HM Coastguard - Diving Incidents 2006

[Humber Coastguard]

Saturday 7th January 2006

Clyde Coastguard
Largs Lifeboat transferred a diver who had made a rapid ascent from 34 meters, along with his buddy, to the recompression facility at Cumbrae. The divers had been diving the wreck of the Beagle at Skate Point, Cumbrae, from the dive boat Clutha.

[Humber Coastguard]

Sunday 8th January 2006

Stornoway Coastguard
On the advice of the Duty Diving Doctor at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Coastguard Helicopter R-MU transferred a diver with suspected DCI from the Isle of Skye to the recompression chamber at Dunstaffnage, Oban.

[Humber Coastguard]

Sunday 29th January 2006

Humber Coastguard
Rescue Helicopter R-131 from RAF Boulmer winched a diver from the rocks at Howick, Northumberland and flew him to the Hull Hyperbaric Unit. The diver, who had been carrying out rescue drills to a depth of 9m, had lost consciousness on surfacing. He also displayed other symptoms of DCI including joint pain and blurred vision.

[Humber Coastguard]

Friday 3rd February 2006

Stornoway Coastguard
A call was received on VHF Channel 16 from the dive boat Leuchars Divers, reporting engine failure in Loch Na Beiste, Kyle of Loch Alsh. Kyle RNLI Inshore Lifeboat waited with the vessel until two divers were recovered from the water before towing the vessel back to Balmacarra Bay in Loch Alsh. Kyle Coastguard also attended.

[Humber Coastguard]

Saturday 4th February 2006

Coastguard co-ordination centres in Scotland have co-ordinated three diving incidents today

Forth Coastguard
This morning Forth Coastguard assisted a diver following a rapid ascent to the dive boat Alikai. The diver had made his ascent from a depth of 30 metres. He was not displaying symptoms of decompression sickness, but was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure. Eyemouth Coastguard Rescue Team attended the scene.

Clyde Coastguard
The second incident involved a shore diver who began drifting off the Isle of Islay. Clyde Coastguard requested the Islay all weather RNLI lifeboat to launch and two helicopters were scrambled. Local boats and the Isle of Arran ferry also offered their assistance, however a short time later the diver was able to make his way to shore unaided.

Clyde Coastguard
Approximately half an hour later at 3.00 pm Clyde Coastguard were called again, requesting assistance for two divers who had made a rapid ascent from 18.5 metres. The Coastguard requested advice from a diving doctor who advised that the two people should be taken to hospital for a check over. An awaiting ambulance took them to the accident and emergency department at Lorne and the Isles hospital.

Stuart Atkinson, Clyde Coastguard Watch Manager says:
“In all of these cases, we were called quickly enabling us to take swift action to ensure the safety of those involved. Speed is of the essence, particularly with rapid ascents, and we encourage divers to call us as soon as they suspect decompression sickness."

Further information on diving safety can be obtained at http://www.bdsg.org/safety.htm

[Humber Coastguard]

Saturday 11th February 2006

Clyde Coastguard
A 999 call was received from a diver suffering from suspected Decompression Sickness. On advice from the Duty Diving Doctor the diver was taken by car from Seil Island to the Dunstaffnage chamber, Oban Coastguard Rescue Team met the casualty at Oban and escorted him to the chamber.

[Humber Coastguard]

Sunday 19th February 2006

Clyde Coastguard
A VHF radio call was received from the dive RIB Starburst reporting a diver with possible decompression sickness off Little Cumbrae, Firth of Clyde. Medical advice was taken from Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and the casualty was evacuated, with the assistance of the Cumbrae Coast Rescue team, to the Millport Hyperbaric Facility.

[freshwaterdiver]

It's both sad and disconcerting to all divers to see fellow buddies end up this way.
I have personally dived all these areas. Some of these area's are "SO SAFE !!! ???" that something must have been wrong or had gone seriously wrong with the divers health to have caused such a problem in the first place - surely!

I take it there must be someone with stats to show whether these divers are experienced / inexperienced. What caused the problem. What agency are they from, what age are they etc.

[DAFFY]

we attended a lecture last night given by the coastguard on diver safety. According to the coastguard, based on their collected info for 2005, it seems that there is a continuing worrying trend towards a deteriation of buoyancy skills and an increase of incidents amongst tech. divers (based on the assumption that anyone diving beyond the 35mtr mark is classed as a tech diver). Could be people trying to run before they can walk or improved reporting!!!!

[nigelH]

Originally Posted by freshwaterdiver

How can so many dives go wrong?

I suspect we are just seeing the effects of trying to make divers more aware.
The old attitude of DCI is bad, DCI is your fault is going and so the CG get more speculative calls hence they see the more minor incidents.