Hi, So I'm back diving around a pearl farm..Commercial works a little thin right now duh

with Respect to the diver who passed away in this incident the events were as follows.

A few weeks back a 35 year old diver on my current work site dropped his weight belt set for swimming did an emergency ascent, waved his arms around on the surface in distress than suddenly died.

Promply rushed to the nearest town about 30 - 40 km way via a 21ft Aluminum dive boat with a 225 yammy the trip is roughly 1 hour +  bit the diver was pronouced dead on arrival.

All work is done on hookah and independant bailout. Compressor on board with secondary h.p air.. And boy has pearl farm diving changed since I did 5 years ago, the work was harder, longer and lacked anyone with a sense for safety..Things have chaned for the better.

The autopsy came back inconclusive they say he died within in 30 seconds, toxicology is still out as it takes some time.

He had removed one boot leading most to believe he was stung by a possible stone fish, cone shell, blue ringed octo, buterfly fish..

Now I thought what could be discussed is allergic reactions to these venoms. Ive known snake handlers who are allergic to snake venoms.. Once bitten they have about 5 minutes to live and get some antiveneme. Does anyone know more on this subject or any other opinions on what may have happened.


Views: 269

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Understood.

I have spoken to several people experienced with stone fish stings one in a remote location with a dive tour. He just ran the SOP of putting the sting in water as hot as you can bear and stuck it out without anti venom. The casualty was back diving in 2 days no furher medical treatment. I been told your chances are pretty good if you don't have any other complications buy people dealing with it first hand.

I find what you think of the rattle snake typical of people from your neck of the woods (no offence) just a fact.

Aussie mate, we have all the most poisonous s*** in the world here. I know two people personally who have been bit by Australia's Inland Taipan it's venomis 180 times more poisonous than America's worst snakes from memory..One was 3 hours from help and bitten on the chest so the venoms straight to all the bad parts and you cannot imobilise the wound. he lived to tell the story.Hard bastard saw heavy combat as a germen soldier ww2. More divers that I can count that i know have been stung by Irukanji and the Box jelly fish.. all have lived, some just and have sat there and written goodbye letters to there loved ones as advised by the doctors.

But stonies and all that.. different type of venom

I thought maybe someone had seen something similar.
check out this link not much info on details, but apparently through word on the street here in broome the bloke was not a pearl producers association (ppa) diver just a regular joe with a padi ticket and no ppa ssba training as required in the northern territory, .
as to why he surfaced suddenly be it air supply failure or being in the grips of a poisonous attack it is unknown, apparenty his bail out was not activated and still closed at the valve when inspected
sad stuff for those involved and condolences to the family.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/12/12/108841_ntnews.html
Matt

Yeah their bringing in PPA up here now.

As what happened with WA they are trying to bring in AS2299 up here for Pearl Divers
Off on a tagent.. For those interested.


Australian snakes.............................................Relative Toxicity

Inland taipan..............Oxyuranus microlepidotus.............50.0
Common brown snake...Pseudonaja textilis......................12.5
Taipan.......................Oxyuranus scutellatus..................7.8
Reevesby Is. tiger snake..Notechis ater niger...................5.1
Common tiger snake........Notechis scutatus....................4.2
Western tiger snake........Notechis ater occidentalis..........4.0
Beaked sea snake...........Enhydrina schistosa...................2.9
Chappell Is. tiger snake....Notechis ater serventyi..............1.8
Common death adder.......Acanthophis antarcticus.............1.5
Western brown snake......Pseudonaja nuchalis...................1.5
Copperhead...................Austrelaps superbus...................1.0
Dugite..........................Pseudonaja affinis......................0.9
Stephens banded snake...Hoplocephalus stephensi.............0.4
Rough scaled snake.........Tropidechis carinatus.................0.5
Spotted black snake........Pseudechis guttatus..................0.3
King brown snake............Pseudechis australis..................0.3
Colletts snake.................Pseudechis colletti................... 0.2
Red bellied black snake.....Pseudechis porphyriacus.............0.2
Small-eyed snake............Cryptophis nigrescens.................0.2
Whip snake....................Demansia olivacea......................0.1


Non-Australian Snakes...........................Relative Toxicity
Indian cobra..................Naja naja...................1.0
Papuan black snake........Pseudechis papuanus....0.4
King cobra....................Ophiophagus hannah.....0.3
Eastern diamond-back rattlesnake.....Crotalus adamanteus..... 0.1
Brazillian viper (Barba amarilla).....Bothrops atrox.................. 0.1
Allergic reaction can be possible. Stonefish venom is a neurotoxin so it attacks the central nervous system. If stung muscle weakness, temporary paralysis, excruciating pain and shock may occur, which may result in death if not treated. Being allergic just enhances everything. I know a guy once being stung by a lionfish in Egypt (more or less same distant family of stonefish) and this 240lbs russian guy was crying like a baby. According to the doc you have to submerge the stung area in hot water to relieve the pain. It's probably the correct way to treat it but I'm not sure it relieves the pain after seeing that russian guy. The water was luke warm but he claimed it was burning his skin off. He stayed 5 days in the hospital and was lucky he didn't got gangreen.

RSS

NEW Commercial Diving Jobs

© 2024   Created by Adam Broetje.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service