IDC Risk Management & Emergency Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What is the first priority in any diving emergency?

Recovering the diver's equipment
Ensuring the safety of the rescuer and then establishing diver safety (Correct answer)
Documenting the incident
Notifying PADI immediately

Correct answer: Ensuring the safety of the rescuer and then establishing diver safety

In any diving emergency, the first priority is ensuring the safety of the rescuer before attempting a rescue, followed by establishing the affected diver's safety.

In diving emergencies, the fundamental principle is that the rescuer must ensure their own safety first. An unsafe rescuer can become a second victim, compounding the emergency. Once personal safety is established, the focus shifts to evaluating and stabilizing the affected diver. This includes assessing responsiveness, establishing buoyancy, airway management, and activating the emergency action plan (EAP). PADI instructors must drill this principle into students during Rescue Diver training.

Question 2: What does an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) include?

A list of equipment required for diving
Procedures, roles, contact numbers, and resources for responding to diving emergencies (Correct answer)
A medical fitness questionnaire
The dive profile and weather forecast

Correct answer: Procedures, roles, contact numbers, and resources for responding to diving emergencies

An EAP is a pre-planned document that outlines emergency procedures, assigns responsibilities, lists emergency contact numbers, and identifies available resources.

An Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is a critical safety document that every dive operation should have. It includes: emergency contact numbers (DAN, local EMS, nearest hyperbaric chamber), assigned roles for staff during an emergency, step-by-step procedures for common diving emergencies (drowning, DCS, barotrauma), location of emergency equipment (O2 kit, AED, first aid kit), and evacuation procedures. PADI instructors are responsible for creating and reviewing EAPs at their dive sites and ensuring all staff and divemasters are familiar with them.

Question 3: Which of the following is a sign of a panicking diver on the surface?

Calmly inflating the BCD
Maintaining a normal breathing pattern
Erratic movements, wide eyes, refusing to put face in water (Correct answer)
Performing a relaxed back roll entry

Correct answer: Erratic movements, wide eyes, refusing to put face in water

Panic in diving is characterized by erratic behavior, wide eyes, hyperventilation, and loss of rational thinking — all visible signs that require immediate intervention.

Panic is one of the most dangerous conditions in diving because it overrides rational thought and leads to poor decisions. Surface signs of panic include: wide eyes with a frightened expression, erratic or uncoordinated movements, refusal or inability to put the face in the water, hyperventilation, clutching at anything nearby, and failure to inflate the BCD. An instructor's role is to recognize panic early, speak calmly and firmly, assist the diver in establishing positive buoyancy, and direct them toward safety.

Question 4: What is the recommended procedure for managing an unresponsive diver in the water?

Immediately remove all gear and attempt CPR in the water
Establish positive buoyancy, signal for help, and begin in-water rescue breathing if trained (Correct answer)
Leave the diver and swim for shore to call help
Descend to check for any equipment issues causing the problem

Correct answer: Establish positive buoyancy, signal for help, and begin in-water rescue breathing if trained

For an unresponsive diver, the priority is establishing positive buoyancy and beginning in-water rescue breathing while signaling for assistance.

When encountering an unresponsive diver in the water, the protocol is: (1) approach safely, (2) establish positive buoyancy by inflating both the rescuer's and victim's BCDs, (3) signal for help, (4) if trained, begin in-water rescue breathing at one breath every 5 seconds while towing the victim to shore or the boat, (5) get the victim to a firm surface as quickly as possible for full CPR. PADI Rescue Diver training covers these techniques in detail.

Question 5: What is the most common cause of diving fatalities according to DAN accident analysis?

Equipment failure
Marine animal encounters
Drowning and arterial gas embolism, often preceded by panic or cardiac events (Correct answer)
Shark attacks

Correct answer: Drowning and arterial gas embolism, often preceded by panic or cardiac events

Diving fatality analysis consistently shows that drowning (often preceded by panic or cardiac events) and arterial gas embolism are the leading causes, not equipment failure or marine animals.

Studies by DAN (Divers Alert Network) consistently show that the majority of diving fatalities involve drowning (with or without signs of cardiac events), arterial gas embolism (from breath-holding during ascent), or cardiovascular disease. Equipment failure is rarely the primary cause. Panic, poor physical fitness, pre-existing medical conditions, and failure to follow safe diving practices are the most significant contributing factors.

Question 6: What is the recommended treatment for a conscious diver suspected of near-drowning who has inhaled water?

Leave the diver to rest and monitor from a distance
Administer 100% oxygen and seek medical evaluation even if the diver appears recovered (Correct answer)
Give the diver warm fluids and observe for 15 minutes
Have the diver perform light exercise to clear their lungs

Correct answer: Administer 100% oxygen and seek medical evaluation even if the diver appears recovered

Near-drowning victims should always receive 100% oxygen and be evaluated by medical professionals, even if they appear to recover, due to the risk of secondary drowning.

Near-drowning requires serious medical attention even when the victim appears to recover. Water in the lungs can cause delayed pulmonary edema (secondary drowning), which can be fatal hours after the incident. Treatment includes: administering 100% oxygen, keeping the patient calm and warm, and transporting them to a medical facility for evaluation. PADI instructors must emphasize that feeling fine after a water inhalation incident does not mean the diver is safe — immediate medical evaluation is always required.

IDC Risk Management & Emergency Procedures 2

What is the first priority in any diving emergency?