Severe neck and shoulder pain plagued one diver after a day of scuba diving in the South Pacific. The pain worsened and other symptoms developed, but local treatments were not an option. Thanks to DAN, treatments were coordinated.
While in Mexico’s Baja peninsula, a freediver experienced a bad cut on his had from his speargun. It was caused by lack of attention and hurt badly. Thankfully, DAN was there to help.
Our checkout dive was easy, with a maximum depth of 75 feet for 50 minutes. The current was slight, and the visibility was spectacular — an ideal first dive. It closed with a nice, slow ascent and a three-minute safety stop. When we returned to the boat, I felt a sudden tingling in my right foot followed by a dull ache in my knee. I assumed the worst, thinking I had decompression sickness (DCS). When I reviewed the dive in my mind, however, that seemed impossible.
Soon after surfacing from her first dive of the day, Deborah Newman felt a spasm in her upper back followed by a squeezing sensation in her chest, hypersensitive skin, weakness and nausea.
While trying to eat a fish for lunch, a shark accidentally nipped a diver’s hand instead. The injury was bloody but thankfully, DAN provided needed assistance and guidance.
My buddy and I ascended to 20 feet for our safety stop. As soon as we surfaced I thought I saw the boat moving away from me but quickly realized I was disoriented. It felt like vertigo, but I managed to get on board the boat. I removed my gear and was talking to my buddy when I started involuntarily leaning forward until I lost my balance and collapsed face-down on the deck. I felt paralyzed and couldn’t get up.
While on a trip to Tahiti, a 71-year-old experienced diver and competitive rower coughed up foamy blood after making three recreational dives on nitrox. He called DAN for advice and later saw a cardiologist, who diagnosed him with exercise-induced mitral valve prolapse. This diver recommends that divers continue to educate themselves, maintain their DAN membership and insurance coverage, go slowly if they haven’t dived in a while, be prepared and practice for emergencies.
A DAN member and dive instructor’s routine day was faced with setback after setback. She ended up needing a hyperbaric treatment. Read more about how DAN helped this member.
A ruptured appendix ruined what should have been a fantastic whale adventure. Thanks to DAN, the adventurer was able to receive life-saving evacuation and care. Read more about this DAN member’s story.
DAN not only provides emergency resources to divers, but sailors, too. Read one couple’s harrowing story of a concussion at sea and how DAN was able to provide assistance.
