When my dad was in Boy Scouts, he dived some helium mix with navy divers in a pool and he got sick after

[mr_v]

Don't feed the bot.

 

[rddvet]

And what trauma did they inflict on you?

Lol, it was mostly sarcasm.
But I was in the BS for a few months. I already had outdoor experience hunting and camping. First night of a weekend trip a kid thought it'd be funny to throw a can of off into the fire. It whizzed past my head and I caught some shrapnel in the shoulder. Never went back.

 

[nadwidny]

Helium sold for balloons has enough O2 in it to sustain life. Irrelevant side-issue.

Not necessarily. I've had balloon helium and analyzed it before use. Last one the O2 was less than 1%.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Not necessarily. I've had balloon helium and analyzed it before use. Last one the O2 was less than 1%.

Ditto.

 

[tursiops]

Maybe BC and NFL ae trying to kill curious kids?

 

[OTF]

- It's possible (but unlikely) that there was low O2 or even some CO in the mix.
- It's possible that he wasn't equalizing properly and experienced some alternobaric vertigo which can cause severe nausea, I've seen this first hand more than once. It could happen in a pool.
- It's possible he just got sick coincidentally because kids throw up all the time from various aliments or foods unrelated to diving.

This is all pure conjecture.

 

[Centrals]

Another theory I have is that maybe it wasn’t mixed properly 19.5% is when you can start having symptoms from decreased oxygen according to OSHA so it could’ve either been in properly mixed or it could’ve been something like an 18% mix

18% would not cause any issue at sea level.
16% is considered to be bare minimum at sea level.
Hypoxic mix is under 16%.

 

[broncobowsher]

You overlooked that he ate a bad hot dog that same day.

 

[Bigbella]

"Boy, I miss the days they made toys that could kill a kid."

-- Jerry Seinfeld

 

[Tracy]

Not necessarily. I've had balloon helium and analyzed it before use. Last one the O2 was less than 1%.

It definitely depends on where you buy it. Many places add 16 - 25% oxygen as it is cheaper than the helium and they can say it is based on safety. Once you get below 75% it really starts to affect how long the balloons float.