Rescuing unconscious diver question

[kidspot]

Of course. How else can you teach this material? MB & I will be giving an instructor level Rescue Seminar soon. Keep an eye out for an announcement. Come to Florida for it.

If that was an option ... guess SB will have to sufice for the time being

In my rescue course I only practiced this twice, once was the final "senerio" so I am hoping to sit in on several rescue courses around here and get as many different views as possible, along with lots of practice. Unfortunately rescue skills are probably my least confident area in my current diving education. Something I am attempting to remedy...

Aloha, Tim

 

[victor]

I wonder how long it actually takes from reaching the diver at say 33m (100ft) to reaching the surface.
From all the rescue classes etc has anyone timed it?
To change that into a real world time what time would you have to add, or subtract?
I added subtract as in a real world case I would take much greater risks than I would in a class.
I suspect Walter's 2 minutes is optimistic given the task loading.

I agree with you that I would forget my safety stop and maybe some deco time to get the diver to the surface.

 

[KrisB]

I wonder how long it actually takes from reaching the diver at say 33m (100ft) to reaching the surface.
From all the rescue classes etc has anyone timed it?
To change that into a real world time what time would you have to add, or subtract?
I added subtract as in a real world case I would take much greater risks than I would in a class.
I suspect Walter's 2 minutes is optimistic given the task loading.

I agree with you that I would forget my safety stop and maybe some deco time to get the diver to the surface.

I agree that you would take less time in real life than during the rescue scenarios in training. You're more likely to ascend a little quicker than you're supposed to, and you'll blow off any optional stops.

That said, I'd say plan on 1 second per foot of depth (you *might* go a little quicker), plus maybe 10-15 on the bottom to establish that they are indeed unconscious and not just being very still to see some shy creature.

 

[Dive-aholic]

I wonder how long it actually takes from reaching the diver at say 33m (100ft) to reaching the surface.
From all the rescue classes etc has anyone timed it?
To change that into a real world time what time would you have to add, or subtract?
I added subtract as in a real world case I would take much greater risks than I would in a class.
I suspect Walter's 2 minutes is optimistic given the task loading.

I agree with you that I would forget my safety stop and maybe some deco time to get the diver to the surface.

I normally ascend at 30ft/min. In a rescue situation, I'd probably ascend at 60ft/min. 100ft would take 1 min 40 secs. Add 20 seconds from time of seeing the diver and getting to the diver, it's 2 minutes. Not that unreasonable. And not 5 minutes.

 

[Cacia]

I'm afraid my speed would depend on how dead I thought they looked.

 

[Dive-aholic]

At the risk of creating a 2nd victim?

 

[Cacia]

No, I'm honest to say, unless it was my child, I would be very conservative. I don't think there are enough good outcomes to warrant putting your own physiology at extreme risk by heroics. You need to protect yourself first. Maybe because I spent a lot of time doing trauma in dangerous situations, mostly on freeways, etc...you get to where if you are going to be around for the "next one" you have to be careful. In the beginning, you crawl into smoking cars, let the 18 wheelers blow by your butt at 70 mph...but then your need to preserve yourself emerges and you just are not so willing.

My real point is if I thought by the circumstances they were "gone", I would do my stops. Unconscious people "found" at 100 ft do not have good odds. Now, if you witness your friend seize...you will have greater urgency because you have some sense of their vialbility.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Okay, I read it the wrong way. I'm with you. You can only do so much. For some people, it's just their time.

 

[JBowl0101]

Out of curiousity (I'm a newbie) what is the survival rate for folks who pass out or have a heart attack at below 40 feet or so? By the time the buddy realizes what has happened and acts, I'd think the person with the problem would almost certainly be dead.

Are people actually successfully rescued sometimes after an event like this?

 

[H2Andy]

i would imagine the odds are not good