SB Member Littlejohn in critical condition

[deepstops]

Scubaboard member LittleJohn is in the St. Mary's ICU in West Palm Beach after diving yesterday in Jupiter.

I'm linking a post with some cursory details of the dive: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/3931469-post28.html

 

[msg]

We wish him the best and pray for a speedy recovery. Sorry to hear about the incident.

 

[dlscozz]

John is in our prayers.

 

[Orlando Eric]

We have ALL dove the SAME profile or much much worse many many times. Even with planning and careful management you never know when your goat might explode.

I shuuter to think of the days when I drank heavily before a dive. Pushed it to the red then drank in the hotub after along with aerobic activity afterwards.

 

[FritzCat66]

Hey all - I will post more details once I download my own computer and have time, and hopefully we'll be able to get other details as well. This will be the thread to discuss the incident. There is another thread here setup for well-wishes and support for John as he struggles through this ordeal.

Thanks for initiating this thread, deepstops!

>*< Fritz

 

[FritzCat66]

No matter what happens, one definite lesson here is: Please, divers, wear a DAN Tag or have some other laminated card or something attached to your BC or dive gear that identifies you, emergency contact numbers, medications & allergies, blood type, etc. All the basics that might be needed if you are pulled from the water and they have nothing but what's on you for identification and communication.

There have been a lot of delays contacting family in John's case because we didn't have access to any of this information.

I'm not saying this to be critical of John, just as advice to other divers. Get DAN coverage and a DAN Tag and wear it! Or if not, at least something equivalent that can be kept on your gear.

>*< Fritz

 

[alcina]

That is excellent advice, for sure.

 

[TSandM]

It seems extremely strange that the onset of DCS was that delayed, and he was coherent in the ER, but has deteriorated severely despite appropriate treatment for DCS. It really makes me wonder if the problem is something else.

 

[deepstops]

It seems extremely strange that the onset of DCS was that delayed, and he was coherent in the ER, but has deteriorated severely despite appropriate treatment for DCS. It really makes me wonder if the problem is something else.

Pure speculation but outside of an AGE bubble causing a stroke, I agree, it's odd he continued to deteriorate. Perhaps pulmonary barotrauma caused an AGE.

 

[jupitermermaid]

There could be extenuating problems associated with John's "hit," but until we hear otherwise we don't know. My first impression was that he was having heart problems, but I am not qualified to make a determination. He was administered oxygen as soon as he requested it, the EMS was notified and waiting for him when we returned to land, and he was transported to the closest hyperbaric chamber available (at St. Mary's Hospital) immediately. When I talked to the doctor at St. Mary's last night he was in stable condition. He deteriorated somehow during the night and they called Fritz early this morning looking for family information. Since then it has been difficult to get information from the hospital.

Do you have any feelings or ideas of what else could be taking place outside of (or comorbidly) with the DCS diagnosis?