Rescue Diving: Managing the situation on the shore

Unresponsive diver on the surface of the water

First steps

1. Noticing a diver in the water, ask him to inflate his BCD, and KEEP EYES ON HIM
2. DO NOT turn away and:
   1. ask 2 guys nearby (preferably by name) to lock a bearing on the diver from both sides from you (15-20 meters from you).
   2. ask 3rd guy to get fins, snorkel and mask and swim to the diver.
   3. ask first 2 guys if they have the bearing locked.
      1. Only when they confirm it, you can turn your eyes off the diver and continue organization on the shore.

After the bearing is locked

1. Ask 4th guy to come to you and be ready to call 112, and take a note of the time.
2. (?) Ask two more guys to prepare their scuba sets in case of need.
3. When snorkeler reaches the diver he checks if he is responsive: if not, he comm’s to the shore (to you) “Non-responsive diver, call 112” and begins checking if he’s breathing.
4. You ask the 4th guy to call 112 and say that “There is a non-responsive diver in the water, at {LOCATION}”.
5. You ask 5th guy to bring AED and oxygen.
6. By that time snorkeler comm’s to the shore if diver is not breathing. You relay that to the guy on the phone, so to tell 112 that “Diver is non-responsive and not breathing”.
7. Snorkeler should start breathing procedures and towing the diver to the shore.
8. You command first 2 guys (with the bearing) to prepare the shore for getting the diver in: bringing net or sail for the lift.
9. You ask another guy to meet the ambulance and check if they can come to the spot easily.
10. You ask another guy to help with keeping the shore area clean.
11. You help the snorkeler with direction where to reach the shore.
12. You choose/ask a guy on the shore, who will begin the CPR.
13. When snorkeler is at the lift area, you control the lifting procedures explicitly:
    1. telling what to do with corners of the sail
    2. where to keep the head of the diver etc.
    3. count-down the lift action
14. You command the guy to start CPR with 2 breaths first.
15. You ask the phone guy to make a note of CPR start time.
16. If AED and oxygen is at hand, then guys should start preparing them already.
17. You ask the phone guy to make notes of start time of AED and oxygen and count AED shocks.
18. You ask another guy to prepare for a switch with CPR, so they can switch after each AED shock.
19. You ask a guy to lift the diver’s scuba set on the shore.
20. You ask a guy to:
    1. get diver’s divecomputer, check and make notes of:
       1. the max depth
       2. bottom time,
       3. any warnings
       4. was it air or Nitrox
       5. and keep it close to the diver.
    2. also to check what remaining pressure is on the diver’s scuba set and if it is working.
21. You wait for ambulance and can make a spot area clean of other scuba sets etc. (EMS take a lot of space!)

When ambulance arrived

1. CPR should not stop.
2. You ask the phone guy and dive-computer guys to assist you with time notes and AED counts and provide all the info:
   1. What did you see, when
   2. What was organized and when
   3. What oxygen is provided
   4. What depth and bottom time and warning were obtained from the computer and was the scuba working and was there air or Nitrox left.