From: lenk@tc.fluke.COM (Jim Lenker)
Newsgroups: rec.scuba
Subject: Cayman dive report
Keywords: Accident, air Embolism
Date: 17 Apr 92 00:47:05 GMT
Article-I.D.: tc.1992Apr17.004705.866
Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc., Everett, WA



A note on a recent trip to Cayman Brac in the Caribbean.  I stayed at
the Divi Tiara resort.  Everything about the operation was first class,
good rooms, great Food, and the dive boats were excellent, the Photo tiara
shop had great U/W Photo stuff, strobes for rent, extension tubes etc.

The diving is great, Bloody Bay Wall on little Cayman lives up to its
reputation. The diving around Cayman Brac was also excellent, in
comparison to Roatan, Cozumel, Thailand and other dive locations I have
been.

One incident is worth mentioning, a diver on the second day ascended too
fast, and had an cerebral air embolism, evidently on a 100 ft wall dive he
left too much air in his BC when ascending, and overshot his safety stop.

Whatever the reason for the accident, the dive crew was not very calm in
an accident management situation.  At first when the diver surfaced and 
yelled "I'm Bent!", they were more concerned with the continuing the
routine of boarding divers, telling him to put his regulator back in his
mouth.  He had partial paralysis of his right side, and could not haul
himself into the boat.  eventually other divers helped him in, I was
underwater doing a safety stop, and was recalled when the situation was a
little under control (20 divers on board).  The lucky part was four ER
doctors on board that day, they started oxygen immediately, and we headed
into the dock, where an ambulance awaited.  Later I heard second hand
that his symptoms (partial paralysis, a facial droop) disappeared after a
half hour.  He was evacuated to Grand Cayman on a regular commercial flight
that afternoon (two hours after the accident) and was repressurize din the
Grand Cayman chamber as a precaution.

The doctors (on vacation themselves) were somewhat reluctant to become
involved (US liability trains them to not offer advice), but when the
situation became critical they jumped in.  I also heard them commenting on
the slow response of the divemasters, why they didn't request an air
ambulance to Grand Cayman immediately on the radio report.  I think if the
case had been more serious, the two hour delay could have lead to
permanent damage.

Later in the week I talked with the dive masters, they were local
Caymanians, very good divers, but burnt out on tourism, and tourons, I
think the attitude could be summed up as " If a F*cking tourist wants to 
kill himself, go ahead".  I also saw a lot of divers complain about 100 ft
limits, 50 ft limit on repetitive dives (cayman island dive association
guidelines).  Divers pushing their computers, tables, or just plain
ignorant.  I can see how they locals get the attitude of not caring if 
a stupid diver ends up bent.

The emergency facilities in the Caymans are among the best I have seen,
Oxygen on each boat, a re-compression chamber in Grand Cayman.  If
something was going to happen, this would be the place for it.  I really
was scared by the accident and the response, I have learned that
"Professional" certification does not mean they have to care, and
especially makes me wonder about places like Eygpt, Indoneisia.

I used to think it could not happen to me or my dive buddies, but the more
I dive, the more "incidents" like stuck drysuit inflators, Gill Nets
ensnaring the unwary diver, and blown high pressure hoses make me think
about emergency management, and various scenarios.  One of the most
comforting things about diving here in the US is a call on VHF 16 will
probably bring the Coast Guard in short order, an air evacuation is the
best scenario, and I purchased a VHF set for my boat precisely for that
reason.  I also wonder about Oxygen on board.

I think of tropical diving as safer, and the professional dive masters
as competent.  I think we all need to think about emergency procedures
in any dive situation, I would like to think my friends would insist on
air evacuation to the nearest chamber if I was a victim, and knowing
where the nearest chamber is might make me change my dive profile the
next time I am in the middle of nowhere.  

The simplest 60 ft dive on a reef in the carribean, becomes as dangerous
as a cave or night dive under ice, if your mask floods, and the BC inflator
valve sticks open.

Anyway, the diving was great, and the victim was pissed he was not diving
for the rest the week, (and his wife was evenb more pissed at him), so be
careful, it can happen to any of us.

Jim Lenker
From: davew@hp-ptp.ptp.hp.com (Dave Waller)
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 17:13:32 GMT
Subject: Re: Diving and Lyme disease
Organization: HP Pacific Technology Park - Sunnyvale, Ca.