BSAC

October 2004     05/316
Clyde Coastguard received a call form dive support vessel reporting having two divers aboard having missed stops following a dive to 38m. Following medical advice, Oban lifeboat recovered the divers and they were transferred to a waiting ambulance for transfer to hospital. (Coastguard & RNLI reports).

October 2004     05/021
A pair of divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 32m. During their ascent, at a depth of 22m, the drysuit inflator of one of the divers stuck in the open position. He disconnected the hose but was unable to prevent a buoyant ascent to the surface. His dive time was 22 min. He was placed on oxygen and no ill effects were noted.

November 2004     05/321
Stornoway Coastguard received a 999 call requesting medical assistance for a diver having made a rapid ascent. A medi-link call was made to a diving doctor and the diver was advised to continue oxygen for a further hour and a half, no further action. (Coastguard report).

November 2004     05/023
Two divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 35m. One of the pair was underweighted and took some time to pull himself down the shotline against a slight current. His buddy waited for him at the bottom. Underwater visibility was 2m and it was dark on the wreck at 35m; both felt that they were suffering from nitrogen narcosis. After 18m they stopped to deploy a delayed SMB. The under-weighted diver then realised that he had forgotten to switch to the second cylinder of his twin-set. He took the regulator from his second cylinder but then dropped it. He held the SMB for the other diver to inflate. They launched the bag and the under-weighted diver then found himself ascending. He grabbed hold of his buddy and gave him the reel, indicating that he should reel in. The diver then realised that he had still not switched cylinders and was concerned that he would run out of air. He became entangled in the buoy line and took hold of his buddy to try to pull himself down. He was inverted and both divers were tangled in the line. They made a buoyant ascent to the surface missing 7 min of decompression stops. Their total dive duration was 23 min. They were recovered into the boat and placed on oxygen. An hour later no symptoms were present. The Coastguard was alerted and the divers were airlifted to a recompression facility where they received precautionary recompression treatment.

November 2004     05/013
Three divers were engaged in a dive to a maximum depth of 22m. At 14m, 9 min into the dive, the weightbelt of one of the three fell off. One of his buddies took hold of him and the diver became inverted. He was unable to dump air from his suit and both made a buoyant ascent to the surface. The third diver realised that his buddies were missing, saw the weightbelt, and made a normal ascent. Once back in the boat, the diver who had been inverted complained of a feeling of 'pins and needles' and was placed on oxygen. The Coastguard was alerted and the boat returned to shore, escorted by a lifeboat. The diver and his buddy were taken by ambulance to hospital but no problems were found and both were discharged that day.

November 2004     05/028
Two divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 36m. During the ascent, at a depth of 20m, one of the pair lost control of his buoyancy and made a rapid ascent to the surface. His dive duration was 20 min. No subsequent ill effects were experienced and no further action was taken.

December 2004     05/479
Clyde Coastguard received a 999 call from a diver reporting his buddy having made a rapid ascent from 40m, Clyde Coastguard made a medi-link call to a diving doctor recommending immediate evacuation to a recompression facility, Clyde Coastguard requested the launch of RAF rescue helicopter, Cumbrae and Inverery Coastguard teams also tasked to assist. Casualty airlifted to a waiting ambulance for transportation to the chamber. (Coastguard report).

December 2004     05/030
Two divers conducted a dive to a depth of 25m. At this depth, one of the pair lost control of the buoyancy of her drysuit and made an uncontrolled ascent to the surface. She was placed on oxygen. No subsequent ill effects were experienced.

January 2005     05/045
Two divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 36m. At 18m they lost control of their buoyancy and made a rapid ascent to the surface. Their computers indicated that 4 min of decompression stops had been missed. They were placed on oxygen. No subsequent ill effects were reported.

January 2005     05/076
A trainee and two instructors entered the water to conduct controlled buoyant lift training. They exchanged OK signals and descended to 7m. OK signals were exchanged again and one of the instructors demonstrated on the other. The trainee was then signalled to practice the skill. The trainee took hold of the instructor to be lifted but then she spat out her mouthpiece and started to swim for the surface. The other instructor caught hold of the student and placed his alternative air source in her mouth. She would not breathe from this regulator and she made an uncontrolled buoyant ascent from 5m to the surface. She was assisted from the water. 24 hours later the trainee complained of dizziness and advice was sought from a recompression facility. No treatment was recommended and she subsequently made a full recovery. The trainee reported that she had been breathing an air/water mix throughout the dive. The regulator was brand new and this was its first use.

January 2005     05/038
A pair of divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 27m. 20 min into the dive they deployed a delayed SMB and began their ascent. One diver held the reel and wound in the line, the other held the line above the reel. At a depth of 17m the ascent rate began to increase. The diver holding the line attempted to slow the ascent but the diver with the reel was unable to dump air from her BCD and became increasingly buoyant. She made an uncontrolled ascent to the surface, her buddy deployed a second delayed SMB and made a normal ascent. The buoyant diver was recovered into the boat and placed on oxygen. Medical advice was sought. No subsequent ill effects were reported. It was thought that the problem was due to the diver's lack of familiarity with her BCD controls.

January 2005     05/330
Clyde Coastguard received a call from a dive support vessel reporting having a diver aboard having missed decompression stops. Cumbrae Coastguard rescue team was tasked to assist the transfer of the casualty to a recompression chamber, and then on to hospital for observation. (Coastguard report).

February 2005     05/053
A pair of divers was preparing to dive from an RHIB. One of the pair found that his BCD inflator was stuck in the 'on' position so he decided to dive using his suit buoyancy alone. They dived to a maximum depth of 22m. The diver with the inflator problem had problems with his fin straps and had to keep adjusting them. He led the dive following a compass course. At 18m he stopped to adjust his fin again and, whilst doing so, began to ascend without realising that he was doing so. His buddy took hold of him and attempted to slow the ascent. The buoyant diver dumped air from his suit, but not enough. His buddy was unable to prevent the diver from making an uncontrolled buoyant ascent to the surface. His dive duration was 15 min. The buddy deployed a delayed SMB and made a normal ascent. Both were recovered into the boat. The diver who had made the uncontrolled ascent was given water and placed on oxygen. Advice was sought from a recompression facility and as his time at depth had been only 12 min it was agreed that he should return home. No symptoms of DCI developed.

February 2005     05/056
An instructor and two trainees were involved in a nitrox course. They descended a shotline to a depth of 16m. One of the trainees was slow to descend. On the seabed they moved away from the shotline and the instructor demonstrated the deployment of a delayed SMB. The instructor then demonstrated a gas switch and each trainee in turn practiced the drill. Whilst one trainee practiced the other held the SMB reel. During this exercise the diver who had been slow to descend experienced buoyancy problems. They then swam off to conduct the rest of their dive. 1 min later the instructor asked one of the students to repeat the gas switch drill; whilst they were doing so the other trainee, who had had the buoyancy problems, began to float to the surface. The instructor gave him the SMB line to retain contact. This trainee was carried to the surface. The instructor and the second trainee made a normal ascent. All were safely recovered into their boat and no subsequent ill effects were experienced.

February 2005     05/059
A diver was at his maximum depth of 9m when he lost a fin. This resulted in an uncontrolled ascent to the surface. His dive duration was 20 min. He was placed on oxygen for 15m. He had a mild tingling in his knees and spat out some blood. Apart from this he was apparently unharmed and no further action was reported.

February 2005     05/077
A diver completed a dive to a maximum depth of 38m. She started her ascent and made a 4 min stop at 14m and a 3 min stop at 11m. At 10m she had problems with too much buoyancy. She was unable to dump more air and she made an uncontrolled ascent to the surface, missing an indicated 9 min of decompression stops. She was recovered into the boat, placed on oxygen and given fluids to drink. The Coastguard was alerted and a lifeboat was launched to assist. The diver's buddy had completed all his stops but both were kept on oxygen and taken to a hyperbaric facility. The diver who had made the buoyant ascent was found to be symptom-free and no further action was required.

March 2005     05/043
A diver conducted a 32 min dive to a maximum depth of 35m. He spent 5 min at the maximum depth and then made a slow ascent to 6m. He then made a rapid ascent to the surface. Later he made a second dive to 34m for a total duration of 29 min. He spent 2 min at the maximum depth and then made a slow ascent to 6m. At a depth of 24m he began to experience problems with buoyancy control and he realised that the cuff dump of his drysuit was jammed. He dumped all the air from his drysuit and used his BCD to control his buoyancy. He lost control of his buoyancy at 6m and made a rapid ascent to the surface. He later realised that the faulty cuff dump had been the cause of his first buoyant ascent. He was taken to a recompression facility from treatment, but no symptoms of DCI were reported.

March 2005     05/097
Two divers were at a depth of 35m when the regulator of one of the pair started to free flow. He went for his buddy's alternative air source but the buddy's regulator began to free flow too. They made a fast ascent to the surface. Their dive duration was 11 min. The water temperature was 4 deg C. They were given oxygen as a precaution but no subsequent ill effects were experienced.

March 2005     05/065
A diver conducted a 38 min dive to 26m with a 5 min stop at 6m. 2 hours 10 min later he dived to 22m and stayed at this depth for about 15 min. He became very cold and, with his two buddies, he ascended to 12m. At this depth he lost control of his buoyancy and rose to the surface. He re-descended to join his buddies. They continued the dive. They rose to 6m where they stayed for 5 min and then surfaced. The following day this diver complained of a pain in his shoulder and was advised to seek advice from a recompression facility. He was recompressed but the conclusion was that the pain was due to an old injury. The diver thought that his undersuit had provided more buoyancy than he had planned for.

March 2005     05/067
During the ascent from a dive, one of a pair of divers lost a fin. They subsequently lost control of their buoyancy and made a rapid ascent to the surface. The Coastguard was alerted and a doctor on a nearby boat was able to assist them and provide them with oxygen. A lifeboat and a helicopter were tasked to assist. The divers were airlifted to a recompression facility for treatment. (Coastguard & RNLI reports).

March 2005     05/068
Three divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 22m. At the end of the dive one of the three started to deploy a delayed SMB. During this process she realised that she only had 50 bar remaining and the SMB deployment was abandoned. She then realised that she was underweighted and attempted to pick up some rocks to compensate. Whilst doing so she ran out of air. She was unable to use her buddy's alternative air source and she swam towards the surface. One of her buddies went with her. They were recovered into their boat and placed on oxygen. The Coastguard was alerted and medical advice was sought. Both divers were airlifted to a recompression facility but no treatment was found to be necessary. The third diver surfaced normally.

March 2005     05/098
Two divers dived to a maximum depth of 35m. They were just about to start their ascent when one of the pair swallowed some water. This caused her to panic and she made a rapid ascent to the surface. Her dive duration was 23 min. She was taken by ambulance to hospital from where she was discharged 3 hours later with no subsequent ill effects.

March 2005     05/105
A pair of divers descended to 11m at which point one of the divers' regulators began to free flow. There was some confusion and they made a rapid ascent to the surface. At the surface, the diver with the free flow then had difficulties with his BCD and called for help. This diver's computer was also discovered to have failed during the dive. The water temperature was 6 deg C. No subsequent ill effects were reported.

March 2005     05/107
Three divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 25m. At 24m one of the three became too buoyant and partially inverted. The other two divers managed to right her and make her neutrally buoyant. One of the other divers then deployed a delayed SMB and they began their ascent. Again the diver became buoyant and she hung onto the buoy line to slow her ascent. This began to drag the diver holding the reel upwards so he released some line. The buoyant diver then made an uncontrolled, rapid ascent to the surface. The others made a normal ascent. The buoyant diver was placed on oxygen and the boat returned to shore. Once ashore they contacted the Coastguard and an ambulance was called. The diver was taken to hospital but released without problem some hours later. This diver had a new thick undersuit and it is thought that this may have blocked the drysuit dump valve. She now uses ankle weights

March 2005     05/341
Portland Coastguard was contacted by Harbourmaster expressing concern for a female diver who had made an ascent from 20m but having held her breath during the last 4m. A paramedic examined the diver requesting an airlift to evacuate the diver to a recompression chamber for treatment. The casualty was taken out to sea by Lyme Regis lifeboat. The landing site and incident attended by Poole, Wyke and Lyme Coastguard. (Coastguard report).

March 2005     05/081
Two divers conducted a wreck dive to a maximum depth of 22m. After 20 min they ascended to a depth of 10m. After a further 10 min they prepared to deploy a delayed SMB. Whilst doing so, one of the divers developed cramp in her right leg and started to panic a little. Their situation was exacerbated by an increasing surge in the water. The diver with cramp let go of the wreck to attend to the problem and she was carried buoyantly towards the surface. Her buddy caught hold of her at a depth of 3m and managed to swim back down to 7m. The diver with cramp was unable to get her drysuit dump valve to release any air and her buddy could not hold on to her. She made a rapid buoyant ascent to the surface. Her buddy followed. Their total dive time was 32 min. They were recovered into the boat and placed on oxygen. The Coastguard was alerted and the boat returned to shore having recovered two other pairs of divers. Once ashore further medical advice was sought and the divers were taken to a recompression facility. The diver who had had cramp had a slight ache in her right elbow and her buddy had a slight tingling in his feet. Both divers were given a precautionary recompression treatment, although it was later concluded that neither had suffered a DCI.

March 2005     05/082
A diver dived to a maximum depth of 31m. He then followed a sloping seabed upwards. Whilst swimming up the slope the diver began to become too buoyant. At 20m he was unable to dump more air and he made a buoyant ascent to the surface. Another diver helped him to the shore and it was found that he had missed a 2 min decompression stop. He was placed on oxygen and the Coastguard was alerted. The diver was taken by helicopter to a recompression facility and kept on oxygen for 6 hours. No treatment was required. It was later found that the diver was underweighted and that a new undersuit had caught in the dump valve.

April 2005     05/344
Portland Coastguard received a call from dive boat reporting having a diver aboard who had made a rapid ascent from 27m. Coastguard rescue helicopter R-IJ was tasked to airlift the diver and transport to the HLS where they were met by Poole Coastguard and an ambulance. (Coastguard report).

April 2005     05/289
Two divers descended a line to a depth of 20m. They then swam mid-water following a compass bearing. As they swam they descended deeper than intended to a depth of 32m. They then re-ascended to 24m and continued. They swam towards a cliff wall and this caused a panic attack in one of the divers, which he believed was due to narcosis. He swam up the cliff to a depth of 12m at which point he tried to regain control. He dumped air and started to sink, he then re-inflated his BCD and rose to the surface, hyperventilating all the way. His buddy had lost contact with him and he too came to the surface faster than normal. At the surface the diver who had been panicked felt dizzy and had a headache. He was recovered from the water, placed on oxygen and given fluids. The buddy was also placed on oxygen. No subsequent ill effects were experienced.

April 2005     05/108
Two divers conducted a dive to a depth of 22m. One of the divers developed buoyancy problems and made an uncontrolled ascent to the surface. He was given oxygen as a precaution. No subsequent ill effects were experienced.

April 2005     05/110
Three divers descended to a depth of 35m. One of the three developed a problem with his mask and made a rapid ascent to the surface. He was placed on oxygen and an ambulance was called. He suffered no ill effects and was not taken to hospital.

April 2005     05/176
Two divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 25m. It was cold and dark at depth, one diver was nervous and both were breathing heavily. After 20 min, the dive leader gave the ascend signal and held onto some wreckage whilst deploying a delayed SMB. On letting go of the wreckage the diver began to ascend rapidly and his buddy followed. Both made a rapid ascent directly to the surface. Their dive duration was 25 min. Both were recovered into their boat and one of the pair was given oxygen. No further action was reported.

April 2005     05/291
Two divers undertook their first freshwater dive. They swam to a platform to make their descent. One of the divers was tired and cold by the time they reached the platform. As they started their descent the visibility was low and the diver who was tired became very uncomfortable and signalled for her buddy to get closer to her. She then started to hyperventilate. She signalled to her buddy to ascend but they were heavy and sinking. Her buddy signalled for her to inflate her BCD but she did not do so. The buddy swam down to her and took hold of her. He inflated his BCD and the descent stopped at about 15m. They then started a fast ascent. The buddy dumped too much air and they started to sink again. This cycle was repeated. The troubled diver then accidentally released the buddy's weightbelt. The buddy did not realise this and decided to put air into his BCD to bring them to the surface. They made a rapid ascent to the surface, where the buddy gave the emergency signal. They were recovered from the water. Neither diver suffered any subsequent ill effect.

April 2005     05/113
Two divers descended to a depth of 21m. At this point one of the divers' regulators began to free flow. She made a fast ascent to the surface. Her dive duration was 5 min. At the surface she ditched her BCD and cylinder. She was recovered from the water and placed on oxygen. No subsequent ill effects were experienced. The water temperature was 8 deg C.

April 2005     05/118
Two divers dived to a maximum depth of 27m. When they started their ascent one of the pair had 100 bar remaining in a 12l cylinder. They ascended to 12m at which point this diver ran out of air. He took his buddy's pony regulator and they continued up to 6m. One of their computers indicated 7 min to surface. The diver who was out of air then lost control of his buoyancy. The other diver dumped air but was unable to prevent them from being carried to the surface. One of their computers indicated that 3 min of stops had been missed. Their dive duration was 35 min. They were recovered into the boat and monitored. No subsequent ill effects were reported.

April 2005     05/117
Two divers dived to a maximum depth of 22m. They tried to deploy a delayed SMB to make their ascent but had problems doing so. One of the pair was low on air and had difficulty with their ascent. At 3m this diver lost their regulator and exhaled for the rest of the ascent, which was rapid. Their dive duration was 15 min. At the surface this diver was distressed. They were both given oxygen. No subsequent ill effects were reported.

April 2005     05/115
A pair of divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 22m. They made their ascent by following a sloping contour towards the surface. At 12m one of the divers lost control of his buoyancy and took hold of his buddy. Both divers then made a rapid buoyant ascent to the surface. Their dive duration was 27 min. Both were placed on oxygen. No subsequent ill effects were experienced.

April 2005     05/114
Two divers descended to a depth of 20m. At this point one of the divers' regulators began to free flow. He made a fast ascent to the surface. His dive duration was 7 min. He was placed on oxygen. No subsequent ill effects were experienced. The water temperature was 8 deg C.

April 2005     05/090
A pair of newly qualified divers was conducting a dive to a maximum depth of 13m. 18 min into their dive they moved over an underwater obstacle at a depth of 9m. At this point one of the pair lost control of his buoyancy and began to rise to the surface. He was attached to his buddy by a buddy line and, despite the buddy's efforts to stop the ascent, they were both carried to the surface. The divers left the water and were monitored for symptoms but none were reported.

April 2005     05/192
Two divers were conducting a dive. One diver's computer read 18m and the other's 23m. One of the pair panicked and rushed for the surface. He was wearing a semi-drysuit and was suffering from mild hypothermia. The water temperature was 5 deg C. He was placed on oxygen. He suffered no subsequent ill effects.

April 2005     05/120
Two divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 17m. One of the pair was too buoyant and picked up a large rock to compensate. At the end of the dive, whilst deploying a delayed SMB, the pair made an uncontrolled ascent to the surface. Their dive duration was 27 min. They were recovered into the boat and placed on oxygen. The Coastguard was alerted. The divers were monitored for symptoms but no further action was required.

April 2005     05/171
Three divers were conducting a dive to a maximum depth of 18m. One swam ahead of his buddies. Then both his main and his octopus regulators began to free flow. He made a fast ascent to the surface still breathing from one of his regulators. His dive duration was 10 min. He was assisted from the water and placed on oxygen. He suffered no ill effects.

May 2005     05/121
A diver conducted a dive to a depth of 30m. Towards the end of the dive he deployed a delayed SMB. Whilst doing so he began to ascend. He had reached 15m by the time he had controlled his ascent. He only had 40 bar remaining. He ascended to his decompression stop by which time he was down to 20 bar. He realised that he did not have enough air to complete the stop safely so he ascended to the surface having missed a 1 min stop. His dive duration was 28 min. He was placed on oxygen. No symptoms developed and no further action was taken.

May 2005     05/353
Dive support vessel reported having two divers aboard having made a rapid ascent while deploying the delayed SMB. The divers were administered oxygen and then nitrox after the oxygen was exhausted. Medical advice was sought from DDRC, the advice was to monitor the divers, no recompression treatment necessary. (Coastguard report).

May 2005     05/356
Portland Coastguard received a call from dive boat reporting having a diver aboard who had made a rapid ascent following a problem in deploying her delayed SMB. The casualty was recovered by Coastguard rescue helicopter R-WB, with Dorset police RHIB also in attendance. The helicopter was met at the HLS by Poole Coastguard, the police, and a waiting ambulance for transporting to the chamber. (Coastguard report).

May 2005     05/194
A diver under training conducted a 20 min dive to 29m. Over 4 hours later he dived to 18m. During this dive he began to feel dizzy, he inflated his BCD and made a fast ascent to the surface. His dive time was 11 min. He was placed on oxygen and experienced no subsequent ill effects.

May 2005     05/131
Three divers descended to a wreck at a depth of 20m. One of the divers became inverted and her feet came out of her drysuit boots leaving her without the use of her fins. She hung onto the wreck. Her buddies righted her but were unable to get her feet back into her boots because of the water pressure. The diver was unable to fin and one of her buddies started to assist her to the surface. He failed to inflate her BCD since he pressed the button on her audible alarm in error. He then used his own buoyancy to make the ascent. At 9m they lost control of their buoyancy and made a rapid ascent to the surface, missing 1 min of decompression. The third diver followed at a more normal rate. The group was recovered into their boat and the two who had made a rapid ascent were placed on oxygen. No subsequent ill effects were experienced and no further action was taken.

May 2005     05/193
A diver completed a 16 min dive to 7m. 1 hour later he dived to 7m for 11 min. About 90 min later he dived again, with two others, to 20m. During this dive he started to cough and water entered his mask, this caused him to panic and he made a fast ascent to the surface. One of this buddies tried to control the ascent. Both divers were given oxygen. No subsequent ill effects were experienced.

May 2005     05/364
Following a 'Pan Pan' call from dive support vessel, Humber Coastguard tasked RAF rescue helicopter R-131 to airlift two divers from the vessel for transportation to recompression chamber for treatment following a rapid ascent. Assisted by Amble and Hull Coastguard teams. The casualties were finally transported to the recompression chamber by ambulance. (Coastguard report).

May 2005     05/142
Two divers were ascending from a dive to a maximum depth of 30m. At 12m one of the pair prepared a delayed SMB for deployment. He was using a rebreather and he used the rebreather's alternative regulator as the air source. He had to twist this regulator around to get it to fit into the buoy. When he operated the regulator valve he felt himself begin to rise. He dumped air from the rebreather through his nose but this did not stop the ascent. He released the buoy and confirmed that his drysuit was fully vented. Soon he was unable to breath from the rebreather and he switched to the open circuit alternative air source. He ascended from 12m to the surface in 1 min. He was recovered into the boat and started to breath 70% oxygen from his rebreather. This became uncomfortable and he stopped. No symptoms were experienced and no further action was taken. He subsequently believes that he had partially inflated the rebreather's wing whilst trying to inflate the buoy.

May 2005     05/264
Two divers completed a 36 min dive to 21m. 4 hours later they dived to 17m. During this dive one of the pair noticed her weightbelt was slipping and she settled onto the seabed to resolve the problem. Her buddy held the weightbelt on to her while she attempted to adjust it. The silt became stirred up and the diver with the loose belt began to panic a little. She signalled that she wanted to ascend. Her buddy held onto the diver and her weightbelt and they began to ascend. At 8m the ascent stopped and the buddy put air into his suit and BCD to restart the ascent. The ascent became rapid and they rose directly to the surface. They were recovered into their boat and placed on oxygen. No subsequent ill effects were experienced.

May 2005     05/260
A diver conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 35m. He deployed a delayed SMB to make his ascent but when he got to 11m he realised that the SMB had been inadequately inflated and he had to redeploy it. At 6m he had 6 min of decompression to complete and only 50 bar in his main cylinder. He prepared his pony cylinder but discovered that the regulator had become disconnected and the A clamp screw was missing. He completed 4 min of decompression and then surfaced with 10 bar remaining. Once back on the boat he was sick. He thought this was due to inhaling diesel fumes. He was placed on oxygen for 10 min. No symptoms developed and no further action was taken.

May 2005     05/200
Two divers were on a training course at a depth of 21m when one of the pair lost 4 kg of weight from the pocket of her integrated weight system. She made a rapid ascent to the surface. Her dive duration was 10 min. She was placed on oxygen. No subsequent ill effects were experienced.

May 2005     05/177
Two divers entered the water to dive on a wreck at a maximum depth of 37m. They planned a no-stop dive but agreed that they might extend the dive time if conditions were favourable. During the dive they extended the dive to 20 min resulting in a requirement for 5 min decompression at 3m. At the end of the dive they deployed a delayed SMB and began their ascent. One of the divers dumped air from her drysuit at the beginning of the ascent and this made her negatively buoyant. She had to fin hard to ascend. Her buddy indicated that she should put some air into her suit but narcosis prevented her from doing so. At the start of the ascent she had 100 bar in a 12l cylinder. By the time she reached 30m her contents gauge indicated 50 bar and she began to panic. Her buddy put some air into her drysuit to assist her. At 28m the buddy made his octopus regulator available. The negatively buoyant diver ran out of air and took the buddy's main regulator; he switched to his octopus regulator. The regulator hoses were twisted and they attempted to swap but ended up with the buddy using his octopus regulator again. 14 min of decompression requirements were indicated by the buddy's computer. The buddy took the decision to go straight to the surface and they rose to the surface from 28m in 1 min. Their total dive duration was 29 min. At the surface they gave the emergency signal and were quickly recovered into their boat. Both divers were given oxygen and fluids. Once ashore they were taken to hospital by ambulance. No symptoms were experienced and they were discharged later that day.

May 2005     05/296
A diver conducted a dive to 43m using nitrox 25. After 23 min he ascended to 6m to conduct a 3 min stop. He then experienced buoyancy problems and started to rise. He went back down to 8m and re-ascended but he started to rise again. He surfaced having missed a 22 min stop at 3m. He was recovered into the boat and placed on oxygen. The Coastguard was alerted and the diver was airlifted to a recompression facility. He was given precautionary recompression therapy but suffered no symptoms of DCI.

June 2005     05/202
An instructor and a trainee were involved in an advanced training session at a depth of 35m. The trainee became unsure, grabbed the instructor and made for the surface. The instructor attempted to control the ascent but they rose faster than normal to the surface. Both divers were placed on oxygen. No subsequent ill effects were experienced.

June 2005     05/182
Two divers conducted a wreck dive to a maximum depth of 38m. During the dive the pair became separated. One diver suffered a free flow and was assisted by two other divers. The other member of the pair looked around for his buddy and then made his way back up the wreck. At 17m he deployed a delayed SMB. The reel jammed and the diver made a rapid ascent to the surface missing a planned safety stop. At the surface he saw his boat engaged in recovering his buddy and two other divers. He was recovered into the boat. He felt seasick. He was airlifted to a recompression facility with the other three divers and given precautionary recompression treatment. (Report 05/181 relates).

June 2005     05/181
Two divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 38m. They worked their way around a wreck and, at a depth of 30m, one of the pair had a contents gauge reading 50 bar held in front of him. Initially he thought that it was his buddy but then discovered that it was a diver from another pair in his dive group. He gave this diver his octopus regulator. The diver had become separated from his buddy and had then suffered a regulator free flow. The air donor's buddy then turned him round to show him that his weightbelt had come off and he was holding it in his hand. The action of turning him round pulled the regulator from the other diver's mouth; this diver started to panic. The diver who was giving the air replaced the mouthpiece in the diver's mouth and calmed him down. His own buddy then turned him back again, he too was in a state of panic having had his regulator knocked from his mouth by the panicking diver. The diver giving air replaced his buddy's regulator. They had been ascending slowly and at 15m the donor diver had dumped all the air from his suit but he was unable to get the other divers to control their buoyancy and they made a rapid ascent to the surface missing decompression stops. The dive duration of the original dive pair was 12 min. The three divers were recovered into their boat and placed on oxygen. The Coastguard was alerted and the divers were airlifted to a recompression facility where they were given precautionary recompression treatment. None of the divers developed any symptom of DCI. (Report 05/182 relates).

June 2005     05/379
Following a dive to 32m one diver ran out of air and made a rapid ascent, both divers surfacing together, 45min after the ascent the vessel called Portland Coastguard and a medi-link call was established with a diving doctor, the doctor advised that the treatment given, oxygen, was appropriate. (Coastguard report).

June 2005     05/204
A diver conducted a 40 min dive to a depth of 22m. 3 hours later he dived to 20m. Prior to the second dive he had removed an undersuit but did not adjust his buoyancy. During the ascent from the second dive he became positively buoyant and struggled to control his ascent. His buddy held on to him to help slow the ascent but, at 3m, he had to let go of him. The buoyant diver rose quickly to the surface. His computer indicated a fast ascent and went into emergency mode. His dive duration was 40 min. The diver was monitored for signs of DCI but none were experienced.

June 2005     05/162
Two divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 22m. Towards the end of the dive they had ascended to 14m. At this point one of the pair became too buoyant. She attempted to dump air from her drysuit but none was released. She was unable to prevent herself being carried to the surface. Her dive duration was 34 min. She was placed on oxygen and the Coastguard was alerted. After recovering her buddy the boat returned to shore and the diver was taken by ambulance to a recompression facility. No signs of DCI were found and the diver was discharged within 2 hours.

June 2005     05/390
Following a rapid ascent from 14m. Solent Coastguard took medical advice, both being taken to QAH for oxygen therapy. (Coastguard report).

June 2005     05/386
Falmouth Coastguard received a call from dive RHIB reporting having a diver aboard who had made a rapid ascent from 19m, the diver was medi-linked with a diving doctor who recommended he be seen at A&E with continuous oxygen to be administered. The casualty was met by land ambulance and transported to hospital. (Coastguard report).

June 2005     05/261
A diver conducted a dive to 36m for 35 min including an 8 min stop at 6m. 24 hours later he dived to 45m. During his ascent from this dive he lost control of his buoyancy and rose to the surface missing about 30 min of decompression stops. He was placed on oxygen and airlifted to a recompression facility. He was given precautionary recompression treatment. No subsequent ill effects were experienced.

June 2005     05/393
Dive charter vessel reported to Falmouth Coastguard having two divers aboard having made a rapid ascent, medical advice was obtained and the vessel advised to return to shore, give 100% oxygen for 1 hour and seek medical advice with GP. (Coastguard report).

June 2005     05/397
Brixham Coastguard received a call from dive support vessel reporting a diver having made a rapid ascent from 8m, the max depth was 25m for 19 min. The parent vessel had divers in the water, another RHIB took the casualty to QAB for transportation to DDRC. (Coastguard report).

June 2005     05/398
Solent Coastguard received a call from dive vessel reporting having two divers aboard who had made a rapid ascent from 30m, both divers missed 9 min of stops. The divers were airlifted from the vessel by Coastguard helicopter R-I and transported to QAH for treatment. (Coastguard report).

July 2005     05/309
Two divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 35m. During the ascent one of the pair's SMB became entangled with another and he was dragged to the surface missing 3 min of decompression stops. His buddy was using a rebreather and he experienced buoyancy control problems at 25m and made a buoyant ascent to the surface missing 27 min of stops. The divers were placed on oxygen and the Coastguard was alerted. The divers were airlifted to a recompression facility where they received precautionary recompression treatment.

July 2005     05/298
Two divers descended to a wreck in a maximum depth of 29m. At 20m one of the pair panicked and ascended to the surface in 20 seconds. His buddy descended to the wreck, waited 3 min and then made a normal ascent to the surface. No subsequent ill effects were experienced.

July 2005     05/405
Solent Coastguard received a call from dive vessel reporting having a diver aboard having missed 5 min of stops, medical advice was sought and it was advised the diver be airlifted to recompression chamber for treatment. (Coastguard report).

July 2005     05/157
Four divers were placed on oxygen and airlifted to a recompression facility for treatment after they made a rapid ascent from 37m with a dive duration of 25 min.

July 2005     05/412
Holyhead received a call from a diving RHIB reporting having two divers aboard having made a rapid ascent from 24m missing all stops, both divers were air evacuated to a recompression chamber, Porth Dinllaen prepared the HLS. (Coastguard report).

July 2005     05/175
Two divers planned a dive to a maximum depth of 29m. One of the divers was using a twin set with twin regulators. One of the regulators free flowed when switched on and again in the water. The problem then appeared to be resolved and they descended. The diver who had had the regulator problem experienced excessive air consumption although no escaping air was seen. Towards the end of the dive this diver was on 90 bar and his buddy on 120 bar. 4 min later the diver suddenly ran out of air. He gave an 'out of air' signal and his buddy gave him her main regulator and switched to her pony regulator. There was busy boat traffic and they stopped to deploy a delayed SMB. The diver who was out of air struggled to ascend and stopped his attempts to reel in the SMB line. They then made a rapid ascent to the surface missing a planned 3 min safety stop at 6m. They were recovered into their boat and placed on oxygen. They reported the incident to the Coastguard and on return to shore they sought specialist medical advice by phone. No symptoms of DCI developed and no further action was taken. The diver who had been out of air complained of a sore ear.

July 2005     05/183
Two divers, using nitrox 32, had completed a dive to a maximum depth of 31m and were making their ascent using a delayed SMB. At a depth of around 22m a third diver, who was unknown to them, appeared from below them and swum up past them and ascended their SMB line. This diver was trailing an un-inflated SMB attached to his BCD by a line. The two divers continued up to 6m. One of the pair felt the SMB line being pulled upwards. The third diver then reappeared swimming back down the line. The divers had to pay out line to prevent them being dragged down. The pair signalled to the third diver to re-ascend but when he was 4m below them he released the line and drifted off and down. The pair settled at 6m, sorted out their SMB line and commenced their decompression stop. They then spotted a mass of bubbles and moved over to them, one of the pair descended slightly and found the third diver at around 14m. The other diver of the pair only had 50 bar remaining and stayed at 6m. The diver from the pair saw that the part inflated SMB was still attached to the third diver, she released this and brought him to the surface using a controlled buoyant lift, her buddy joined them and ascended with them. Their dive duration was 38 min including a 4 min stop at 6m. They were recovered into their boat and the third diver was then transferred to his own boat. The third diver had been one of another pair of divers, who were also using nitrox 32, and diving to a depth of 31m. During the ascent, at a depth of 16m, the third diver's buddy began a buoyant ascent. He was unable to dump air from his suit and he rose rapidly to the surface. His computer indicated missed stops. He was placed on oxygen. When the third diver surfaced his computer also indicated missed stops. He too was placed on oxygen and the Coastguard was alerted. The indications were that the third diver had missed 10 min of stops and his buddy had missed 34 min of stops. The third diver had been holding on to the SMB line when his buddy started to ascend. He had been dragged up to 8m before he let go and then he dropped back down to 20m before starting to re-ascend. He had tried to deploy a delayed SMB but started to panic and failed to do so. He was then found by the first pair of divers and assisted to the surface. The divers who had missed stops were taken by ambulance to a recompression facility. Neither displayed any symptoms of DCI but both were given precautionary recompression treatment. It was found that the BCD inflation valve of the diver who had made the buoyant ascent had been slowly leaking causing his BCD, which he did not normally use, to inflate.

July 2005     05/414
Portland Coastguard received a call from dive vessel reporting having a diver aboard who had made a rapid ascent from 7m following a dive to 35m, all stops missed, Coastguard rescue helicopter R-WB airlifted the casualty to Poole where they were met by Poole Coastguard and an ambulance for transportation to the chamber. (Coastguard report).

July 2005     05/416
Dive boat reported to Portland Coastguard having a diver aboard having missed stops following a dive to 20m. A medi-link call was established, the diver was airlifted by Coastguard rescue helicopter R-WB, being met by Poole Coastguard and ambulance for transportation to chamber. (Coastguard report).

July 2005     05/206
A diver conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 18m. During the dive a weight fell out of one of his weight pouches. The diver was unable to prevent an uncontrolled ascent from 6m to the surface. His dive duration was 30 min. The diver had experienced a similar problem with the weight on two other occasions. No subsequent ill effects were reported.

July 2005     05/184
Two divers made a dive to a maximum depth of 17m. One of the pair had difficulty clearing his ears and they took some time to descend the shotline. After 35 min they attempted to deploy a delayed SMB to make their ascent. However the reel jammed and after failed attempts to clear it they abandoned it. At 12m one of the pair lost control of his buoyancy and rose rapidly to the surface, his buddy followed at a faster than normal rate. At the surface the diver who had made the rapid ascent was found to be dazed and with a bleeding nose. He was recovered into the boat and placed on oxygen. The boat returned to shore and the emergency services were alerted. The diver was airlifted to a recompression facility where he received a precautionary recompression treatment.

August 2005     05/230
Two divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 30m. At the end of the dive they deployed a delayed SMB and started their ascent. At 25m one of the pair was beginning to rise rapidly. At 20m he turned and swam down to his buddy who grabbed hold of him and checked that his dump valve was open. The buddy made himself negative and held them both at 24m. The buoyant diver was breathing heavily and the SMB line had become tangled in his equipment. Whilst trying to free it the reel spindle broke. The buddy cut the lines and discarded the reel. The pair had sunk back down to 28m. The buddy checked the buoyant diver's contents gauge and it read 25 bar. The buddy gave the buoyant diver his pony regulator and they made a controlled ascent to the surface. Their dive duration was 34 min. Both divers were safely recovered into their boat and no subsequent ill effects were experienced.

August 2005     05/210
Two divers completed a 35 min dive to a depth of 16m with a 3 min stop at 6m. 3 hours later they conducted a drift dive to a maximum depth of 15m. One of the divers spotted a lobster and swam down to it. He gave the SMB reel to his buddy who found difficulty staying stationary with his buddy due to the current. The first diver was delayed trying to release a bag in which to place the lobster. The buddy was carried away by the current and had to swim very hard to get back. As he got back to the first diver he reached out for him and knocked the regulator from his mouth. The first diver refitted his alternative air source. The buddy gave the other diver the reel and immediately began an ascent, still breathing very hard. At the surface he inflated his suit and BCD and tried to use the SMB for more buoyancy. The other diver surfaced soon afterwards and put more air into his BCD. They were recovered into the boat and the diver who had made the rapid ascent was placed on oxygen. No subsequent ill effects were reported.

August 2005     05/234
Two divers undertook a dive to a maximum depth of 39m. They started to ascend a boulder slope and, at about 25m, one of the pair started to inhale seawater. She tried to keep calm and she swallowed some of the water. She then took her buddy's alternative air source. The pair started to ascend but the troubled diver still felt water in her throat and was still distressed. At about 20m she dropped the alternative air source and made a rapid, free ascent to the surface. She breathed out during the ascent. Her buddy went after her and arrived at the surface shortly afterwards. Their total dive duration was 22 min and they had risen to the surface from 25m in about 40 seconds. They missed a 2 min decompression stop. They were placed on oxygen and the boat returned to shore. They were taken by ambulance to a recompression facility and received precautionary recompression treatment. Neither diver suffered any ill effects.

August 2005     05/436
Dive support vessel reported to Brixham Coastguard that they had a diver aboard who had dived to 31m and upon ascent had made a rapid ascent from 15m. Medical advice was obtained from DDRC Plymouth, the diver had been given oxygen and the diver remained on the vessel with no further treatment required, was advised not to dive again for a period of 48 hours. (Coastguard report).

August 2005     05/437
Dive support vessel contacted Portland Coastguard reporting having three divers aboard who had made a rapid ascent from 10m following a dive to 33m, medical advice was sought which recommended evacuation, Portland Coastguard tasked Coastguard rescue helicopter to airlift the casualties from the vessel to the HLS where an ambulance and Poole Coastguard were waiting to transport the divers to the hyperbaric chamber for treatment. (Coastguard report).

August 2005     05/438
A diver made a rapid ascent from 41m. The dive max depth was 42m, the diver suffered a panic attack and ascended to 36m only to descend to 40m when the rapid ascent occurred, the diver was recovered to the support craft and airlifted to recompression chamber by RAF rescue helicopter R-131 the helicopter was met by an ambulance and Humber Coastguard. (Coastguard report).

August 2005     05/266
A trainee diver conducted a 30 min dive to a depth of 10m. 2 hours later she dived again. With her buddy she made a rapid descent to 22m followed by an increasingly rapid ascent to the surface. They arrived at the surface with computer warnings activated. One of the divers was suffering from sore ears and a slight nose bleed. She was given oxygen and advised to seek medical advise if she experienced subsequent
problems.

August 2005     05/439
Dive support vessel reported having picked up a diver from another vessel who had made a rapid ascent from 27.9m, Portland Coastguard tasked Coastguard rescue helicopter R-WB to airlift the casualty from the vessel to shore for onward transportation to recompression chamber, the HLS was prepared by Poole Coastguard, the casualty was transferred to a waiting ambulance. (Coastguard report).

August 2005     05/268
A trainee and an instructor were diving at a maximum depth of 9m. The trainee deployed a delayed SMB. Whilst doing so he lost control of his buoyancy and they made a rapid ascent to the surface. They were placed on oxygen. No subsequent ill effects were reported.

August 2005     05/271
Three divers conducted a drift dive to a maximum depth of 31m. They gradually ascended to a depth of 9m where they deployed a delayed SMB. At this point one of the divers was having problems controlling his buoyancy and he made a buoyant ascent to the surface. His buddies made a normal ascent. The buoyant diver was placed on oxygen for 10 min. No symptoms developed and no further action was taken.

August 2005     05/222
An instructor and two trainees conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 20m. Towards the end of the dive, in a depth of 6m, they stopped to conduct air sharing drills. During the drill one of the trainees took the octopus regulator of the other trainee. He put it in his mouth but was unable to get air from it. The instructor gave him his own octopus regulator but the trainee still had problems. The instructor purged the regulator but this did not solve the problem. The trainee became panicked and rushed to the surface. The instructor went with him and the other trainee followed. Once at the surface the trainee rapidly recovered. It was subsequently found that the first octopus regulator had a guard fitted to it that had not been present in the pre-dive checks and which had prevented the diver from getting air.

August 2005     05/453
Solent Coastguard received a call from dive boat reporting having two divers aboard having made a rapid ascent from 50m, one diver had had a leaking mask upon removing it to clear the water out at the MAX DEPTH! inhaled water, causing the diver to panic. (Coastguard report).

August 2005     05/455
Falmouth Coastguard received a call from dive boat requesting assistance for a diver who had made a rapid ascent from 20m, a medi-link call was established and diver was recommended to return to shore, oxygen was to be given, the vessel returned to shore where it was met by Porthoustock Coastguard, no further medical assistance was given. (Coastguard report).

September 2005     05/457
Diver made a rapid ascent from 29.5m was recovered to the boat where he was administered oxygen, the dive boat contacted Solent Coastguard who organised a medi-link call to the vessel from QAH, the doctor recommended the casualty should be airlifted to recompression chamber for treatment, Coastguard rescue helicopter R-IJ recovered the patient and airlifted to QAH. (Coastguard report).

September 2005     05/465
Diving vessel reported to Portland Coastguard having a diver aboard who had missed stops following a dive to 29m, the casualty was airlifted by Coastguard helicopter to recompression chamber where it was met at the HLS by Poole Coastguard and an ambulance. (Coastguard report).

September 2005     05/248
Two divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 37m. After 32 min one of the pair indicated to his buddy that he wanted to ascend as he had 15 min to the surface indicated on his computer and 90 bar remaining. They ascended to the top of the wreck at a depth of 32m during which time they became separated. The diver who had signalled the ascent prepared to deploy his delayed SMB to make his ascent but the reel was jammed. He spent some time trying to resolve this problem and then decided to use his spare reel. By this time his time to the surface was 30 min and he was running low on breathing gas. He made a 1 min stop at 12m, a 8 min stop at 6m and a 6 min stop at 3m. After this he ran out of gas and surfaced with his computer showing that he had missed 10 min of decompression. He was using nitrox 27. He was placed on oxygen for 20 min. His buddy made a normal ascent. No symptoms developed and no further action was taken. The diver believes that he was affected by narcosis.

September 2005     05/277
A diver conducted a dive to 33m for 52 min with 13 min of decompression at 6m. 5 hours later he dived to 16m for 57 min with 3 min at 6m. 17 hours later he dived to 40m. After 20 min he started his ascent up a shotline. At 6m the line was dragged down by other divers on the line. The diver and his buddy left the line and prepared to deploy a delayed SMB. The reel jammed and the divers dumped it to prevent them being dragged upwards. They prepared a second reel but this too jammed and was abandoned. The divers had ascended normally to 6m, then one of them sank back to 23m, ascended to 18m and then sank back to 25m during this period. With no SMB and in a current the diver decided to surface. He ascended to the surface from 25m in about 90 seconds. He was joined by his buddy at 13m on the final ascent. Back on the boat he was placed on oxygen and given fluids. The emergency services were alerted. The diver was taken by ambulance to a recompression facility where he received precautionary recompression treatment. He experienced no symptoms of DCI.

September 2005     05/251
Two divers conducted a dive to 20m. During the ascent, one of the pair became confused and believes that she pressed the air fill rather than the dump valve of her BCD. She made a rapid ascent to the surface. Her buddy ascended normally. The diver who had made the buoyant ascent was given water to drink and monitored for problems. Medical advice was sought. No symptoms developed and no further action was required.

September 2005     05/474
Portland Coastguard received a call from dive vessel reporting having a diver aboard having missed 25 min of stops, rescue helicopter R-WB was tasked to airlift the casualty from the vessel, a medi-link call was established with the recompression chamber, the diver had been to 40m and was ascending when, at 12m, his weightbelt came off and he made a rapid ascent to the surface. (Coastguard report).

September 2005     05/280
Two divers conducted a dive to 32m for 32 min with a 3 min stop at 6m. 1 hour 45 min later they dived to 30m. After about 20 min they started their ascent with their computers indicating 6 min of decompression. They deployed a delayed SMB. Their ascent rate was slowed by a sticking SMB reel and the weight and drag of a bag full of scallops. They conducted a 3 min stop at 6m and ascended to 3m where their computers now indicated that a 13 min stop was necessary. After 3 min one of the pair was low on air and they planned to use the other diver's alternative air source. However due to swell the diver who was low on air lost control of his depth and rose to the surface, his buddy followed him. They had missed 11 min of decompression. They were recovered into the boat, placed on oxygen and the Coastguard was alerted. The divers were airlifted to a recompression facility where they were given precautionary treatment. Neither diver experienced symptoms of DCI.