Rescue procedures for Freediver Black Out
Posted By Cliff Etzel on 18 October 2001
One of the greatest risks in freediving is blackout - no matter if it occurs in shallow water, deeper water or from what is called CO2 blackout. This diving malady is probably the biggest argument for diving with a buddy, who can support and assist you in the event that you should succumb to blacking out. Unfortunately, this is the type of emergency that cannot be recovered from without the assistance of your dive buddy or other surface support. When one blacks out, they become unresponsive. In cases of Shallow Water Blackout (SWB), the freediver swimming towards the surface will exhibit various symptoms that will be readily apparent to the trained eye.
Signs and Symptoms of Blackout
Although there are many different signs/symptoms of blackout, a dive buddy or surface support person who isn't experienced with this diving malady may not recognize its occurance immediately. For the diver who is ascending, by the time the symptoms begin to occur for blackout, it is usually too late and the diver looses consciousness soon after. For the dive buddy or surface support personell, careful observation for the beginning symptoms or signs is paramount to a successful rescue. They are as follows:
- The diver stops swimming for no apparent reason
- The divers legs become slack
- The divers arms may fall down to the sides of their body
- The divers eyes may roll back or close as they become unconscious
- Their head may roll forward or drop down onto their chest
- The diver will begin sinking
- A convulsive twitching or spasming may occur
A diver who has succombed to blackout, will upon reaching the surface, regain consciousness within moments of having been assisted to the surface. However, while the diver is still unconscious underwater, they have now become a potential drowning victim. While the unconscious diver is sinking, they have lost most of their voluntary bodily control. But they still have protective reflexes that help to assist in the rescue process. One of those reflexes is called the laryngospasm. A laryngospasm closes off the vocal cords, thus preventing water from entering the respiratory system. A laryngospasm, after time, will relax which at that pointwill cause problems if the freediver is still submerged underwater. More than likely, when the diver has reached the surface, and by keepingthei divers head out of the water, the laryngospasm will cease and breathing will resume by the freediver who had blacked out.
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