shallow water blackouts

[mike.check]

i am trying to find a pool here in victoria BC that will allow me and some friends to do freediving conditioning but everyone seems to be dead against it due to the liabilities of SWB. i've been searching the net and libraries trying to find information on what to do when your buddy experiences a hypoxic incident, but everything seems to be geared towards avoiding blacking out. im needing to know more about what to do if your buddy blacks out. some sites say to surface them, remove their mask and gently try and wake them up, if no response with in a minute call the life guard. can anyone help me out with better information? are you not suppose to immediately start CPR? after all your friend has stopped breathing! as much information possible would be appreciated. thanks all

michael from victoria BC

 

[hteas]

Mike,
Most BO victims come back on their own. As you found, protect the airway, remove the mask at the surface, and blow gently on their eyelids. If they don't come back, try 3 quick breaths after 30 seconds.
What you don't want to do is shake them, yell at them, or start CPR immediately. Their heart should still be beating just fine unless they are in very serious trouble, such as having been left on the bottom for several minutes.
Check with performance Freediving in Vancouver to find out how they deal with the problem of access.

 

[mike.check]

thanks for the info. what should happen if the individual doesnt wake up with in the first 30 seconds(and the 3 quick breaths), but their heart is still beating?

 

[cebaztian]

This is my take on the issue:

How to handle a freediver suffering from blackout

If BTT and mouth to mouth does not work, you are in trouble. I could not see it happen. And if it does it is probably not entirely related to the apnea and the BO.

It could of course be a real drowning scenario, with water in lungs (that would have to be emptied) but that has as far as I know NEVER happened performance freedivers with dive buddies. The F-laryngospasm is pretty reliable, a bit too persistent often.

Sebastian

 

[JennyWren]

Almost always the person will come around within a few seconds, so start with BTT (blow tap talk) three times. Remove their mask, blow across their eyelids (not too gently, test it on your hand, you should feel a chill when you blow, that's about how hard to blow), tap them on the cheek and talk to them "Breathe, breathe, you're ok, you're at the surface". People can usually hear ok when they are coming out of a blackout so talking to them reassuringly can help.

If, after doing this three times, they still have not come around, try two rescue breaths, then, still no breathing, you need to start getting them to the shore/pooledge/boat while continuing rescue breathing. This is tough work so it's a good idea to practice sometime.

I highly recommend taking the Performance Freediving course when it comes to Vancouver (probably April?). I've taken it, and the refresher, and you learn a lot not only about safety, but about technique, physiology, psychology, etc. It's a great course.

Regarding pool access - it's a tough one. I know Kirk and Mandy-Rae are working to try to get more pools to allow us to train, so keep your ears open for news on that. In the meantime, you might want to try to get in touch with some of the local Victoria freedivers. There is a nice guy called Paul who has taken the course and sometimes comes over from Victoria to attend our training nights here in Vancouver. I know he's been trying to get access to Victoria pools for training so he might have some futhur ideas.

Keep in touch - the Vancouver Apneist Club is hoping to do another day trip over to do some freediving at Ogden Point and it would be great if you could join us!

 

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[blueface]

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