DURHAM, NC – November 29, 2023 – Divers Alert Network® (DAN®), has awarded the 2023 DAN Lifetime Achievement Award to Dick Clarke. Clarke has been a leader in hyperbaric oxygen therapy as well as hyperbaric medical research and education for over 40 years.
Clarke’s work in recreational diving began in 1969, when after a decade in the Royal Navy he began working at the International Underwater Explorers Society on Grand Bahama Island. There he encountered numerous pioneers of diving and diving research who he credits as mentors. In the 1970s Clarke worked for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as well as Oceaneering International. He helped develop the diver medic program at the Commercial Diving Center/LA County Medical Center and in 1986 founded the National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Technology (NBDHMT), of which he is still president today.
Clarke has served as a reviewer for the U.S. Navy Diving Manual as well as the journals Anesthesiology, British Medical Journal, Undersea Biomedical Research, Undersea Hyperbaric Medicine, and Diving Hyperbaric Medicine. He has contributed to the NOAA Diving Manual and numerous other texts relating to the practice of hyperbaric medicine.
“Dick has made so many contributions to diving and hyperbaric medicine that it is hard to know where to start,” said John J. Feldmeier, DO. “He has been the discipline’s voice for safe and ethical application of hyperbaric oxygen treatment for more than four decades.”
“It’s hard to imagine a more deserving recipient of the DAN Lifetime Achievement Award than Dick Clarke,” said DAN President and CEO Bill Ziefle. “Dick has done so much over the years to advance the cause of hyperbaric medical treatment for divers. His research and his tireless dedication to educating medical providers has led to improved outcomes for countless injured divers. We’re proud to recognize Dick Clarke with this award.”
Click here to watch a video about this award.
About DAN: The world’s most recognized and respected dive safety organization, Divers Alert Network (DAN), has remained committed to the health and well-being of divers for more than 40 years. The organization’s research, medical services, and global-response programs create an extensive network that supports divers with vital services such as injury prevention, educational programs, and lifesaving evacuations. Every year, hundreds of thousands of divers around the world look to DAN as their dive safety organization. Join the DAN community or learn more at DAN.org.