Diving, Related Emergencies
Diving is an important part of swimming. The greatest hazard of this sport is the possibility of striking the head against something solid, like a rock or the floor of the swimming pool.
WHAT TO DO
The rescuer should restrain the impulse to get the diver out of the water quickly, for the victim's neck may have been Injured, even broken. Such action could injure or even sever the victim's spinal cord causing lifelong paralysis.
Instead of removing the victim quickly, let a good swimmer keep him afloat (lying on his back in the water) until help comes to support him properly. If the victim has stopped breathing, it is even possible to administer mouth to- mouth respiration while he still floats in the water. To remove him from the water, place a rigid stretcher, surfboard, door, or wooden plank under him and then lift him gently, keeping his body motionless while he is placed in the ambulance so there will be no additional damage to neck or spinal cord.
(See Head Injury)
Deep Diving. Diving equipment makes it possible for amateurs to dive to depths of more than 100 feet (30 m.). Possible failure of equipment which provides air or oxygen for the divers, danger of becoming entangled in weeds or caught in rocks, and the possibility that inexperienced divers will take unwarranted risks, make drowning the principal cause of death in underwater accidents.
(See Drowning.)
Those who dive to depths of greater than 30 feet (10 m.) face the danger of decompression sickness (caisson disease, the "bends"). This occurs when a diver remains too long at great depths and then ascends to the surface without allowing sufficient time for the gases dissolved in his body fluid to reach a new equilibrium. Thus bubbles of gas develop in his tissues.
Symptoms of decompression sickness include pain in the joints, chest pain with cough and difficult breathing, paralysis of certain muscles, disturbances of vision, and dizziness-these appearing soon after the diver emerges from the water.
Treatment involves use of pressure equipment. The victim is placed in a special tank where the air pressure is increased to simulate the underwater pressure. The pressure is reduced over a period of a few hours, allowing the patient's body to make a gradual adjustment.
Lifeguards and other authorities in areas where diving is common are usually informed on the location of this type of equipment.
