Alert Diver Category: DAN Was There for Me

Renewing DAN membership is a once-click process, but one member let lapse accidentally. It wasn’t until an emergency evacuation and 10 much-needed hyperbaric treatments did they realize the true power of DAN membership.

I am grateful for the safety information DAN publishes, their recommendations for dive medicine physicians, and the peace of mind their insurance coverage provides. My wife, Julie, and I have had DAN insurance for many years and are fortunate to have called DAN in an emergency only one time, 13 years ago when a lionfish stung Julie. Our diving had been without any incidents aside from that, but our last trip to Little Cayman was different.

After acquiring a severe infection on a remote Pacific island, one diver had to be medically evacuated to Queensland, Australia.

Accidents happen, even in Antarctica. A DAN member slipped on the icy boat deck and suffered a serious injury. DAN was there to help.

While vacationing in Cairns, a tourist suffered delayed-onset symptoms from a poisonous spider bite. Read more about the harrowing story and required evacuation.

About 12 years ago, a pair of commercial dive operators began offering adventurous divers a chance to go blackwater diving off the coast of Florida. Since then, blackwater dives have become an established fixture in the Palm Beach dive community, and I have been fortunate to log more than 1,000 such dives without incident.

DAN is available to help in all emergencies — not just ones that are dive related. Thanks to DAN, a woman received life-saving kidney stone removal and emergency transportation.

Err on the side of caution should unusual symptoms present after a dive. One DAN member experienced a rash and concentration issues. Read more about how DAN was able to help this diver.

Technical divers regularly push beyond the limits of recreational diving, so we prepare for emergencies with contingencies neatly checked off like a detailed shopping list. Learn more about how DAN handled an incident.

I always get DAN Trip Insurance for overseas trips, which gives me peace of mind should the unexpected happen. There is a modest upfront payment based on the total trip costs and your age, so I considered skipping it for a Raja Ampat trip since I’ve had many trips without having to file a claim. I’m glad I chose otherwise.