A MEMORABLE
RED CREW
EXPERIENCE
aturday 13 th October was a very memorable
day for Red Crew, given the atrocious weather,
with heavy rain squalls, strong winds and a very heavy
swell in the Gold Coast Seaway. It was also equally
memorable for the rescue of a distressed scuba diver.
Just before 1230hrs, a member of the public walking
along the Seaway Wall spotted a diver lying face-up
in the water, but apparently not moving. Thinking
quick, he contacted VMR Southport, suggesting that
assistance may be needed. At the time there was also a
strong outgoing tide, which clearly had the potential to
lead to further significant danger.
Fortunately, all Rescue vessels and crews were
at the VMR Base, having completed their morning
training. Marine Rescue 2 was quickly despatched to
investigate. Meanwhile, the member of the public
rang again to explain that there were three divers in
this group, and so a second vessel was also made
ready.
At this point Marine Rescue 2 reached the male
diver and managed to get him onboard the Rescue
vessel, but he was clearly in a very bad shape, lying
motionless, unable to communicate and close to losing
consciousness. His equipment was removed (of itself
quite a challenge) and blankets placed over him.
Whilst in parallel, our Skipper was able to confirm
that the other two divers were untroubled. Marine
Rescue 2 swiftly returned to the VMR Base, which
was being prepared by other members of Red Crew,
with the pontoon cleared to enable easy docking of the
S
Rescue vessel. Additional crew members were also on
hand, ready to provide 1 st Aid assistance to the patient.
After carrying the patient to the protection of the
VMR boat shed, the diver’s wetsuit was removed, and
Red Crew QAS First Responder Adam Watson was
able to check on his health, which not surprisingly,
indicated a very low body temperature. The man was
shivering profusely. Over a short period of time the
diver’s condition began to improve and his shivering
was reduced, reflecting the effect of the blankets used
to warm him up. His blood pressure and blood sugar
level were also checked, being stable
During this time the diver’s colleagues reached the
VMR Base, and the story of the event was told. The
3 men were exploring the area around the undersea
pipe that crosses the Seaway, as this is a known area
for fish to congregate. Whilst on the bottom, the man
ran out of oxygen in his dive tank. In order to reach
the surface of the water, with no air to breathe, he
ditched his weight belt, resulting in the situation being
observed by the member of the public.
In short, this man was a very lucky individual,
but at the same time, the breadth of the capabilities
of VMR Southport crews, and our ability to respond
swiftly and effectively, was able to meet the task
of transporting and aiding the diver under these
challenging circumstances.
Well done Red Crew.
Vsheet - DECEMBER 2018
9