Rescue Diver

Surprising is the word of the day. Why you may ask? Let me tell you. It started with theory which was totally fine. Too fine actually. It gets a little boring reading the same thing over and over again about giving rescue breaths and reading about surface tows with unconscious divers. The surprising part started when you actually get in the ocean and start doing all the work. Our victims for the day were Jess and Chris, the other two dive master interns. My sister and I rotated victims (one was about 200 pounds while the other 130). I never thought it would be so tiring to tow someone in the water. I guess when you have around 50 lbs of equipment on and you are pulling someone with the same amount, it adds up. Lucky us, there weren't 4 foot swells like Jess and Chris had. We finished the day learning how to pull an unconscious victim out of the water. Once again,reading all the steps in the book made it seem so easy but once in the water it was difficult. You start by approaching the victim and flipping them over while removing their weights, mask and regulator. Then, all while trying to get to shore, you listen to hear breathing. Obviously, they are not, so you beging giving rescue breaths every 5 seconds while removing their gear and your own while NEVER breaking the sequence. Does this sound simple? Ya, it does...but it's not! Especially when it is wavy. Then when you are ready with all your gear off and the victim's, you flip them onto your back and carry them out. Poor little Izzy will actually have to carry a big man out of the ocean. I'll try and take pictures.

Permit the break in chronological order, I will talk about yesterday. It was such a beautiful day and we got to do several dives on our old boat; number four with Kirk and Dave. It felt great to be back in the ocean swimming with all the fish in the warmest water you could imagine. Unfortunately, a week ago one of the boats was picked up and dropped on cocoview reef and is still stuck there so there have been incredible efforts to try and get it off not to mention irreparable damage to the coral. Today, they have been using hydraulic jacks to raise it and then try and tow it. Hopefully, they can get it off tonight. After our dives yesterday we sat at the staff table with the university interns and Mitch and Deb (the managers) as well as Doc (the old treasure hunter) and had a great dinner while watching the lightning light up the ocean. We later moved up to a patio where we stayed up, relaxed and had great conversation about Alabama.There is something about island life that makes you so sleepy, especially after several dives breathing compressed air. I think it would be all to easy to never leave a tropical island, life is so much slower and, in my opinion, a generally better pace for people. Things move too fast in North America, especially in metropolises like Montreal.

Tomorrow we have our rescue diver exam as well as underwater search patterns. We will then finish with more unconscious victim removals, the core of the rescue diver course. I will let you all know if I succeed in passing the course! It is a little scary to then know that all of a sudden you might be the most qualified person around to help save a person. Hopefully if I ever encounter an emergency I can stay calm and remember what I need to do!!

Anyways, it is time to get a bit of studying in and spend some time in the clubhouse.

Until next time, stay happy!!



Our lovely boat!