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After thinking more about the topic of rescues from a technical dive with heavy decompression obligation, and the preparation and dive planning that should be considered, I began looking up the omitted decompression procedures. My search has been limited, but my conclusion is that very little is available on the topic. I have heard that the U.S. Navy Dive Manual has information. I don't have a copy handy, although I found that the manual can be ordered from a few sources, including from Best Publishing. I found excerpts from the manual in an old text I own, but the reference begins stops at only 40 feet in its procedures and they are related to the 10 foot stop time. I have some sources who have discussed with me the procedures they would follow, but they are a bit of a "seat of the pants" approach. They involve descending to a depth deeper than the original deco schedule required, and staying at each stop for an extended period of time, usually a ratio of the original stop time. One of the people I talked to indicated starting the procedure only if the required stop was a certain depth or shallower. Does anyone on the list have more information on omitted decompression procedures, especially more detailed information, or references where I could look for the information? I'm reluctant to post details of what I have found so far because I think it is not complete. The other thing I'd like to note regarding the rescue from the 200' dive with 30 minutes of bottom time that was discussed earlier is that it is an extreme event. The risk to the rescuer is high if decompression is aborted in order to escort the victim to the surface. The point I made about assessing the situation, avoiding becoming an additional victim, and planning the response on the way to your decompression ceiling is an important one. Much as I didn't like hearing someone say they would do nothing, the risk here is very great. I know of a person who did a dive with a similar profile, and did a rapid ascent to the surface. The surface person on the boat got him on oxygen immediately, the Coast Guard airlifted him to a chamber. He was conscious when he began the ascent. When I saw him last, about 3 years after the incident, he was walking with a limp, but had not regained control of his bladder or bowels. He was lucky. In mapping out responses to the scenario where I find an unconscious diver underwater, the best response I see for a single diver rescue is to escort the victim to the decompression ceiling, create positive buoyancy for the victim, and let the victim float upward to a waiting surface team. If other divers were available then the ideal situation would be to have a safety diver with no decompression ceiling who can take the victim all of the way to the surface and begin care. The next best is to have a diver who is able, based on decompression already performed, to escort the diver and return to do the omitted decompression. I might have to ascend past my ceiling (but still at depth) to hand off the victim and then return to depth and perform omitted decompression as well. These are just my thoughts. I'd like to hear from others about what they would do. Without major flames, I'd also like to hear if I am off of the mark here. Thanks in advance. > None of us can know until the moment we are tested whether we will respond in > the way we would hope to when an incident occurs. Personally, I would hope > that I have the courage to do everything I can to help someone else. That's > a > personal choice, and one I hope that my dive buddies share with me. I've > helped in minor ways in a few situations, but I have never been in a > position > requiring me to put myself at risk. > > In basic first aid and CPR courses, ASSESSING the situation is the first > step > in the rescue. We are taught to avoid creating an additional victim in our > rescue attempt. If I were to encounter an unconscious diver at depth, then > there is no downed electrical wire for me to step on, but there is a > decompression obligation with the dives we are discussing here. > > I still have time to act and to think, and to plan my response as I near the > ceiling. If there is another diver there who can assist, then maybe I can > minimize my risk. If not, then I can follow omitted decompression > procedures, > once the victim is in a position to be cared for. > > Every situation is different. I can think about scenarios and plan for them, > > and while this exercise is beneficial and aides in my ability to respond > properly in a given situation, so many other things can happen instead or at > the same time. I can't account for it all. > > What I can do are the basics to minimize risk and ensure proper care in case > something happens. I can know the omitted decompression procedures required > for the dive I am about to do. I can learn to recognize the signs and > symptoms of impending problems and take steps to minimize the likelihood > that > they occur. I can have surface support people who are capable of > recognizing > and caring for a victim at the surface. I can have proper first aid > equipment > available. I can be properly trained in emergency procedures and remain > current with that training. I can plan ahead of time to act if something > happens. > > I can also select dive buddies who have the right skills and attitude for > the > dive, but the injured diver might not be someone who was diving with me. It > could be an unknown diver from another boat, so a wise choice of buddies > does > not mean I won't be called on to act. > > In the critical moment would I act? I think so; I hope so. Would I choose > to > dive with a buddy who, from the clear-headed, carefully considered vantage > point of surface speculation, consciously chooses not to act? Not if I had > another choice. I can prepare myself as well as I can, but I could be the > victim someday. I would prefer to dive with someone who is likely to help > me. -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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