to see how many people with excellent training still do not act in the face of fear/danger.
Personally I don't think there's a high risk, unless you have cuts in your mouth and maybe not even then, and I would do CPR in the situation described by the OP - but that's just me, I don't have any real scientific support for my viewpoint, only morals
A not very good pic, sorry: http://www.cprclass.com/images/product_images/cpr_quickpack_detail.jpg
EMTs that I know carry these kits - you can get the mouth cover in a small keyring tag, they're small & easy to carry. I was given one as part of my last CPR course
DAN carries that mouth cover in a keyring
... https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/catalog/products/631-2500.html
... https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/catalog/products/631-2500.html
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seaducer
Contributor
Thanks for sharing. I know how confusing it can be, my one and only real world rescue (it wasn't diving related) was nothing like the training scenarios.
Life imitates art. The book is always better than the movie.
Rescue drills and manuals are more cut and dried than actual incidents.
What they do well is give you a perspective, a point at which you can operate with what you have and what is needed, as opposed to being a play by play script to handle the situation. And they allow you to learn and practice skills that are needed.
Life imitates art. The book is always better than the movie.
Rescue drills and manuals are more cut and dried than actual incidents.
What they do well is give you a perspective, a point at which you can operate with what you have and what is needed, as opposed to being a play by play script to handle the situation. And they allow you to learn and practice skills that are needed.
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