Alert Diver Category: Incident Insights

During a recent dive trip to Chuuk, I really wanted to see the San Francisco Maru wreck. I never imagined, however, that I would have a near-death experience immediately upon entering the water. 

During a dive trip in Hawaii, a diver had a panic attack thinking he was running out of air after an equipment malfunction. Read more of his story.

Small, easy-to-ignore symptoms are often the first signs of decompression sickness. Read more about one diver’s incident.

I have been a fossil geek my entire life. In 2012 I moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and in the past 10 years I was able to turn a hobby into a living. Scuba diving for megalodon teeth in the nearby fossil-laden rivers, such as Cooper River, seemed like the most logical step seven years ago, and I haven’t looked back since then.

A divemaster hopeful had an unfortunate bout of decompression sickness during a routine dive. But it was through DCS treatment, that the diver discovered she had a heart condition.

Kelp can often entangle divers and result in anxiety and panic. Read an incident in which kelp entangled a diver and unfortunately resulted in his death.

Self-diagnosis can lead to delays in the medical care you need. Never assume — and be sure to contact DAN.

You might know me already or at least know about me. I came to Key Largo, Florida, in 1978 to open Captain Slate’s Atlantis Dive Center. Early on I had an affinity for the marine life on our reefs, and my earliest mentor, Steve Klem, had established ongoing fish-feeding activity on the City of Washington wreck.

Symptoms do not always point to just one definite cause, so it is often just as important to continue listening to the patient and exploring options that might not be immediately apparent.

A scientific diver, participating in training exercises with her team, became overheated and called off the dive. Read more about the incident, diagnosis, treatment and more.