Recovery of a Drowned Casualty and CPR

||Recovery of a Drowned Casualty and CPR

Related knowledge

  1. CPR training.

Recovery situation

  1. Casualty will sink as lungs fill with water.
  2. Casualty may not have any form of BCD.
  3. Casualty may be wearing a dry-suit.
  4. Casualty may be wearing a BCD.
  5. Casualty may not have drop weights.
  6. Casualty is likely to have a side mount harness.
  7. Exit area will vary between sites.
  8. Rescuer may not have a BCD.
  9. Casualty may be tangled in line.
  10. Casualty will have two breathing sets.
  11. There may be other divers in the sump beyond the casualty.

Recovery steps

  1. Replace casualty’s second stage and purge (this may provide gas to a casualty who has dry drowned).
  2. Dump the gas from the casualty’s dry-suit or buoyancy compensator if worn.
  3. Check that casualty is clear of the line.
  4. If the casualty is tangled in the line and there are no other divers in the sump consider cutting the line to free the casualty if untangling the line is a problem.
  5. If the casualty is tangled in the line and there are other divers on the inward side of the casualty and the line is cut it should be repaired before removing the casualty.
  6. Trim the casualty with the BCD if worn but do not attempt to trim a casualty by using a dry-suit if worn. (The rescuer should also not use their own dry-suit to create buoyancy in this situation.)
  7. Grasp the casualty between the shoulder blades using the side mount harness and head for the exit.
  8. If gas supplies are short during the rescue attempt use the casualty’s breathing sets.
  9. If no other divers are in the sump beyond the casualty on the outward journey the rescuer must pass any constriction first and tow the casualty through behind (NEVER HAVE THE CASULATY BETWEEN THE RESCUER AND THE EXIT).
  10. If other divers are beyond the casualty the rescuer must decide if each constriction can be passed without risk of blocking the exit route of the other divers. (NEVER RISK FURTHER CASULATIES DURING A RESCUE ATTEMPT).
  11. Pull casualty clear of the water and commence First Aid treatment.

Getting the casualty clear of the water

  1. Dry land – pull casualty clear of the water far enough to carry out First Aid if the terrain allows, remove the casualty’s harness, lead and breathing sets if needed.
  2. Air bell – remove casualty’s harness, lead and breathing sets to get casualty buoyant before commencing CPR. It may be possible to clip the casualty to the belay point if this is secure enough.
  3. Sump in a shaft – treat as an air bell.

First Aid treatment

Source: The DDRC Underwater Diving Accident Manual. 4th Ed]

  1. First Aid efforts should be continued until the effort becomes ineffective owing to exhaustion or cold.
  2. If possible (dry land) role the casualty over onto their back and commence CPR in accordance with CPR training.
  3. For floating CPR in an air bell it will not be possible to carry out heart massage, apply rescue breaths in accordance with open water rescue training.

Practice procedure

  1. Line from the surface for about 60 m and maximum depth of 10 m.
  2. Fully kitted with or without any form of buoyancy compensator.
  3. Diver lying face down on the line over 50 m in with an additional 5 kg of lead.
  4. Casualty must be able to drop the 5 kg of lead at will.
  5. Cover diver with a dedicated second stage held in hand to escort the casualty at all times.
  6. Consider the use of high percentage Nitrox for both casualty and cover diver.
  7. Casualty may have one simple line tangle or no line tangle.
  8. Rescuer to use casualty’s spare breathing set whilst checking for/clearing the tangle.
  9. Rescuer to revert to own breathing set before moving the casualty.
  10. Casualty to be moved along the line to the exit as if in an overhead environment (no clear surface) until the surface is breached.
  11. Discussion of methods for stripping the casualty’s equipment and moving the casualty only, to avoid damage to the casualty’s equipment.
  12. Discussion of First Aid lead by suitably qualified person.

Note: An agreed signal system

  1. .If the rescue diver taps the casualty on the back three time the casualty should consider the practise at and end.
  2. If the casualty starts to move on his own the rescue diver should consider the practise at and end.

First Aid Discussion

  1. Define drowning.
  2. Present current CPR techniques.
  3. Discuss the limitations placed on the above techniques in the cave environment.
  4. Discuss the chances of a successful outcome.
  5. Discuss the correct actions to follow after First Aid stops.
  6. Define near drowning.
  7. Present current First Aid techniques for diagnosing and treating near drowning.
  8. Discuss the limitations placed on the above techniques in the cave environment.
  9. Discuss the correct actions to take following First Aid.
2017-11-15T09:23:52+00:00