Wondering what happened?

[PAL_7z]

I first posted this in the thread - (Have you ever sucked the bottom out of your air tank?) which is located - Here

I'm wondering if any of you may have an idea of what may have happened. One of the responses in that thread above suggested C02 retention. He is also the one that suggested that I post this here. Thanks DandyDon!

Please reply based on your experiences. I just had this happen 2 days ago. It's now 3 days ago. I was in my 4th class to be SCUBA certified. My instructor was having us swim in a 25 yard lap pool as far as we can go (in full gear) after he turned off our oxygen. We were to stand up when we were unable to swim any further with the air that we were had from our last breath from the regulator. My guess is that it was supposed to simulate what it was like to be out of air.

Well here is where it gets interesting. I swam the length of the pool - turned and started back. I guess I got about half way back to to the other side. Next thing I know I was awoken (best word I know) after being given mouth to mouth from the instructor from the side of the pool. I was still in the water. One of the other guys from the class was holding me afloat. I swam about 35 yards without air and then apparently passed out. Fortunately the regulator stayed in my mouth which prevented any water from entering my lungs. When I was pulled to the surface I was (as my wife described it) Dark Blue Gray from head to toe, limp and not breathing. I found out that this color is called cyanosis or cyanotic.

I am trying to figure out what happened to me. I don't understand why I did not surface. I think that I remember saying to myself that I need to go up. But it is all kind of hazy. I have been reading about shallow water blackout - that seems to explain it but I was underwater breathing through the regulater prior to him turning off the tank. So I can't understand how I could have hyperventilated and blew off so much C02.

I'm pretty scared to continue. Like I said this just happened the other day. Near as my wife and I can tell. I was without oxygen for about 5 minutes. It may have been 4 -- wer'e not sure. Fortunately I don't have any ill affects. I am extremely fortunate.

By the way.... for the other students in the pool - I'm not sure of their reaction. I left fairly soon after the incident. I went to the Dr.'s the following day. I also had an x-ray to make sure I did not take any water in. Everything so far show good news. All I can say is that my wife for all practical purposes suffered the worst traumatic event of her entire life. When she saw me -- she she thought that I was dead. She unfortunatley will have that image with her for the rest of her life. She is so thankful that I'm ok - but the sheer horror that she went through in that short time was so traumatic for her. I feel for her. My remembrence of the event is so much different than hers. I mean I remember swimming and then being in some far away dream like state and then being pulled back to conciousness after feeling this breath being pushed in. Hers - I can't even imagine.

I guess that is why I'm trying to make some sort of sense of this whole thing.

Oh one last thing -- somebody in the other thread asked what gas we were using. It was normal oxygen mix. 21 oxygen and 79 nitrogen.

Any response help is appreaciate.

Thanks,
PAL

 

[Sideband]

You have several things that don't make sense. You were in a class and they had to do rescue breathing and didn't call EMS? You didn't go to the Dr. until the following day?

Joe

 

[H2Andy]

I was in my 4th class to be SCUBA certified.

ok...

My instructor was having us swim in a 25 yard lap pool as far as we can go (in full gear) after he turned off our oxygen.

wait... on your fourth class you don't know that your tank contains air, not
pure oxygen?

this is a common mistake for people who have never been to a scuba class, but
i think by your fourth class you should at least know what gas you are breathing?

I swam about 35 yards without air and then apparently passed out.

ok, better... now we have the right gas.

anyway... so basically, you swam with your gear and no air for 35 yards, then
suddently passed out?

have you called DAN to discuss with them?

did you discuss the possibility of shallow water blackout with a doctor who
understands diving?

 

[Nomad]

So the Instructor is shutting off your air, then asking you to swim away from anyone who can assisst?

Hmmm... Might wanna look for a different Instructor.

 

[PuyallupCoug]

without really getting more information, my first guess would be shallow water blackout. Did you hyperventilate before you started your swim? The thing is, your body's reaction to breath isn't so much triggered by the lack of oxygen, but rather the increase of C02 in your blood. If you are breathing normally and hold your breath, soon the C02 level will rise in your blood and will trigger your body's need to breath. However, if you hyperventilate before you do your breath hold, you will drastically lower the amount of C02 in your blood. Because of this, you will continue to use of the oxygen in your blood, but since the C02 was lower to begin with, it never reaches a level where your body says it's time to breathe. The oxygen content is used up and you pass out without ever feeling like your out of breath...that's a shallow water blackout.

 

[PAL_7z]

You have several things that don't make sense. You were in a class and they had to do rescue breathing and didn't call EMS? You didn't go to the Dr. until the following day?

Joe

The class was on a Sunday night. It happened around 8:45 pm. To my knowledge the only people in the building were the instructor, myself, my wife, and 3 other students. When my wife was able to finally get out of the water after getting her BC & tank off -- she started to dial 911 on our cell. It was fairly far away from where she was. They apparently said to her that I was breathing. She hung up from 911. They had not yet picked up - It was still a ringing. When I came to. I was feeling ok. We did not know what to do. The instructor was telling me that I needed to talk to my wife to help to calm her down. He was telling her that it was ok and that I was ok. He asked me if I wanted to go to the ER. I told him I was feeling OK. He did not push it so I figured it was ok. I only decided to go to the Dr. after having gotten home and talked about it with my family and spent more than just a few minutes realizing the enormity of the situation that had just happened. Since I was feeling OK and not showing any signs of what had happened - I figured I would wait until the morning and visit my family Dr. and just have a routine visit.

I hope that helps explain the situation that I was in. Needless to say I was not in the most sound mind and judgement at the time. What kinda bothers me right now is that during our class time we are taught that the first aid is to administer Oxygen for most all types of incidents. I was not given any oxygen after the mouth to mouth. I was asked to see if I could get out of the pool and talk to my wife and help to calm her down and tell her I was Ok. I mean sure I felt OK and Today I feel OK but thinking back on the situation -- I'm not sure that really was the best thing to do at the time. My wife said that I was still very discolored and that my speech was very slurred while I was standing there trying to tell her I was OK. To her I was not OK and pretty disconnected. To her credit though I think she was in a state of shock. That is why I think that we were not in a good state of mind to make sure that we got the proper medical treatment right there on the spot.

I'm just glad that things have turned out postive for us (knock on wood) yet so far.

Thanks,
PAL

 

[PAL_7z]

have you called DAN to discuss with them?

Who is DAN?

Thanks,
PAL

 

[H2Andy]

Divers Alert Network

 

[Enigmatic]

It definitely sounds like shallow water blackout. Here's a link to a really good explanation of what happens to cause it, including very informative graphs of how it occurs:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shallow_water_blackout

 

[Damselfish]

Who is DAN?

Thanks,
PAL

something that instructor should have told you about...