At The Right Place, At The Right Time

We finished our successful dives in Kimud Shoal and Gato Island. As exhilarating as it had been, we wanted to continue providing the best diving experience to our guests, so we decided to give Anda Bohol a try.

It was our third day cruising the sea of Visayas as we arrived in Anda Bohol. Excited about what we would find, we decided to do 4-dives in the area.

During the first dive, everyone is delighted with the walls and caverns of the dive site. Very fortunate, Anda has been very welcoming and filled our senses with fish bounty and critters.

Eager to know more about the area, one of our dive leaders followed local divers. They were helpful and showed him the pygmy seahorses and frogfish. As he continued to observe the group from behind, he noticed that one diver was rapidly sinking. It seemed very strange to him, as he suspected an emergency. He quickly grabbed the diver, that was unresponsive and vomiting.

What would you do if you were in the dive leader’s situation?

The situation calls for an underwater unconscious diver rescue. Here are tips on conducting a Rescue for Unconscious Divers at depth.

1. Be calm. Assess the situation. Notify other divers(if there are any) about the emergency if you are not confident of the rescue. If you decide to do it, deploy your SMB(Surface Marker Buoy) to signal your ascent.

2. Conduct a Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent. It is a crucial part of the rescue process. We know that rapid ascent can cause DCS(Decompression Sickness). Ascending with an unconscious diver requires knowledge and skills. Secure the regulator on the victim’s mouth while checking your ascent at a recommended ascent-rate of 9 meters/minute. A safety stop isn’t necessary since this calls for an emergency.

3. Once at the surface, immediately inflate the victim’s BCD and yours, and remove weights. Check the victim’s mouth for obstructions and provide 2 rescue breaths while calling for help alternatively. Immediate surface assistance can essentially increase the chance of the victim’s survival.

4. Once the boat is available, lift the victim properly to avoid further injury and provide CPR while waiting for an ambulance or EAD. CPR is done with 2 rescue breaths and 30 chest compressions at a steady rate.

5. If the victim’s breathing is revived, administer Oxygen to assist breathing.

6. Record details of the incident for future reference

Our dive leader was absolutely at the right place and time when that incident happened. He is a professional and well-trained diver and never hesitated to help the drowning victim. With the help of the local DM and their crew, the victim recovered.

Despite the incident, we gained new friends and knew dive sites to discover. Anda Bohol will surely be a place to visit more often by Infiniti Liveaboard for more fun and safe diving.

So, who is that Infiniti dive leader that saved the day?