BSAC

October 2004 05/009
Two divers entered the water, descended to 6m and then followed the sloping bottom into deeper water. At 13m the dive leader looked round for his buddy, but could not see her. He surfaced and waited to see if she came to the surface too. When she did not he raised the alarm. A rescue team quickly responded. Meanwhile two other divers had found the missing diver, on her back, on the bottom at 6m, with her regulator out of her mouth. They brought her to the surface and she was recovered from the water. Resuscitation techniques were applied and the emergency services were alerted. She was taken by ambulance to hospital where her condition was described as critical.

October 2004 05/006
A pair of divers descended a shotline to a depth of 11m. On arrival at the bottom, one of the pair experienced dizziness, nausea and disorientation. He had a sharp pain in his ear and the feeling of liquid moving around. The divers aborted the dive, making a normal ascent to the surface. Subsequent medical examination revealed a burst eardrum.

November 2004 05/024
A group of divers travelled by RHIB to a dive site. Once there, one of the group started to feel seasick. He was sick but then felt well enough to make the dive. He dived to 35m for 25 min. Once back on the boat he continued to be sick. He then complained of feeling cold. The air temperature was 4 deg C and the water temperature was 13 deg C. He was given warm clothing to wear and a hot drink. He was sheltered from the wind on the return trip. The radio was used to call an ambulance which met the party when it arrived back in the harbour. The casualty was found to have suffered from mild hypothermia but he quickly recovered.

November 2004 05/015
Two divers dived to a depth of 27m. 12 min into the dive one of the pair indicated that he had a problem with his head and that he wanted to return to the surface. He switched to his pony cylinder which contained nitrox 27. They started their ascent but the troubled diver experienced problems with his buoyancy control and began to sink; every time he put air into his suit it escaped through the dump valve. His buddy brought him to 6m using a controlled buoyant lift; at this point the troubled diver regained control and they finished the dive. Once out of the water, the troubled diver explained that he had nearly passed out and that he had had a bad headache that got better when he switched to his alternative gas supply. The diver conducted a dive the following day without any problem. Subsequent testing revealed no problems with the quality of the diver's air.

December 2004 05/327
Portland Coastguard received a mobile telephone call from the coordinator of a diving course reporting having a diver suffering from breathlessness. The diver was administered oxygen at the scene by the diving supervisor, an ambulance was tasked by Portland Coastguard attending to the diver who was transferred to hospital as a precautionary measure. (Coastguard report).

December 2004 05/014
A diver using a rebreather conducted a dive to 36m. Later he dived again to a depth of 20m. He began to feel uneasy, his vision blurred and he began to feel confused. He switched to an open circuit regulator and the symptoms resolved. He flushed the loop of his rebreather and switched back to it. A little later he began to feel unwell again and again he flushed the loop. Later he repeated this process and then he ascended to the surface. Subsequently the diver found a small quantity of water in the scrubber. He also felt that some settling had taken place in the scrubber.

December 2004 05/033
A diver conducted a dive to a maximum of 20m wearing a two-piece, 5mm wetsuit. During the dive he became cold so he swam back to the exit point with his buddy. Once at the surface he became very cold and had to be treated for hypothermia.

January 2005 05/044
Two trainees and an instructor were engaged in a pool training session. The instructor demonstrated an exit over the side of the pool at the deep end. The trainees removed their equipment and made a similar exit. One of them hit the side of the pool and then climbed out. Later that day he felt discomfort and attended hospital. A cracked rib was discovered.

January 2005 05/035
Two divers were engaged in a dive at a depth of 25m. After 30 min, one of the pair began to feel ill. She felt nauseous and she had a headache. Her buddy brought her to the surface and she was placed on oxygen. The diver was taken by ambulance to hospital and released later that afternoon. Contamination of her air supply was suspected.

February 2005 05/063
After a dive in a quarry a diver was carrying her twin cylinder set up some steps when she slipped and fell. She hit her face on the steps. She had cuts to her forehead and bruising.

February 2005 05/481
Lifeboat launched to assist diver(s) with illness. One person brought in. (RNLI report).

February 2005 05/283
A member of the public was participating in a 'Try Dive' session in a swimming pool. She had signed a fitness to dive form and after a briefing session participated in the use of diving equipment in a depth of 2m. She then took a swimming test and entered the water for a second session with diving equipment. At this point she stated that she felt unwell. She felt a tightness around her neck, nausea and a feeling of indigestion. She was assisted from the water. Her condition deteriorated and an ambulance was called. The diver then stated that she suffered from lupus and was on steroid treatment. She was placed on oxygen and taken to hospital.

March 2005 05/285
A diver was carrying a cylinder along the side of a swimming pool. He slipped and fell and his dive cylinder bounced off the floor and hit him in the face. He was dazed but required no medical attention.

March 2005 05/100
A diver was at his maximum depth of 21m when his regulator began to free flow. He made a rapid ascent to the surface. His total dive time was 6 min. The water temperature was 6 deg C. His tongue and the inside of his mouth were frozen and he could not talk. He was removed from the water and placed on oxygen. He lost skin from the inside of his mouth over the next few days but suffered no other ill effects.

March 2005 05/072
An elderly diver conducted a dive to 16m using an 8l cylinder. He ran out of air after 3 min. His buddy offered her alternative air source but he refused this and made a fast ascent to the surface. He arrived at the surface unconscious. He was recovered to the shore and two divers from another party helped with the resuscitation efforts. An automatic defibrillator was used. After a few minutes the casualty began to breathe for himself. He regained consciousness and was taken by helicopter to hospital. His buddy was taken by ambulance to hospital and treated for shock.

March 2005 05/106
Two divers had completed a 20 min dive to 20m. Once at the surface they signalled to their boat. Another boat mistook the divers for their own and approached them. The mistake was realised and the boat was put into neutral and it drifted between them. Once the boat had passed the divers regrouped. However this boat then drifted too close to the divers and, not realising that they were close, the cox put the engine into gear. One diver managed to hold on to the boat but the other was struck on the legs by the propeller. Once the engine had been shut off the injured diver pulled himself to the side of the boat, assisted by his buddy. They were recovered into the boat and the diver's injuries were assessed. They were then transferred into their own boat and the injured diver was taken to hospital. He was treated for grazes and cuts to his legs, one cut required five stitches.

March 2005 05/109
A diver made a 25 min dive to 6m. 1 hour 20 min later he dived to 6m for 25 min. After this dive he suffered from cold, he was shivering and felt sick. He was placed on oxygen and 45 min later had made a full recovery. The water temperature was 6 deg C.

April 2005 05/084
A diver was stepping into an RHIB from a pontoon when she slipped and landed awkwardly on her left ankle. She was taken to hospital and treated for a broken ankle.

April 2005 05/346
Clyde Coastguard were contacted by a dive party reporting a member of their club was displaying symptoms of DCI 36 hours after a dive. The diver was medi-linked with a doctor, the discussion covered the activities of the post-dive events. It was decided to airlift casualty to hospital for further investigation, air ambulance transported to hospital where the casualty was treated for jellyfish stings. (Coastguard report).

April 2005 05/138
A diver conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 20m. During the ascent the delayed SMB became tangled with the shotline due to poor visibility and a strong current. The diver completed a 3 min safety stop on the shotline. When he let go of the shotline he sank, with his buddy, back down to 10m from where they made a quick ascent to the surface. Two days later the diver experienced a tingling in his arm. He sought advice from a recompression facility and received two sessions of recompression treatment. His symptoms persisted. He was referred to his doctor and the final diagnosis was tennis elbow; a condition that he had suffered from previously.

April 2005 05/491
Lifeboat launched to assist diver(s) with illness. One person brought in. (RNLI report).

April 2005 05/349
Portland Coastguard received a call from a dive vessel reporting having an injured crewman onboard. The injury occurred when the anchor was recovered, the casualty suffered a hand trapped between the anchor rope and gunwale as the vessel pitched. The vessel was responding to a request for assistance from another vessel that had broken down. The vessel was met by an ambulance and Swanage Coastguard on return to port. (Coastguard report).

April 2005 05/089
An instructor and two trainees started a descent. At 5m one of the trainees signalled 'stop' and indicated a problem with his left ear. The instructor brought them back up to 3m and the trainee indicated that all was well. They re-descended very slowly and reached the bottom at 12m without further incident. After the dive the diver with the ear problem reported that his ear was sore. The passage to his eardrum was inflamed and swollen and blood was seeping from the ear. He sought medical attention. He was given pain killers and advised to seek re-examination two weeks later, prior to any further diving.

May 2005 05/294
Two divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 25m. Towards the end of the dive one of the pair began to feel unwell. They started to ascend the shotline, after a duration of 26 min, and the troubled diver then found it difficult to breathe. They moved up the shotline but the condition did not improve. They made a 1 min stop at 6m but the troubled diver decided that she could not continue her stops and she ascended to the surface. At the surface she struggled to breathe and had to be assisted back into the boat. Her buddy made a normal ascent. The diver was placed on oxygen and the Coastguard was alerted. The casualty was airlifted to a hospital and a pulmonary immersion oedema was diagnosed. She was given a precautionary recompression treatment for the missed stops. She was not thought to have been suffering from DCI. She was discharged from hospital the following day.

May 2005 05/127
A diver completed a dive to a maximum depth of 15m for a duration of 20 min. He became separated from his buddy, briefly, towards the end of the dive. The party returned to the shore and 2 to 3 hours after the dive the diver complained of pain in his chest and difficulty breathing. He had been working hard carrying and sorting diving equipment. He was placed on oxygen and taken to a recompression facility. A heart problem was diagnosed and the diver was taken to hospital. He was found to have had a mild heart attack.

May 2005 05/125
Three divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 34m. One used nitrox and the other two used air. They planned to conduct their decompression according to the air computer but incorporating deep stops. After 28 min they started their ascent. They conducted the following stops; 20m for 2 min, 13m for 2 min and 6m for 1 min. They then started to ascend to 3m for further stops. However there was a strong swell which could be felt at 5m so they stopped there to conduct the remaining stops. After 1 min, one of the three became seasick and vomited. This diver was able to remove their mouthpiece to vomit and then replace it. However the second time the mouthpiece was not removed and proved difficult to clear. This diver and one other ascended to the surface; the last 3m of the ascent was fast. The divers were recovered into the boat. The air divers had missed 12 min of decompression stops. The diver who had been sick was placed on oxygen and the other on nitrox 75. The third diver had not missed stops. The Coastguard was alerted and medical advice was sought. The boat started its return journey during which the two air divers were airlifted to a recompression facility. They exhibited no symptoms but received precautionary recompression treatment.

May 2005 05/092
A diver panicked and banged his head. He subsequently swallowed seawater. The Coastguard was alerted and the injured diver was airlifted to hospital. During this time a rope became tangled round the boat's propeller and the boat drifted away from two other divers who were still in the water. Another helicopter was launched and other boats in the area asked to assist. Another dive boat recovered the two divers and returned them to the disabled boat. Two lifeboats were launched to assist and the helicopter was recalled. One of the party managed to free the propeller and the boat returned safely to shore. (Coastguard & RNLI reports).

May 2005 05/141
Three divers entered the water to conduct training drills with an SMB. The trainee carrying the SMB made a rapid uncontrolled descent because he was concentrating on the SMB reel. He failed to equalise his mask on descent and he suffered mask squeeze. He equalised on the bottom and the dive continued with our incident. Their maximum depth was 22m and the dive lasted 22 min. Later the diver felt discomfort and sought medical advice. He was sent to an eye specialist but no permanent damage was discovered.

May 2005 05/132
A diver entered the water and attempted to dive. He tried three times but each time he experienced a severe pain behind his eyes and was forced to surface. He reached a maximum depth of 6m and his total dive duration was less than 3 min. After leaving the water he collapsed. He was placed on oxygen and taken, by ambulance, to hospital from where he was discharged later that day. It is thought that the problem was not diving related.

May 2005 05/227
A group of four divers commenced a dive on a wreck to a maximum depth of 36m. Once at the wreck, one of the four felt uneasy and indicated that she had a problem. The dive leader signalled that they should ascend. At this point one of the others began to panic. The dive leader brought both divers up the shotline, with his buddy following behind. He asked the dive boat to pick up the two divers and returned to his buddy who was at 10m. On reaching the surface the buddy complained of a tightness when she breathed. She was placed on oxygen and taken to hospital. The diver received treatment for a pulmonary oedema.

May 2005 05/360
Solent Coastguard received a call from a diving vessel reporting having a diver aboard suffering from respiratory distress following a normal dive and ascent. The casualty was airlifted from the vessel by Coastguard rescue helicopter R-IJ and transferred to a waiting ambulance for transportation to hospital. (Coastguard report).

May 2005 05/365
Dive support vessel called Brixham Coastguard reporting having an unconscious diver aboard receiving oxygen. The casualty had ceased breathing and was receiving CPR. Brixham Coastguard tasked RN rescue helicopter R-193 to airlift casualty from vessel. Plymouth Coastguard assisted at the HLS the casualty was transferred to a waiting ambulance for transport to DDRC Plymouth. (Coastguard report).

May 2005 05/143
Two divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 21m. At the start of the dive they had to fin hard to gain depth and to move out of a strong current. After 33 min they ascended from 14m to the surface in 3 min. At the surface both inflated their BCDs and awaited collection by their boat. At this point one of the divers stated that he could not move. His buddy supported him and summoned assistance. He was recovered into the boat and his wetsuit was removed. He was totally paralysed and had lost his sight. The Coastguard was alerted and the boat returned to the shore. They were met by an ambulance and a helicopter arrived to assist. It was initially concluded that he had not suffered DCI. The diver's paralysis resolved and his sight returned. He was airlifted to a recompression facility for observation.

May 2005 05/198
A trainee was diving to a maximum depth of 6m with an instructor and another trainee. He began to feel unwell and made a rapid ascent to the surface. His dive duration was 32 min. At the surface he was sick twice. He complained of feeling tired and that his shoulder hurt. He was placed on oxygen. He declined to seek further medical advice and subsequently reported that he had had little sleep the previous night and that a migraine attack had caused the problem.

May 2005 05/197
A trainee diver was conducting drills at a depth of 6m. She began to feel unwell and she ascended with her instructor. Their dive duration was 20 min. She was placed on oxygen but continued to feel unwell. She returned home and sought medical advice.

May 2005 05/370
Brixham Coastguard tasked RN rescue helicopter R-193 to airlift a diver from dive support craft, the diver was lapsing in and out of consciousness and was flown to DDRC Plymouth. (Coastguard report).

May 2005 05/199
Two divers completed a 32 min dive to a maximum depth of 17m. Once at the surface one of the pair suffered blurred vision. He also noted a pain down the side of his face and into his jaw, and he suffered a slight nose bleed. He was placed on oxygen and his condition improved. He was advised to seek medical advice.

May 2005 05/147
A diver completed an air dive to 33m for 35 min with a 2 min stop at 9m and a 6 min stop at 6m. 2 hours 14 min later he made a second dive. He dived using nitrox 36. He descended the shotline but reached his maximum oxygen depth of 29m before reaching the bottom. He aborted the dive and made a 3 min stop at 6m. His second dive duration was 11 min. He later slept in his car before departing. When he woke up he had 'pins and needles' in his right arm. These symptoms started to disappear as soon as he started driving, but did not resolve completely. He sought medical advice and went to a recompression facility. He was given recompression treatment. His symptoms improved but did not disappear. He subsequently consulted a physiotherapist and a trapped nerve was diagnosed.

June 2005 05/156
Two divers completed a 10 min dive to a maximum depth of 35m. Back in the boat, whilst waiting for other divers, one of the pair was sick. Once ashore she carried her kit to the top of some steps. She became breathless and complained of chest pains. She was placed on oxygen and advice was sought from a recompression facility. She was taken to hospital and kept in for observation.

June 2005 05/382
Solent Coastguard received a call from dive support vessel reporting having a diver aboard with respiratory distress following a dive to 82m, the casualty was airlifted by Coastguard helicopter R-IJ direct from the vessel and transported to QAH for treatment. (Coastguard report).

June 2005 05/297
Two pairs of divers entered the water from a quayside. The last to enter struck her leg on an underwater object. She felt a pain in her leg and ankle. She told the others but after a while decided that she could continue the dive. They dived to 11m for a duration of 29 min. When they surfaced the diver said that her leg was hurting badly. She was carried from the water. Her knee was found to be badly swollen. She was taken to hospital where a broken tibia was found which required surgical resolution.

June 2005 05/392
Two divers were transferred from a dive boat after feeling discomfort following a dive to 28m for 27 min, the divers were met by ambulance and Plymouth Coastguard for transportation the hospital/chamber. (Coastguard report).

July 2005 05/409
Brixham Coastguard received a call from dive support vessel reporting having a diver aboard suffering from shortness of breath following a dive to 34m, the diver was met by paramedic and a medi-link call to DDRC Plymouth concluded the diver was thought to be suffering from a non-dive related problem. (Coastguard report).

July 2005 05/411
Milford Haven Coastguard received a call from a dive boat reporting having two divers aboard having swallowed salt water upon ascent, medical advice was sought and an ambulance was requested to meet the divers on their return to shore, no further medical assistance required. (Coastguard report).

July 2005 05/419
Portland Coastguard received a call from a dive boat reporting having picked up a diver from another RHIB who had possible head injury. Upon further investigations, the casualty had been given oxygen and water, was also suffering contraction type pains, the vessel picking up the buddy diver had a doctor on board, the casualty, buddy and casualty's partner were recovered by Coastguard rescue helicopter R-WB. The vessel had a faulty VHF and was met by West Bay Coastguard where safety advice was given to the crew. (Coastguard report).

August 2005 05/302
Two divers entered the water to dive to a wreck. There was a current and they had to swim hard to reach the shotline. They pulled themselves down the shotline. One of the pair became very tired. At the bottom they swam around the wreck. The tired diver kept returning OK signals but her buddy realised that she was not right and led her back to the shotline. Their bottom time was 16 min. They ascended to 5m where they made a safety stop. The buddy then saw that the distressed diver's head was rolling backwards and forwards in the swell. She then floated to the surface. Her buddy followed. At the boat she was not able to hold on, she had her regulator out and water was washing over her. Her regulator was replaced and she was assisted into the boat. She was placed on oxygen and her condition improved. She coughed up bloodstained sputum. Once ashore the diver was able to walk up the slipway. Then she experienced breathing difficulties. She was placed on oxygen and taken to hospital. She was found to have pulmonary oedema. A mild heart attack was also suggested. Tests continue.

August 2005 05/195
Portland Coastguard received a 'Mayday' call from dive support vessel conducting a technical dive to 55m, one of the divers surfaced unconscious and not breathing, Coastguard rescue helicopter R-WB was diverted from exercise to recover the casualty from the vessel. As the casualty was in a very serious condition the helicopter took the casualty to hospital, the two buddy divers were airlifted by Coastguard rescue helicopter R-IJ, both aircraft delivered the casualties to the HLS at Poole where they were met by a doctor, ambulance and Poole Coastguard all divers received treatment. The dive details showed that one casualty had used the incorrect % of oxygen being 100% instead of 50% making him convulse, was aided to the surface by buddy divers and recovered into the vessel by hydraulic lift. (Coastguard report).

August 2005 05/307
A diver was attempting to enter a boat by the stern. The diver was struck by the boat's moving propeller and one of his legs was amputated. He was recovered into another boat and the Coastguard was alerted. The diver was taken to the shore and then by ambulance and helicopter to hospital. His other leg was badly injured and it was amputated too. A doctor who was diving in the area heard the emergency call and went to assist.

August 2005 05/267
A diver was kitting up for a dive from a boat. The boat was caught by a swell and this caused the diver to fall. She hit her head on a railing of the boat. She felt no pain and there was no visible injury. She completed a 32 min dive to 20m with 3 min decompression at 6m. Two days later she developed sickness, dizziness, a headache, double vision and confusion. She sought medical advice. Concussion was diagnosed. She made a full recovery.

August 2005 05/269
Two divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 15m. The dive followed a saw tooth profile. One of the divers felt dizzy and they aborted the dive, making a normal ascent with a safety stop. The diver who had felt unwell was placed on oxygen for 20 min and advised to seek medical help if he experienced further problems.

August 2005 05/240
A diver conducted a 33 min dive to a depth of 16m. 1 hour 52 min later she dived to a maximum depth of 16m for 27 min. Most of the dive was spent at about 7m. Towards the end of the dive she indicated to the dive leader that she had a headache and wanted to ascend. They made a normal ascent and were recovered into the boat. The diver then began to feel sick. This was initially put down to rough sea conditions but once on land she continued to be sick. Medical advice was sought and she was taken to hospital. A non-diving related illness was diagnosed. The diver had recovered by the following day.

August 2005 05/272
Two divers were 10 min into a dive at a depth of 12m when one of them felt that he could not breathe. He made a rapid ascent to the surface and was assisted from the water. He was in distress and the emergency services were alerted. The diver was placed on oxygen and taken to hospital by ambulance. He was discharged later that day. It was initially thought that he had suffered a heart attack, but later it was suggested that the diver had been suffering from a chest infection.

August 2005 05/273
Two divers conducted a 45 min dive to 19m with 15 min spent at 6m at the end of the dive. Afterwards one of the two felt unwell and weak. He was placed on oxygen and his condition quickly improved.

August 2005 05/447
Humber Coastguard tasked RAF rescue helicopter to airlift a diver suffering from a diving related illness to hospital for treatment. MRCC Aberdeen arranged an ambulance at the HLS, where it was met by Seahouses Coastguard and RNLI personnel. (Coastguard report).

August 2005 05/274
A diver conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 25m. Just prior to his ascent he coughed and as a result inhaled some water. This caused him to continue coughing all through his ascent and a 3 min safety stop at 6m. At the surface he was able to regain control and suffered no subsequent ill effects. His dive duration was 40 min

August 2005 05/243
A diver entered the water with three others to conduct navigational training drills. During the descent she was concentrating on the exercise and forgot to clear her ears. When she did attempt to clear them she heard a loud pop in her left ear and became very disorientated, feeling that she was spinning round. She indicated the problem to her dive buddy and the group assisted her to the surface. Once at the surface she began to feel better and decided to make a second attempt at the task. She descended to 13m and started the exercise. She then began to feel dizzy and nauseous again. She indicated this to the dive leader and they aborted the dive. The other two divers continued alone. The following day the diver attended hospital where a perforated ear drum was diagnosed. It was later discovered that one of the divers from the second pair had also suffered a minor eardrum perforation. This second diver had a history of ear drum weakness and previous perforations; but had been cleared to dive.

September 2005 05/244
A diver completed a 37 min dive to a depth of 24m with a 3 min stop at 6m. 4 hours 47 min later she dived to 29m for 37 min with a 3 min safety stop at 6m. Shortly afterwards she complained of a very bad headache. She was given water and lay down in the wheelhouse of the boat. 15 min later she began to shake and reported chest and back pains and a shortage of breath. She was placed on oxygen and the Coastguard was alerted. The diver was airlifted to hospital where a severe migraine was diagnosed. The diver was discharged from hospital the following day.

September 2005 05/245
A diver completed a 49 min dive to a depth of 22m with a 2 min safety stop at 6m. After this dive he had a slight headache which cleared after 15 min. 3 hours 6 min later he dived to 22m for 43 min with a 2 min safety stop at 6m. After this dive the diver complained of a headache and was sick. On return to shore he breathed nitrox 50 for 1 min and this improved his headache. Later that evening it was noticed that he was developing an expanding rash. He sought medical advice and received two sessions of recompression treatment. It was concluded that the condition was not diving related.

September 2005 05/279
Two divers dived to a depth of 6m at which point one of the pair experienced chest pains. They aborted the dive. The pains continued for a further 20 min and the diver planned to seek medical advice.

September 2005 05/278
A diver was preparing to enter the water from a landing stage. Whilst putting her fins on she fell and injured her knee. She was taken to hospital for treatment.

September 2005 05/478
Brixham Coastguard received a call from dive support vessel reporting having a diver aboard who was feeling unwell, the vessel was met by ambulance and the casualty transferred to the DDRC for treatment. (Coastguard report).