VALENTIA, Ireland (24 Sep 2004) -- A SCUBA diver is recovering in hospital after becoming ill during a weekend diving accident off the Kerry coast. The man, who is in his 30s, was part of a group diving at Ballydavid Head when he became ill after surfacing too quickly. According to the marine rescue service at Valentia, who were involved in the rescue along with the Fenit Lifeboat service, the man's diving companions acted quickly and administered oxygen while the coastguard helicopter from Shannon made its way to Smerwick Harbour. He was flown directly to Galway University Hospital where he was treated in a special decompression chamber and it is believed he will make a full recovery. The incident happened at noon on Sunday when the Irish group was completing a coastal dive at a depth of 30 metres. | | Helicopter airlift Decompression sickness is a very serious, potentially lethal condition that hits divers if they surface too quickly and nitrogen bubbles can form in their bloodstream and body tissue. SOURCE - The Kingdom |
