Sherman (2)

General Sherman, Myrtle Beach SC			N 33° 43.7', W 78° 32.4'
Dive Number 91		Buddy Matt	Surface temp 19°C	Starting pressure 3000psi
Depth 49ft	Visibility poor	Time 35m	Water temp 23°C	Ending pressure 1600psi
Notes:	The real excitement happened during the surface interval before our second dive of the day. While we were waiting topside, the divemaster on board with us [Dan] noticed some surface diver activity at the bow of the boat [as usual, the normal surface was to take place astern]. I followed after him as he jumped up on the bow to find the divemaster candidate Randy at the surface with one of their open water students. Although Randy said they were fine, the student appeared to be in less than perfect condition as they approached the ladder. Randy was encouraging him to take some deep breaths, but the student wasn't responding to suggestions that he place his foot on the ladder - in fact, he wasn't really responding (or responsive) at all. By this time, Dan was leaning over the ladder and starting to remove his BCD, the other divemaster [Jeannie] had appeared in the water and had removed his weight belt, and with these gone my buddy Matt and I quickly intervened and hauled him up the ladder ourselves. Supine on the deck, he was breathing, and his heart was beating, but he failed to respond to questions. Randy continued to offer encouragements to take deep breaths, while relating the story to us - The student had a problem with his fin at about 30 feet and about 20 minutes into their dive. As Randy fixed it, the student started to panic and shove his reg out of his own mouth. Randy tried to replace it, but the student would have nothing of it. The two ascended and a controlled fashion, according to Randy. The student seemed dazed, but otherwise alright. I asked him some questions and got no answer. I asked him to blink his eyes if he could hear me. He did. Jeannie and Dan managed to assemble the oxygen and started giving him some of that. By the time they were ready to get some to him, he was starting to speak, but was still feeling woozy. He denied any chest pain or dyspnea, and indicated he had normal sensation and motion in arms and legs. After what seemed to be about ten minutes on the deck, he started to perk up, had a couple sips of water, and eventually sat up. Jeannie suggested to Matt and I that if we wanted to go on our second dive, that we could. I wasn't sure if she wanted me to stay with the victim, but realized that although I had been chatting with my buddies about what we all did for a living, she didn't know that I was a physician who worked in the ER [hopefully she didn't just think I was a nosey and bossy person!] She said he seemed to be coming around well and I agreed, so Matt and I went under for our second dive. Ron deferred - I know the vis wasn't what he hoped, but I'm not sure how much the rescue experience topside had rattled him. The dive itself was also more enjoyable. We stuck to the wreck and the visibility was still pretty poor - about ten feet. We were treated to large schools of spadefish and amberjack, as well as lots of minnows and a few barracuda. We found lots of urchin, as well as a starfish or two. When we saw Jeannie down with her students for their second dive, I knew that our patient had been doing better. Naturally, he had not gone down for a second dive. Surfacing after the dive, I was happy to see him up and walking around, feeling pretty much perfect [if a little sheepish]. I overheard him ask if there were more charters in the next couple days, so it sounds like he won't be out of it for long! It was a pleasure to dive with Matt, satisfying to practice my rescue skills, and a pleasure to be out with the folks from Coastal Scuba. If I make it back to Myrtle Beach, I'll look into getting out with them again.