Incident Report
The provision of Emergency Assistance at Dorothea quarry Snowdonia 05/08/2001

Background:
The Joint Services Diving Expedition to HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were undertaking a training exercise at Dorothea quarry, North Wales on the weekend of the 4th and 5th of August 2001.

Sgt Dave Taylor is a Trimix instructor and the Expedition's Diving Officer.

Hollyhead Coastguard, the nearest recompression chamber in the Wirral and Flight C RAF had been notified of our training exercise by a courtesy call before we arrived. Sgt. Dave Taylor also had the permission of the owner of Dorothea for the Military personnel to dive there as it has been closed to public use.

Incident:
At approximately 11:48 on Sunday 05/08/01, the Expedition team gave assistance to a diving emergency, concerning two Civilian divers who were nothing to do with our military training exercise.

Sgt Dave Taylor had an extensive emergency procedures pack as part of his comprehensive risk assessment for our training exercise and took immediate charge of the Incident Management whilst Dr David Adey rendered medical assistance.

The two civilian divers had made a rapid ascent without stopping and one diver was distressed at the surface. Dave Taylor and colleagues sent divers already in the water to give the divers towed assistance, whilst an area was cleared to receive them and an emergency stretcher was provided using a camp bed.

The distressed and breathless diver described how he had a free flowing regulator at 50M, which he turned off and isolated, whilst his buddy had reached 66M. Both were diving on air. His buddy then apparently turned off the functioning pillar valve and the distressed diver was forced to resume using the free flowing regulator. He described taking in water, lost control of the situation and his buoyancy and both divers made an uncontrolled ascent to the surface. From knowledge gained at the Institute of Naval Medicine concerning the Expedition, such an uncontrolled ascent from depth carries a high risk of Arterial Gas Embolism. They also were at high risk of decompression illness.

A medical history was taken from the distressed diver, including details of the dive, whilst Dave Taylor collated personal details, and liased with the Coastguard concerning evacuation to the Wirral chamber. The team had deployed 100% oxygen and administered it to the casualty, along with re-hydration with water. The casualty was rapidly medically assessed and then underwent the standard taking of his medical history and cardiovascular, respiratory, abdominal and central nervous system examinations. The distressed diver had stable parameters. Dave Taylor also detailed two of the team to place the casualty in a space blanket as this incident was in the open air in the middle of Snowdonia and we knew that the water temperature at depth was between 5 and 7deg C.
The distressed diver's breathing settled as the psychological shock improved with support and he did not describe any symptoms of decompression illness.
However it was decided that due to the high risk of Decompression Illness from the uncontrolled ascent and the remoteness of the location from recompression that the RAF should evacuate the casualty by helicopter.
The team cleared the camp to provide a suitable landing site for the helicopter whilst arranging for the casualty to be transported by Landrover to that part of the site, from the waters edge, during which he had continuous Medical attendance.
The other diver, who had also ascended without stopping, having been at 66M, was then medically assessed. Sgt Dave Taylor had taken his relevant details also. This diver was well on examination with no symptoms of decompression illness despite a highly provocative ascent.
Sgt Dave Taylor, liased with the RAF winchman and passed details over of the two casualties and organised the ground aspect of the evacuation by winch of one casualty by stretcher and one by winch harness.

Conclusion:
Both of these divers were prophylactically recompressed by the Wirral chamber due to the high likelihood of decompression illness from their provocative dive profile.

Having undertaken a dangerous ascent they were rapidly placed on oxygen and rehydrated and were speedily and efficiently evacuated to the nearest chamber.

They were extremely lucky to have had their incident in this remote location at the same time as the Joint Services Mixed Gas Diving Team where on exercise.