PADI Emergency Procedures & Rescue Techniques 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes the 'talk-down' technique for a panicked diver?
- Using hand signals to guide a diver to the surface
- Verbally reassuring and directing a distressed diver to calm them before physical contact (Correct answer)
- Yelling at the diver to stop panicking and inflate their BCD
- Radioing a dive master to speak with the diver
Correct answer: Verbally reassuring and directing a distressed diver to calm them before physical contact
A talk-down uses calm, clear verbal commands to reduce a diver's panic, often resolving the emergency without requiring physical rescue.
Question 2: A diver is found unresponsive on the bottom with air still in the tank. What is the most likely cause?
- Oxygen toxicity convulsion (Correct answer)
- Running out of air
- Regulator free-flow
- Mask squeeze
Correct answer: Oxygen toxicity convulsion
An unresponsive diver with remaining air is more likely a victim of CNS oxygen toxicity, cardiac event, or nitrogen narcosis than air exhaustion.
Question 3: After removing a diver from the water, you find they have no pulse and are not breathing. What is the correct sequence?
- Begin CPR immediately at 30:2, then attach AED as soon as available (Correct answer)
- Give 5 rescue breaths before starting chest compressions
- Apply AED before beginning any CPR
- Wait for EMS before starting any interventions
Correct answer: Begin CPR immediately at 30:2, then attach AED as soon as available
For drowning victims, current guidelines prioritize starting CPR with 30:2 compressions-to-breaths immediately, attaching an AED as soon as it arrives.
Question 4: Which symptom indicates pulmonary barotrauma rather than ear barotrauma during ascent?
- Pain behind the eardrum
- Bloody discharge from the nose
- Chest pain and coughing up blood (Correct answer)
- Dizziness and nausea
Correct answer: Chest pain and coughing up blood
Chest pain, shortness of breath, and hemoptysis after ascent are hallmarks of pulmonary overexpansion injury, not ear barotrauma.
Question 5: What is the first step in the PADI 'Recognize, Respond, Rescue' model when you see a diver signal distress?
- Immediately swim toward the diver at maximum speed
- Confirm the distress signal, assess the situation, and gather equipment (Correct answer)
- Alert the dive master before doing anything
- Inflate your own BCD and wait for the diver to reach you
Correct answer: Confirm the distress signal, assess the situation, and gather equipment
Recognition requires confirming the signal and assessing the scene before committing to a rescue approach, preventing the rescuer from becoming a second victim.
Question 6: What does the 'squeeze play' technique involve in PADI rescue training?
- Manually squeezing the victim's chest to expel water
- Releasing a panicked diver's grip by submerging and reapproaching (Correct answer)
- Using a BCD bladder squeeze to control ascent rate
- Squeezing a signal tube to attract attention
Correct answer: Releasing a panicked diver's grip by submerging and reapproaching
The squeeze play means the rescuer submerges away from a panicking diver who has grabbed them, breaking free to reapproach safely from behind.
Question 7: For suspected spinal injury after a diving accident, how should the victim's head be positioned during a water rescue?
- Hyperextended to open the airway as fully as possible
- In-line with the body, keeping head, neck, and spine aligned (Correct answer)
- Turned to one side to prevent aspiration
- Flexed forward to reduce spinal canal pressure
Correct answer: In-line with the body, keeping head, neck, and spine aligned
Maintaining in-line stabilization of the head, neck, and spine prevents additional cord injury during a water rescue of a suspected spinal trauma victim.
PADI Emergency Procedures & Rescue Techniques 4
Which of the following best describes the 'talk-down' technique for a panicked diver?