The symptoms of decompression sickness may be difficult to differentiate from other diving physiological problems. (© S. Barsky. All rights reserved)
rounded the spider deck just above the water level, and then down over the railing to reach the deck. After the tender removed the diver's helmet, and the diver spoke with the supervisor about the work, the diver suddenly experienced vertigo and collapsed on the steel grating above the water.
Care Following the Incident
Immediately upon his collapse, the diver was carried to the rig infirmary on a stretcher by the other members of the crew and examined by the rig medic. The rig medic suspected that the diver had ruptured his eardrum, but since he was unable to make a definitive diagnosis, he felt the diver needed to be seen by a physician. At no time did the diver undergo a field neurological exam for decompression sickness. Despite his injury, the diver asked to remain on the job, but the supervisor would not allow it. Arrangements were made to send the diver to shore via crew boat, rather than helicopter. He boarded the crew boat unaccompanied by any crewmember to look after him. After a three-hour trip to shore, the diver arrived at the dock and found no transportation waiting for him so he could receive further medical care. He called the diving company office and was unable to reach anyone who was willing to make transportation arrangements for him to receive medical care. Eventually, he made his own arrangements back to his home where a doctor at a local clinic saw him. Although he saw several physicians over the weeks immediately following the incident, none of them arrived at a diagnosis of decompression sickness.
The Lawsuit
Hidden Facts
The diver retained an attorney who filed a lawsuit on his behalf against the diving company. In deposition, the diver claimed that he had suffered from a case of central nervous system (CNS) decompression sickness. In a CNS hit, there can be a wide variety of symptoms, many of which are difficult to confirm by direct evidence. Since he had not been treated for decompression sickness, the diver made the claim that he was no longer able to engage in sex with his wife, that he had lost his ability to concentrate on complex subjects, and that he was no longer able to work. His wife also filed a separate suit against the diving company for loss of marital satisfaction.
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What the diver did not disclose to the diving supervisor, was that on the day of incident he was taking an over-thecounter decongestant due to a recent cold, and was having difficulty equalizing the pressure in his ears. This fact was revealed in a statement the diver made to one of the physicians he saw on his own following the accident. The diver further claimed that he was fearful about making the dive, but made the dive anyway because he believed he would be terminated from the company if he failed to dive. There was nothing in the other depositions taken during the case to support the diver's fears of dismissal. The diver had previously shown the strength of character to quit working for three other diving firms prior to the one where the accident took place, because he believed the firms were not promoting him quickly enough. The diver also admitted during deposition that he began to feel poorly mid-way through the dive, yet he never reported this to the diving supervisor.
Analysis of the Case
After analyzing all of the information in the case, the diver probably suffered a "reverse block," where the ears equalize during the descent phase of the dive, but become plugged and fail to equalize as the diver returns to the surface. This usually occurs when a diver has taken some form of decongestant which then wears off during the
Marine Technology Reporter 43
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