PLYMOUTH, UK — A second diver was injured yesterday while scuba diving in UK waters. Authorities have not yet identified the victim but told CDNN a man suffering from potentially fatal decompression sickness was airlifted from the Isles of Scilly to hospital by a naval helicopter from RNAS Culdrose.. The rescue helicopter was forced to land on Plymouth Hoe due to cloud cover that prevented landing at Plymouth airport. The scuba diving accident victim was transferred to a land ambulance and taken to Derriford's hyperbaric chamber. Officials have not yet released information about the diver's condition. Decompression sickness (the bends) Well over half of scuba divers afflicted with decompression illness report symptoms within 1 hour of surfacing from the dive, some 95% of victims show symptoms within six hours and almost all show symptoms within 24-48 hours. Nitrogen bubbles released while resurfacing cause damage by mechanically obstructing blood flow and can also cause a local chemical disruption of the vascular beds. Any scuba diving accident victim with signs or symptoms of decompression illness, which can cause death or permanent paralysis, should IMMEDIATELY SEEK EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT. Specific symptoms include: Mild to severe joint pains involving the arms or legs.Itching of the skin, which can progress to other symptoms of decompression illness.Rashes that can be accompanied by itching.Swollen and painful lymph nodes.Pain in the head, neck, or torso, which is often indicative of a severe DSC hit.Nervous system complaints, such as weakness on one side of the body, numbness, pains shooting down an arm or leg, inability to urinate or defecate, or other strokelike symptoms. "Chokes" including burning chest pain, cough, and shortness of breath."Staggers" (indicating an inner ear problem) including a spinning sensation, deafness, ringing in the ears, or vomiting. | 
