BSAC

Fatalities
March 2005     05/040
A diver experienced difficulties whilst exploring a wreck. He signalled that he had a problem and his buddy assisted him to the surface. Resuscitation techniques were applied but he failed to recover. It is thought that a heart attack may have been the cause. (Media report).

March 2005     05/094
A potential new trainee participated in a pool training session. This diver had some diving experience over two years earlier and wanted to be re-familiarised with diving skills. He snorkelled a length of the pool and then was seen to be in difficulties at the surface. He was quickly recovered from the pool. He lost consciousness and had no pulse. Resuscitation attempts were started and the emergency services were called. The casualty was taken to hospital but declared dead on arrival. It was later reported that he had suffered a heart attack apparently as a result of a deep vein thrombosis.

April 2005     05/087
A diver failed to surface after a dive to 3m. His body was recovered from the water but resuscitation attempts failed. (Media report).

Decompression Illness
January 2005     05/055
A diver completed a 26 min dive to 30m with a 3 min safety stop at 6m. 27 hours later he dived to 9 m for 40 min with a 3 min safety stop at 6m. 3 hours later he complained of a mild tingling in two fingers of his left hand and a soreness in his upper and lower forearm. This diver had an infected insect bite and this was thought to be the cause. Later that day he was examined by a doctor at a hyperbaric facility and a DCI was diagnosed. He received four sessions of recompression treatment before flying home.

June 2005     05/151
Two divers completed a 48 min dive to a maximum depth of 25m including a 3 min stop at 5m. 1 hour 30 min after the dive, whilst driving home, one of the pair experienced sudden vertigo. He stopped his car. He then developed a tingling in both arms. He contacted the emergency services and was taken by ambulance to hospital. From hospital he was taken to a recompression facility where he received a course of four recompression treatments over the following days. He made an almost full recovery although he had residual occasional dizziness and headaches. He was diagnosed with DCI and a subsequent test revealed a sizeable PFO. The PFO was closed and the diver was able to return to diving.

June 2005     05/161
A dive instructor supervised four controlled buoyant lifts from 12m as part of a training programme followed by a 20 min dive to 12m. The following day he dived to a maximum depth of 24m. After 20 min a delayed SMB was deployed and the divers ascended. At 20m the diver noted a pain in his wrist which increased as he ascended. He conducted a 3 min safety stop at 6m and a further 3 min at 3m. Once out of the water he was placed on oxygen and this eased the pain. Medical advice was sought and he received recompression treatment.

July 2005     05/262
A diver conducted a 46 min dive to 41m with about 15 min spent at less than 8m at the end of the dive. 1 hour 15 min later he dived to 6 m for 7 min. 38 min later he dived to 44m for 43 min with the last 15 min spent slowly surfacing from 8m. About 30 min later he noticed an ache in his upper arms and then in his shoulders and elbows. 2 hours later the condition was unchanged. He breathed oxygen for an hour, which had no effect on the symptoms. He was admitted into hospital and kept on oxygen. The following day the pain had lessened and he was discharged from hospital. The next day he was examined at a recompression facility and treatment was not deemed necessary. The evening of the following day he had a tingling in his right arm and leg, a very slight disturbance in his right eye, and a very slight speech disturbance. He sought further medical advice. He was given precautionary recompression treatment that did not affect his symptoms. It was finally concluded that his second phase of symptoms were unlikely to have been diving related.

August 2005     05/208
A diver completed a 21 min dive to a depth of 20m with a 1 min stop at 6m. 3 hours 39 min later he dived to 17m for 23 min with a 1 min stop at 6m. After this dive he noted a rash on his left thigh and joint pain and stiffness in one of the fingers of his left hand. The diver received recompression treatment which resolved his symptoms.

August 2005     05/233
A diver conducted a 41 min dive to a depth of 40m using air as his main gas and nitrox 66 to decompress. He used a dive computer set for air. 4 hours 33 min later he dived to 37m again using air. After 40 min his buddy surfaced and he continued the dive alone. He surfaced after 77 min having conducted 20 min of decompression stops using nitrox 50. An hour after his last dive he felt a pain in his shoulder but he did not tell anyone. The following morning he had a severe shoulder pain. He was placed on oxygen and medical advice was sought. He was airlifted to a recompression facility where he was treated for DCI. This treatment had little effect on his symptoms.

September 2005     05/223
A diver inhaled water from an apparently defective regulator and made a rapid ascent from 10m. She was placed on oxygen and taken to a recompression facility and treated for DCI. After treatment she still experienced 'pins and needles' on the right hand side of her body.

Illness / Injury
October 2005     05/311
A fully kitted diver tripped over a bollard at the back of a dive boat whilst moving to enter the water. She fell spraining her ankle. She sought medical advice once ashore. She did not take part in any further diving.

October 2005     05/011
A diver conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 30m. At 20m he developed a headache and had a bad taste in his mouth. He took his buddy's alternative air source and they ascended to the surface, completing a 3 min stop at 6m on the way. Their dive duration was 10 min. The diver was placed on oxygen and the party returned to the shore. The diver and his buddy were taken to hospital where they were found to be fit. The air was tested and found to contain oil from the compressor. The compressor 'oil blow off' was found to be faulty. Steps were taken to ensure that no further contaminated air was used.

November 2005     05/018
A pair of divers were diving with others to a depth of 25m along the side of an underwater cliff face. At 18m one of the pair noticed that his buddy appeared to be in difficulties; he was 'wide-eyed' and seemed to be lapsing into unconsciousness. The buddy gave the 'ascend' signal and got a weak 'OK' signal in response. The buddy took hold of the troubled diver and brought him to the surface. At the surface the diver was unable to climb the ladder into the boat and needed assistance. Once in the boat his equipment was removed. He was shaking badly and complained of dizziness and confusion. Other divers from the group returned to the boat and one of these prepared oxygen for the casualty. The diver lost feeling in his right arm and had a numbness in his right leg. The diver was taken ashore in a rescue boat and from there to a recompression facility. No DCI was found and the casualty was discharged. He was advised to re-hydrate and to return to the facility the following day if symptoms persisted. The casualty had a predisposition to vertigo and later explained that the experience of a wall dive and of the open sea around and below him caused him to feel dizzy and apprehensive. The condition worsened and he began to panic.

February 2005     05/057
A diver conducted a 40 min dive to 37m with a 3 min safety stop at 6m. 30 min after the dive, back in the boat, he used a pair of binoculars and immediately became very seasick. He lay down but the symptoms remained for 6 hours. He was then placed on oxygen and medical advice was sought. This diver had suffered seasickness the previous day. It was thought unlikely that the cause was DCI but, due to the remote area in which the divers were operating, it was decided to evacuate him to a recompression facility. The diver was examined by an ears, nose and throat specialist. His condition was not considered to be diving related but he was given a precautionary recompression treatment. The final diagnosis was severe seasickness and vertigo caused by using binoculars on a moving boat following a previous bout of seasickness. Further oxygen therapy was given.

February 2005     05/058
A diver undertook his first open water dive. He had problems with his buoyancy control and continually rose and sank between 5 and 10m. His maximum depth was 13m. During this dive he suffered a ruptured eardrum. The diver was wearing a hood for the first time. The dive was aborted and he was taken to hospital.

March 2005     05/066
Three divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 33m, and planned to limit their total dive time to 50 min. At the end of their dive they ascended a shotline and conducted decompression stops at 6m. After 64 min they surfaced and once at the side of the boat it became apparent that one of the three was unwell; he was cold and unresponsive. He was recovered into the boat and placed on oxygen. The party returned to the shore and the diver was taken by ambulance to hospital. He was diagnosed as being hypothermic and slightly dehydrated. He was given a precautionary recompression treatment. He made a full recovery.

March 2005     05/103
After a dive, a diver was transferring his equipment from an RHIB to another, larger, boat in rough conditions. Whilst doing so he slipped and twisted his ankle. The ankle became swollen. He went to hospital where it was determined that the ankle was not broken.

April 2005     05/119
An instructor and a trainee descended a shotline to a depth of 6m to conduct mask clearing and ascent using an alternative air source. The trainee was unable to confidently clear his mask and was slow to respond to signals. The instructor brought the trainee to the surface and the trainee left the water. The trainee later complained of a mild pain in his ear and slight deafness. Subsequent medical examination revealed that he had suffered a rupture to his left eardrum. This eardrum had been previously ruptured in his childhood.

May 2005     05/145
A trainee was in the shallow end of a swimming pool practicing mask clearing drills with an instructor. She had difficulties clearing a fully flooded mask and her instructor helped her to stand up. She removed her mask and mouthpiece and then complained of an intense headache. She was helped from the water and medical advice was sought. She was taken to hospital where she was given pain killing drugs. She was released later the same day.

June 2005     05/152
An instructor and two trainees conducted a 30 min dive to a maximum depth of 15m. 5 hours 30 min later they dived to 13m for 28 min. After this dive one of the trainees noticed a slight discharge from and blood in his left ear. Medical advice was sought the following day and the diver was placed on antibiotics for a severe ear infection.

July 2005     05/179
A diver completed a 45 min dive to a depth of 27m and surfaced normally. At the surface he was unable to fill his BCD since the upper dump valve of the BCD had become detached from the bag. The bag filled with water. He had a 75m surface swim and he struggled to keep afloat. He started to cough and swallowed some seawater. As he approached the boat some blood was seen to come from his mouth. The diver attended hospital for checks and stayed in over-night for observation.

August 2005     05/209
A diver completed a 22 min dive to a depth of 20m. After the dive he sought medical advice since he had pain and impaired hearing in both ears. He reported difficulty clearing his ears during the descent but continued the dive. It was found that both his eardrums were ruptured.

August 2005     05/239
A snorkel diver entered the water by diving head first into the water from the platform of a boat. The impact shattered the glass of his face mask and he received minor cuts to his face. He was assisted from the water and given first aid treatment.

Boating and Surface
March 2005     05/069
Three divers completed a 39 min dive to a maximum depth of 30m. 5 min before surfacing they deployed a delayed SMB. The boat approached too close to the divers, despite warnings from the dive marshal, and the SMB line became tangled around the dive ladder. The diver marshal freed it. The line then became tangled around the propeller; again the dive marshal freed it. The divers completed a 1 min stop at 6m and surfaced without injury.

March 2005     05/310
Three divers were diving from an oil rig platform that had been converted into a dive resort. They entered the water with the dive leader and found that there was a strong current. One of the divers became separated from the others shortly after he entered the water. He surfaced and managed to get back to the platform and leave the water. The other two divers became separated from the dive leader. The dive leader surfaced about 400m down current from the rig and the other two surfaced closer to the rig. The current carried the divers away. There was no boat at the rig and assistance was requested by phone from the shore. Two fishing boats arrived, picked up the divers and returned them to the rig.

July 2005     05/218
The Coastguard was alerted when a diver was overdue from a dive. A helicopter was tasked to search. The Coastguard then used prediction software to estimate the diver's position and tracking and identification systems to identify a vessel in the likely area. The vessel was contacted and asked to keep a look out for the missing diver. Shortly afterwards the vessel reported that they had spotted the missing diver and were recovering him. The diver was then transferred to his own boat. (Coastguard report).

Ascents
October 2005     05/012
A diver dived to a maximum depth of 25m. Towards the end of the dive, at a depth of 6m, he deployed a delayed SMB. Whilst doing so a line attached to the diver tangled in the SMB reel and he was pulled to the surface. His dive duration was 49 min. He was placed on oxygen, other divers were recovered and the party returned to the shore. The diver was taken to hospital but found to be fit. He did not dive for 24 hours and no further action was taken.

March 2005     05/071
Three divers started a descent down a shotline. Two of the three lost contact with the shotline in a slight current and all three resurfaced to regroup. They had descended to 28m for 7 min. After a surface interval of 4 min they re-descended the shotline. They reached a maximum depth of 29m but after 15 min one of the three lost control of his buoyancy and made a rapid ascent to the surface from 20m. He was recovered into the boat and placed on oxygen. All other divers were recalled. The diver who had made the rapid ascent developed a minor headache. The emergency services were alerted by radio and the group returned to shore. The diver was taken to a medical facility and kept on oxygen for 2 hours. No further symptoms developed and no further action was taken.

April 2005     05/086
A pair of divers conducted a dive to a maximum depth of 27m. Towards the end of the dive, at a depth of 20m, they prepared to make their ascent. One of the pair then found that she could not dump air from the cuff dump of her drysuit. She made a rapid ascent to the surface; her buddy made a normal ascent. Her computer did not indicate missed decompression stops. Her dive time was 24 min. She was placed on oxygen. She was later examined in hospital and found to be symptom-free. No problem was found with the dump valve.

Technique
March 2005     05/104
Two divers entered the water to conduct a dive to a maximum depth of 30m. At 15m one of the pair developed a problem with her face mask which kept flooding. Whilst trying to resolve the problem she descended to a depth of 40m. When she discovered this she started to fin upwards and put some air into her BCD. She then lost control of her buoyancy and rose rapidly. She managed to stop the ascent at 6m. She stayed at this depth for 4 min and was rejoined by her buddy. They continued the dive, re-descending to a maximum depth of 20m. 32 min into the dive the diver who had made the rapid ascent started to experience a problem with her ears so they made their ascent, including a 3 min stop at 6m. No subsequent ill effects were reported.

May 2005     05/144
Two divers completed a dive to 35m for 33 min with a 3 min stop at 9m and a 3 min stop at 6m. After the dive one of the divers stated that his dive computer was indicating that a stop at 3m had been missed and had switched into 'SOS' mode. His buddy's computer was clear. Medical advice was sought and the diver was kept under observation for 24 hours. No symptoms developed and no further action was taken.

Equipment
March 2005     05/070
Two divers dived to a maximum depth of 35m. At 32m one of the pair had a problem with air free flowing into his BCD. His buddy took hold of him to prevent him from ascending. They could not stop the free flow so they removed the feed hose from the BCD. They made a normal ascent, with a 1 min safety stop at 6m, and they orally inflated the BCD at the surface. Both were safely recovered from the water.

May 2005     05/124
Two divers dived to a maximum depth of 29m. Towards the end of the dive, at a depth of 7m, the O-ring on one of the pair's cylinders blew. Her buddy turned off the cylinder and the diver used her pony regulator. The O-ring on the pony cylinder then blew and this was also turned off. Another diver offered her octopus regulator. The buddy deployed a delayed SMB and all three ascended safely to the surface.