Water Rescue Report
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 2:22 pm
I am posting the details of a rescue my buddy and I were part of in case it helps someone else in the future. Luckily this effort was successful and the victim escaped more serious consequences.
Lessons learned (the only reason I am posting this at all):
-Do not hesitate to act if you see something that does not seem right. As a diver you are among the most knowledgeable or aware people on the waterfront. A number of people came up to us after the rescue and said they saw the guy but assumed it was a seal.
-Take a Stress and Rescue course if you have not. It is probably the most important diving course you will ever take. It will make you a better diver and help prevent accidents before they happen.
-Review rescue procedures regularly and with your buddies. Knowing how your buddy will respond will reduce stress during an actual rescue.
-Keep yourself fit and leave something in reserve in case something goes wrong at the end of your dive. There was a very long swim and tow in this situation.
The report:
We were at Redondo gearing up to dive with a camera crew filming a segment for an outdoor show. My buddy and I noticed a swimmer way out past where divers normally are. We assumed it was a diver in trouble and watched for a few minutes to assess the situation. They were on their back and kicking oddly (high knees and floppy feet). We also noticed they were swimming in circles. That's when we decided this wasn't right and we needed to act.
I was in my full SCUBA gear and my buddy was just in his dry suit so he grabbed his fins and mask and swam out quickly. He stopped about 10' away and yelled to the guy but got no response. He moved in closer and was able to establish contact with the victim. He signaled me on the beach with a distress signal.
When I saw the distress signal I asked who had a cell phone and instructed them to call 911. Once I was sure EMS was on the way, and to the correct location, I stripped off my gear ditched my weights and headed out to help.
My buddy had asked the guy some questions and convinced the victim to allow him to "steer" while the man continued kicking. My buddy wrapped his arm around the guy and started towing him in. He was a little over half way in when I met up with him.
I was shocked to see that it wasn't a diver, but a guy in street clothes who was intoxicated and had jumped off the pier. My buddy was doing such a good job that I did not interfere with the tow. After a few more minutes the fire truck came down the hill so I signaled them as we continued to swim.
Once we could touch the bottom, we each grabbed an arm and took him up to the water edge and the waiting firefighters. I was amazed how tight and non-functional his arms and hands were from the cold. It was almost like a seizure.
Apparently he had been in the 52 degree water for 33 minutes (someone had taken a picture when he jumped in).
I am pretty proud of my dive buddy. The rescue was text book and I can't think of anything that could have been improved upon.
It was a fairly simple rescue without complications of dive injury to worry about, but having the confidence of rescue training and a high level of confidence in the people involved in the rescue really helped reduce the stress of the situation.
-Chris
Lessons learned (the only reason I am posting this at all):
-Do not hesitate to act if you see something that does not seem right. As a diver you are among the most knowledgeable or aware people on the waterfront. A number of people came up to us after the rescue and said they saw the guy but assumed it was a seal.
-Take a Stress and Rescue course if you have not. It is probably the most important diving course you will ever take. It will make you a better diver and help prevent accidents before they happen.
-Review rescue procedures regularly and with your buddies. Knowing how your buddy will respond will reduce stress during an actual rescue.
-Keep yourself fit and leave something in reserve in case something goes wrong at the end of your dive. There was a very long swim and tow in this situation.
The report:
We were at Redondo gearing up to dive with a camera crew filming a segment for an outdoor show. My buddy and I noticed a swimmer way out past where divers normally are. We assumed it was a diver in trouble and watched for a few minutes to assess the situation. They were on their back and kicking oddly (high knees and floppy feet). We also noticed they were swimming in circles. That's when we decided this wasn't right and we needed to act.
I was in my full SCUBA gear and my buddy was just in his dry suit so he grabbed his fins and mask and swam out quickly. He stopped about 10' away and yelled to the guy but got no response. He moved in closer and was able to establish contact with the victim. He signaled me on the beach with a distress signal.
When I saw the distress signal I asked who had a cell phone and instructed them to call 911. Once I was sure EMS was on the way, and to the correct location, I stripped off my gear ditched my weights and headed out to help.
My buddy had asked the guy some questions and convinced the victim to allow him to "steer" while the man continued kicking. My buddy wrapped his arm around the guy and started towing him in. He was a little over half way in when I met up with him.
I was shocked to see that it wasn't a diver, but a guy in street clothes who was intoxicated and had jumped off the pier. My buddy was doing such a good job that I did not interfere with the tow. After a few more minutes the fire truck came down the hill so I signaled them as we continued to swim.
Once we could touch the bottom, we each grabbed an arm and took him up to the water edge and the waiting firefighters. I was amazed how tight and non-functional his arms and hands were from the cold. It was almost like a seizure.
Apparently he had been in the 52 degree water for 33 minutes (someone had taken a picture when he jumped in).
I am pretty proud of my dive buddy. The rescue was text book and I can't think of anything that could have been improved upon.
It was a fairly simple rescue without complications of dive injury to worry about, but having the confidence of rescue training and a high level of confidence in the people involved in the rescue really helped reduce the stress of the situation.
-Chris