This article explains the Standard Procedure for Rescue of a Surface-Supported Diver. It covers CPR, identification and rescue of a diver who has been lost. Before diving rescues, it is best that you have the full certification. It will help you save the lives and property of other divers during an emergency. It discusses how to locate the victim, perform CPR on unconscious divers, and other important topics.
Standard procedure for rescuing a surface supplied diver
When a surface supplied diver is in difficulty, rescuers need to immediately act and bring him or her to a safe place. This is typically a dive bell or an area where the diver cannot drown and first aid can be provided. It is possible to reach a diver using the bell at times, but rescue divers need to adjust their response to accommodate the situation.
The first step in rescue is to secure the diver's umbilicals. The bell should be removed by the diver. This is the area where the umbilical enters. The surface tender should then follow a diver's umbilical from the bell. Depending on the bell, divers may also be supplied using the individual umbilicals. To avoid snagging, the umbilicals of the diver will need to be secured.
The diver's tender and the diving supervisor should give directions to the rescuers. The standby diver will perform some other tasks while the diver is being rescued but must still be able to provide emergency assistance to the diver. While performing this procedure, it is important to keep in constant physical and/or audio contact with the diver.
Recognizing a lost diver
It can be challenging to identify a lost diver. However, there are many methods that you can use to help find them. The first thing to do is contact the local authorities. The case involved a diver who was reported missing in Mukilteo (Washington) on June 17. Police and fire departments responded to this call. Coast Guard divers and sheriff's officers searched the area. However, they were unable to find Korompis and his partner.
You can also use a MOB to locate a diver who has disappeared. This device uses an underwater radio signal to send out a distress signal. However, the device only works if nearby vessels receive the signal. It is highly recommended that this device be used, however it is not always possible. Some boats don't have AIS technology so they won't be able track a missing diver. However, if the vessel does have an AIS system, it will allow SAR services to find the diver and assist them.
CPR performed on an unresponsive diver
CPR can be used to revive a diver who isn't breathing. Slide your hand underneath the diver's arms or reach up and grab the divers' breathing apparatus to open the airway. Now, hold the diver's breathing equipment and pinch his or her nose. Roll him/her toward you. If the diver's breathing does not return, take two rescue breaths. Then, roll him or her towards you.
It is important that you don't attempt to rescue the diver's bell during CPR. This could result in pooling blood. You should continue to rescue breathe until the diver can regain consciousness. It may be necessary to transfer the diver onto a decompression chamber. Performing CPR on an unresponsive diver may be a complicated task, but it is necessary.
You can use buoyancy to bring the diver back to the surface if your pulse is visible. This will help you evaluate the condition of unresponsive divers and determine if they need rescue breaths. Alternating two rescue breaths and thirty chest compressions can be used if the diver stops breathing. You can alternate the breathing pattern for up to 30 seconds.