Scuba diver dies after complaining of gear malfunction

[CuzzA]

Update from a fellow diver and some sage advice...

There’s been lots of questions, comments, rumors, and concerns, regarding the passing of our friend Kim. A tragic and still unbelievable accident occurred on a fun recreational Spearfishing trip with some of my most closest friends, and trusted divers.

She had made an emergency ascent from 25’ down.

We did everything we could possibly do to save her life. We were told by the Dr.’s that air bubbles had entered and blocked the bloodstream. We do not know if it was a medical condition or self inflicted injury.

This wonderful person is not here with us any longer. I can not describe the feelings that came about on the boat that day. Every one of us will never forget this tragedy. Each of us will all have thoughts and nightmares of what took place that day, for a long time. It has been the worst day at sea I’ve ever had.

I write this to tell others about Safety, maintaining, checking your equipment, dive gear, etc. If you have a problem with a piece of equipment, GET IT FIXED. If you don’t want to spend the money on something to fix it right, DON’T USE IT. If it’s torn, cracked, leaking, rotted, FIX IT. When it’s time to service your gear, or replace it, DO IT! If your regulators are worn out and leaking, GET IT SERVICED! If you don’t know how to work something, LEARN HOW TO USE IT. Get as much training as you can for the diving you are doing. Practice from time to time doing some emergency skills, it is never taught beyond Open water SCUBA Class. Practice buddy breathing a few times in your life, it’s actually more difficult than you think. Buy the best dive gear you can possibly afford. Remember what you were taught in Open Water classes, and how to deal with emergency situations, and how to stay in control and keep calm. Yes this can happen in very shallow water. 35’ of water is not very deep at all.

Don’t be a cheap ass, or lazy, it’s your life, it’s also not just your life, but everyone else that is affected by the losses.

This experience has changed my outlook on who we all choose to dive with. If you don’t know someone, get to know them and their knowledge level, don’t assume. I will go to sea any day with my brothers, we always work as a team, it’s good to know you have partners that will not give up on you in the worst possible scenario. A true friend can’t be bought, one that will fight for you is priceless.

I know that Kim is in heaven and is shining on us here. I know just by knowing Kim for a short time that it is a better place already up there. An angel is with more angels. Please say a prayer for her family, and friends, and Timmy. They need it the most.

 

[SapphireMind]

A little late on the reply:

I am a medical professional who deals with cardiac arrest frequently but can count on 1 hand the number of times we use defibrillation, but the best way I explain defibrillation to lay people is: defibrillation is much like giving the medicine adenosine. Both are intended to stop your heart momentarily. The hope is, when your heart restarts, it will restart in the correct rhythm. If it doesn't return to the correct rhythm, they'll try harder to "shock" it into acting normally. CPR keeps the blood flowing. AEDs will possibly fix an arrhythmia. Resuming breathing/oxygenation with circulation or epinephrine will restart a heart that has stopped. Lay people can do most of those things.

TV shows love to show defib for asystole, but stopping an already stopped heart is not effective But modern AEDs that you will find in public will walk you through everything and won't recommend a shock unless there is an arrhythmia - you don't have to know or be able to interpret it yourself. It will say "No shock recommended, resume CPR". Sometimes people think that is in error, because of the media's portrayal of defib, but it knows better

 

[Storker]

Sometimes people think that is in error, because of the media's portrayal of defib, but it knows better

Quoted for truth

 

[CuzzA]

I was being a bit facetious, rhetorical, whatever you want to call it, to make my point. I know you don't cough blood from a heart attack, cardiac arrest, etc. I've had some training with an AED, though I'm no medical expert. I think the medic that met them on the water probably used the AED as a hailmary, probably not understanding the type of injury she suffered. That, or couldn't figure out her condition on a speeding boat and let the AED do what it does.

 

[NYdiver_666]

I know you don't cough blood from a heart attack, cardiac arrest, etc.

As the information blood came from me I feel I should correct the belief that the diver was reported as "coughing up" blood - the sequence of events that were reported over the radio

- trouble breathing chest pains
- feeling a little better / sitting up / still trouble breathing and chest pain
- unconscious
- stopped breathing
- given CPR
- frothy blood coming out of her mouth during CPR

 

[clownfishsydney]

As the information blood came from me I feel I should correct the belief that the diver was reported as "coughing up" blood - the sequence of events that were reported over the radio

- trouble breathing chest pains
- feeling a little better / sitting up / still trouble breathing and chest pain
- unconscious
- stopped breathing
- given CPR
- frothy blood coming out of her mouth during CPR

The last point makes it even more possible that it was IPE. All the previous ones are also typical of IPE.

 

[CuzzA]

The last point makes it even more possible that it was IPE. All the previous ones are also typical of IPE.

Would IPE happen less than two minutes into the first dive of the day? Her profile was down to 25 ft. and back up.

I thought I read IPE was more common in cold water dives, but there's been a higher frequency of it happening in warmer water.

 

[clownfishsydney]

Yes, I know someone who got it without even descending, just swam out from the shore. You can be standing in water and it can occur.

More common in colder water, but can happen in warm water.

 

[dmaziuk]

Can't help wondering though about people swimming for centuries and IPEs only becoming an issue now: is it because they now get recorded and reported, or because there's more people in the water, or because modern humans are no longer fit to swim?

 

[pepperbelly]

Can't help wondering though about people swimming for centuries and IPEs only becoming an issue now: is it because they now get recorded and reported, or because there's more people in the water, or because modern humans are no longer fit to swim?

The were probably just called drownings in the past.