Emergency & Rescue Procedures Flashcards

You are on a dive boat and spot a diver on the surface who is clearly panicked, flailing their arms and struggling to stay afloat. According to PADI Rescue Diver training, what is your first and most important consideration before entering the water to assist?

Answer: Your own safety and whether you have the training and equipment to perform a rescue.

PADI training emphasizes that the primary rule in any rescue situation is to ensure your own safety first. A rescuer who becomes a victim cannot help anyone. Before entering the water, you must assess the situation, consider your own training and equipment, and formulate a plan that does not put you in undue danger.

When bringing an unresponsive diver to the surface, what is the recommended procedure regarding their regulator?

Answer: Hold the regulator in the diver's mouth to prevent water from entering.

PADI standards for surfacing an unresponsive diver recommend keeping the regulator in the victim's mouth. This helps protect their airway from aspiration (breathing in water). While it's not guaranteed they are breathing, keeping the airway protected is a critical step during the ascent.

A diver has surfaced and is exhibiting signs of decompression sickness (DCS). If the diver is conscious and breathing, what is the recommended primary first aid?

Answer: Administering 100% oxygen.

The primary and most effective first aid for a conscious, breathing diver suspected of having decompression sickness is to have them breathe 100% oxygen. This helps to wash out excess nitrogen from their tissues and can significantly improve their condition while awaiting professional medical evaluation.

You have brought an unresponsive, non-breathing diver to the surface. After establishing buoyancy and calling for help, what is the immediate next step in the rescue sequence?

Answer: Deliver two initial rescue breaths, then one breath every five seconds while towing.

According to PADI Rescue Exercise 7, after establishing buoyancy and calling for help, the rescuer should open the victim's airway, check for breathing, and if the diver is not breathing, deliver two initial rescue breaths. Following this, rescue breaths should be given every five seconds while beginning to tow the diver and remove equipment.

Which of the following is the most effective technique for a rescuer to use when approaching a panicked, responsive diver on the surface to avoid being grabbed?

Answer: Approach from underwater and surface behind them to gain control of their cylinder valve.

PADI teaches that approaching a panicked diver from underwater is a safer method if they are significantly larger or stronger. By surfacing behind them, the rescuer can gain control of their tank valve, which provides a secure hold and leverage to manage the situation without being grabbed by the panicked diver.

During a search for a missing diver, what is a primary responsibility of the rescue team before entering the water?

Answer: To assign roles and establish a clear underwater search pattern.

A key component of the PADI 'Missing Diver' rescue exercise is organization and planning. Before starting the search, the team should agree on a specific underwater search pattern (e.g., expanding square, U-pattern) and assign roles to ensure the search is conducted efficiently and thoroughly, maximizing the chances of locating the diver.