Un buzo alcoholizado buceó en aguas demasiado profundas, se quedó sin aire y sufrió una EDC grave tras realizar un ascenso de emergencia.
Relato
El instructor/buzo principal de un barco chárter en el que me encontraba sufrió una enfermedad por descompresión al bucear alcoholizado.
On the first day of the trip, we landed in Caribbean and were bused to the resort. The resort informed us that no one dives on the first day and must wait until the following day for briefing. The trip leader and his girlfriend, who is a divemaster, had been drinking rum drinks all day during travel and after arriving at the resort. That first night, my newly certified girlfriend and I, a PADI divemaster, were standing in the water enjoying the stars when we noticed the instructor and his girlfriend had geared up and walked past us to make a night dive. I spoke to them and suggested that they should wait until tomorrow to start diving. The instructor said, “I am an instructor and she is a divemaster. We have been here before. We will return soon.” I told him I will stay in the water until they return for safety.
One hour later, the girlfriend left her buddy and returned to the beach. I asked her where her other team member was. She said, “We were at 160 feet (49 meters) and he kept going deeper. I tried to grab him but I couldn’t so I said, I’m out of here!” I then informed her that she was a divemaster and left her buddy who might very well be in trouble. I told her that she needs to go tell the dive shop emergency alert team. She walked off.
That’s when I heard, in the open ocean, the instructor screaming for help. I sent my girlfriend to get the dive shop emergency team and I swam to the sound. It was very dark but, I noticed that the instructor was hurt and he had removed his BCD while floating on the vest. I flipped him around to tell him I had him. His breathing was slow and short, his ears, eyes, and nose were bleeding. His airway was clear. At that time, the emergency team arrived and picked him up by boat and took him to the beach where the island ambulance was waiting.
Yo nadé de regreso al centro turístico con su compensador de flotabilidad. Luego llevé su sistema de buceo a la cámara para que el equipo local leyera su computadora. En la computadora se podía ver la palabra DECO (descompresión) titilando a 75 metros (245 pies). Aparentemente se había quedado sin aire y había realizado un ascenso hacia la superficie a toda velocidad.
Mi novia es doctora en farmacia y conocía al instructor, por lo que se quedó con él por dos días. Después de recibir un informe que indicaba que no podía caminar ni sentía nada debajo de la cintura, me comuniqué con DAN para que realizaran la evacuación del buzo y lo trasladaran a un hospital en el territorio continental de los Estados Unidos. El equipo de DAN envió un avión privado esa tarde. Lo colocamos en el avión y esa misma tarde ya se encontraba en el hospital. Yo terminé siendo el líder del viaje por el resto de la semana. Cuando regresamos a casa, tanto mi novia como yo fuimos a visitarlo. Sufrió un daño neurológico en la espalda y ya ha vuelto a caminar, pero solo con la ayuda de un andador. El buceo y el alcohol no son una buena combinación.
Edited by Jeanette Moore