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It’s amazing to me there are recreational divers
who dive without DAN insurance — it really is that
essential. I’m even more surprised there are dive
professionals who aren’t covered; I can’t imagine
doing what I do for a living without the security
of DAN insurance. As I follow the recent, well-
publicized journey of Mike Prickett, one of the world’s
premier surf cinematographers, I empathize with both
his fears and his stoic determination as he fights to
recover from the horrific dive accident he experienced
on March 14, 2012.
Covered in heart-wrenching detail in a video blog at
http://prickett.explore.org, the story is told of how Mike
risked his life to save another diver during a film shoot
off Rangiroa, French Polynesia. He nearly drowned,
and he suffered severe decompression sickness. There
is no chamber on nearby Tuamotu Atoll, and so,
paralyzed from the waist down, Prickett was evacuated
to Papeete, Tahiti, for multiple chamber treatments.
When it was determined there was little more they
could do for him there, he was transported to Hawaii
for further treatment and then to the University of
California, San Diego.
According to the frequent updates posted on the
site, “The doctors say he has six months to see if he can
ever walk again.” This is a tragic prognosis for anyone.
For a man whose life’s work depends on his prowess
in the sea — who is most at home in heavy surf and
beneath the waves — it is especially life-altering. It
is unclear whether DAN could have done anything
to change the course of his accident and subsequent
treatment, for he was almost immediately in the care
of medical professionals and facilities of the highest
caliber. But for the modest cost of DAN membership
and dive-accident insurance, DAN would have been
able to organize the emergency air evacuation and
cover the significant costs of his ongoing hyperbaric-
chamber therapy.
The peace of mind DAN insurance brings means a
lot to me as I travel to the remote parts of the world
as a marine photographer. If you have friends or loved
ones who dive, especially in remote locations, ask if they
have DAN insurance. If they don’t, they should seriously
consider the financial as well as medical consequences of
an accident. No one ever thinks it will happen to them,
but it might. I know that for a fact.
AD
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ALERTDIVER.COM
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After reading “Tangling with
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Allison Vitsky Sallmon.
Sensory Sensations
Journey to Palau with Ethan
Daniels to see incredible biological
diversity, haunting wrecks and
terrestrial sights that just might
lure you from the seaside action
in “Lunar Inspiration in Palau”
(Page 70). Savor more of this
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online gallery.
A Network of
Conservation
For her 2009 TED Prize Wish,
Sylvia Earle called on ocean
enthusiasts to work toward
establishing a network of
marine protected areas large
enough to help restore the
ocean (“Mission Blue,” Page
82). Watch Kip Evans’ “A Wave
of Change,” and see some of
the initial steps taken to con-
serve the ocean’s “hope spots.”
Making it to the Top
DAN Member Ed Viesturs scaled
all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter
peaks without the aid of supple-
mental oxygen (DAN Member
Profile, Page 23). Watch his
description of the journey in “Ed
Viesturs: Making It to the Top of
the Worlds’ 8000 Meter Peaks” by
Whittaker Mountaineering.
www.alertdiver.com
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