stonefish.....lessons!!!

[duskdiver]

Wow! what a day..just came back....
Last week I did my recue, today I went diving and was practising skills, on the bottom..well you know, openwater stuff!!

My instructor, an experienced nice young woman, suddenly started to "semi" panic, for a second I though she was joking, to see if I would remember my rescue skills.
In her eyes I saw that this was serious!!

She was moving her arms and I saw she was breathing a lot faster! she showed me her leg,...I looked at her and tried to calm her,...I remembered...look in here eyes, fisical contact....still at the bottom, only 4 meters or so, she signalled me that we had to go......then I looked for whatever it was that stung her, (it really helped that course ;-)),...
I saw the *******....a big stonefish....hidden in the sand, could not see it very well, cause of the sand that came up, due to the fins.

I could have done this a bit better...When I looked for the fish I had lost her out of sight, when I looked for her she was about 20 meters away already!!

Luckely, the vis in the redsea is amazing, so I spotted her at once!
Then I helped her out of the water, she was a bit confused, took her to the hospital..
(Another instructor, used warm water first)

Well....I just heared she is ok, the swelling went all the way up to her hip.
Without medical attention she would not be with us anymore!!

Big lesson!! I will not put my knees anywhere without first looking what is underneath the sand!!

Ps....Now I know what a paniced diver looks like!!....and the rescue course did make a difference!!

 

[ShoalDiverSA]

Thanks for the story.

With the number of stonefish and scorpionfish on the Shoal, I came close a few times. There is no better way to highlight the importance of good buoyancy control than to have a near miss with one of these creatures!

Cheers,

Andrew

 

[jeckyll]

Glad she made it out ok! The rescue course is in my not to distant future and you just reaffirmed that I need to sign up for it sooner rather than later.

 

[duskdiver]

Glad she made it out ok! The rescue course is in my not to distant future and you just reaffirmed that I need to sign up for it sooner rather than later.

Yep! To be honest with you, I never thought I would have to use these skills, can tell you another thing, during this "event" I actually used what was in the course!
Amazing..thought It was another one of padi's.....
Regards,

 

[Tavi]

I'm glad to hear that you're rescue skills paid off.

However, if you and your buddies practice good basic skills like buoyancy control things like this don't happen. Also learn the frog kick so you don't silt out the bottom and you can find your buddy.

Please let us know how she's doing.

 

[DandyDon]

Good go!

 

[duskdiver]

Thanks guys, well she is still at home, but doing a lot better!!
We were doing these skills on the bottom, cause she was teaching me how this is done with new open waterdivers!
I need to know this cause I am doing my DM, nevertheless, from now on I will do them just above the bottom, but still, the students will have to sit on the bottom...wanted to say something stupid..better th......

 

[Jeff Toorish]

Terrific job!

I took rescue last month, best course I've taken and I think probably the most important in many ways.

The other thing about it is, in addition to saving a truly distressed and semi-panicked buddy, you also prevented yourself from becoming distressed or panicked.

Once again, Bravo Zulu

Jeff

 

[Steele]

Why are new OW divers being taught to kneel on the bottom? Seems to me you have to correct it in later training.

On topic though: I'm glad she's recovering.

I've just finished my EFR Instructor.
Rescue Knowledge Reviews are finished. Need the scenarios/skills now.

 

[Fr3d]

While harvesting seagrass for replanting a few weeks ago, I almost swiped a scorpionfish (stonefish relative). Didn't see it until it shot off into the seagrass bed due to low vis and stirred up sediments. had gloves on, but wouldn't like to test them against a scorpionfish's spines.