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Dear TechDivers....
As you can see by the subject of this missive, I am about to expound
on something that perhaps does not strictly fall under the
techdiving specs. If this irks anybody out there, please accept my
apologies for wasting TechDiver bandwidth and press the DEL key now!
I am however, interested in getting responses from anybody who has
any information to offer on this subject. Again, if this is
considered to be wasting TechDiver bandwidth, but you have
something to offer, please reply to me in person.
The following article was published in our daily newspaper, 'The
Argus', Thursday March 10, 1994.
SNORKEL DIVER BEING TREATED FOR 'THE BENDS'
Staff Reporter
A SPEAR fisherman is being treated for decompression sickness -
the bends.
Edward Hayman, a member of the South African spearfishing team,
is believed to be the first diver to get the bends by "free diving"
without scuba equipment.
Professional divers say it is virtually unknown for a freediver to
get the bends as the condition occurs only after diving at a depth
of 30m for more than 30 minutes.
Speaking with a slight slur - a symptom of the bends - Mr Hayman
said the water near Hangklip, where he was diving in an international
competition on Saturday, was cold so he had to go deep to find fish.
"Being an international competition I went all out and the fact
that I was diving for five hours meant I was at the lethal depth for
more than half an hour during the day."
After the competition he felt fine, but on Saturday evening his
speech began to slur and by Sunday he could write only with great
difficulty.
"I was admitted to the Simon's Town decompression chamber."
He is spending 90 minutes a day in the chamber.
I saw Edward about 10 days after the incident and he seemed to me
still quite "slowed up" - slurred speech etc.
Ever since his incident, he has been trying to get more information
on the subject - and specifically, on a possible return to
competitive diving. Being a member of the same underwater club
as Edward, I saw him last night and we were talking about the
upcoming world champs in November.
I mentioned I was on TechDiver, and that I could possibly gather some
info for him. He said that I should mention that he was diagnosed
as having a bubble lodged in the pons of the brain, and that the
area is diagnosed as permanantly damaged.
If there is anything on this, similar cases perhaps, in the published
literature, I would greatly appreciate pointers so I can get hold
of them. Can any of the attached medical divers offer any advice?
I will pass on all information to Edward.
Thanks for your time.
Jan.
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| JAN L. KORRUBEL Marine Biology Research Institute |
| ------------------- Department of Zoology |
| University of Cape Town |
| INTERNET Addresses: 7700 Rondebosch |
| JKORRUBE@ZO*.UC*.AC*.ZA* SOUTH AFRICA |
| KRRJAN01@UC*.UC*.AC*.ZA* |
| FAX: (27 21) 6853937 |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
| KA-ASHER HAZIYIN OMED, HAMOAH BETAHAT |
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