A scuba diving instructor was given after CPR after he went into medical distress. The incident occurred while still under water in West Vancouver. The instructor was giving a lesson and by the time the students saw him surface in the waters off Whytecliff+ Park, he was in full cardiac arrest.
Watery ordeal
The paramedics performed CPR on the 61-year old for almost half an hour. According to Capt. William Leas of West Vancouver Fire Department, he came up really fast from about a hundred feet. Any diver will tell not to come up too fast, but in a slow manner. It was not known if he had a medical problem prior to than when he was down. A student diver, Dave Ward agreed that the instructor must have resurfaced too quickly.
Compression is vital by stopping half way up, 15 feet for 3 minutes. The instructor did not do that and the air probably expanded in his lungs.
The man was transported to Vancouver General Hospital but could not be resuscitated. The incident marked the second time in a week that a scuba diver required medical help while diving in the waters off Whytecliff Park.
Why learn CPR?
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an essential skill that is vital during emergencies. It is a life-saving technique that significantly improves the chances of survival.
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LEARN MORE
Learn how to help by enrolling in a course on first aid and CPR and for more information, check out these sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/first-aid/cpr
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiopulmonary_resuscitation
https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/cardiopulmonary-resuscitation-cpr-treatment