Page 53 - AlertDiver_Spring2013
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Remembering their training, the two responders
immediately grabbed first aid kits, donned gloves to
protect themselves from blood-borne pathogens and
began basic life support procedures. They brought the
bleeding under control by applying sterile gauze and
direct pressure. Then they immobilized the open fracture
by splinting the arm using a scuba fin and covering the
wound to reduce the risk of infection.
Tom Hurtado was the next person to arrive on scene.
Because of a delayed response by emergency medical
services and the severity of the injury, he decided to
transport the injured mechanic to the hospital himself.
One of the trained providers accompanied them and
continued care en route.
At the hospital, a doctor told them that if first aid had
been delayed, there was a high probability that the inured
mechanic might have gone into shock due to blood loss
and might have even died. Our plan of having trained
providers around had already helped save a life.
A Toxic Sting
Scuba Cancun’s dedication to safety and decision to train
its staff has also paid off on the water. Hugo Galvez, one of
our divemasters who became a DAN Instructor at Training
Beyond Borders, was soon called on to use skills from his
DAN First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries course.
A diver came upon a lionfish during a dive. He took
his eyes off the fish briefly while pointing it out to his
dive buddy. At that moment, current and surge pushed
the diver toward the reef and into the lionfish, which
flared its spines defensively and inflicted several stings
on the diver’s hand and fingers. In pain, the injured diver
notified his divemaster, who ended the dive.
Back aboard the dive boat, Galvez took charge of the
scene. The injured diver’s hand and fingers had already
begun to swell, and the severe pain in the fingers and
hand was now starting to travel up his arm. He was also
experiencing nausea and an intense headache.
Following the protocols he learned in the DAN course,
Galvez removed broken pieces of spine with tweezers,
irrigated the wound with fresh water and cleaned it to
remove debris. Next the injured extremity was immersed in
a bucket of hot water, and the injured diver was monitored
continually throughout the return trip.
Due to the severe pain, nausea, headache and potential
for infection, the injured diver was taken to the emergency
department upon arrival at the dock, and he received
further evaluation and treatment by a physician. That diver
has since returned to Scuba Cancun several times, and he
always requests Galvez as his divemaster because Galvez’s
training makes him feel safe.
We at Scuba Cancun Dive Center are thankful for our
DAN training. At the start of the program, Hillermeier
promised that when it was complete we would be confident
in our skills and abilities. Watching a training video and
being able to provide care in an emergency situation are
two different things. Our training offered ample hands-on
practice to allow us to become proficient. Hillermeier kept
his promise. In both situations, the first-aid providers did
not think twice; their training kicked in, they knew the
proper course of action, and their responses were automatic.
Both the mechanic and the diver made full recoveries
thanks to the quality programs created by DAN Education,
presented by top-notch instructors and implemented by our
newly trained, prepared and confident staff members. These
positive outcomes are products of a true team effort.
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STEPHEN FRINK
MIGUEL CACHOA
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