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>Joel,
> your chest pounding "I can omit deco, save a life,
>and then
>do a special schedule and collect scotch" sounds like 'I'm good to 240
>on air'.
Dear Tom:
The choice to rescue or not to rescue is indeed a personal decision. The
decision to act or not act, or to act to a limited degree are directly
indicative of the composition of a man's soul.
At one end of the rainbow we have an individual who performs a full blown
rescue, placing himself in harm's way and accepting the limited, moderate or
extreme risks that the this rescue creates to the rescuer.
At the other end of the rainbow we have an individual who does nothing.
In the middle we have the overwhelming majority of the population, who are
willing to do something, but nothing that would cause them severe risk. Its
a safe position, because you can not be branded a coward.
I have performed 37 full blown aquatic rescues, most involving SCUBA divers.
30 or 31 in front of boatloads or beachloads of witnesses if you doubt me.
It doesn't hurt that I train rescue divers, I teach C.P.R., A.R., First Aid,
Oxygen Administration, etc. etc. So my skills are always sharp and current.
An aquatic rescue begins long before you see the victim, and recognize the
dire situation. An aquatic rescue begins months or years before that
lightening-fast split-second. The anatomy of a dive accident rescue begins
with Personal Preparation ( Mind, Body, Spirit, Dive gear and Rescue Gear ),
Prediction and Planning, Recognition.
It continues with Approach and Contact, Capture / Arrest / Rescue, Egress,
Primary Assessment, Secondary Assessment, Medical Treatment, Oxygen
Administration.
It concludes with Evacuation / Seizure of Gear and Documentation.
The key is Personal Preparation ( Mind, Body, Spirit, Dive gear and Rescue
Gear ), Prediction and Planning. It seems you have already made a decision
in advance that you would not blow a deco obligation to surface a victim.
Joel and I would. In fact, I have, and went right back down to my deepest
stop and followed the protocols. Victim lived, I was dopplered and did not
have ANY bubbles.
Would I do that again, yes. Does this mean I am chest pounding, no. Its just
who and what I am. I am willing to accept risk in order to save another's
life. I have accepted risk to save another's life. I will continue to accpet
risk to save another's life.
This is where you and I will agree to disagree. But without starting a
flamewar, I think you are wrong, and sincerely hope you are never on the
receiving end of your own philosophical decisions. Its easy to play the
"What If ? " game in the sterile confines of cyberspace, much different each
and every day in the real world.
A coward dies a thousand deaths, the hero dies but once.
Kevin
"Don't forget your history,
Know your destiny,
In the abundance of water,
The fool is thirsty."
Robert Nesta Marley
[\]
|
|
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
o o
o o
o o
_____ o o
(_/\_) o o o
=( )= oo
Kevin Rottner
Southern California SCUBA
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