Lost Diver. A diver who becomes detached from the lifeline and cannot locate the
entrance hole should:
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Ascend to the underside of the ice.
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Remove weight belt and allow it to drop.
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Fix the point of the knife into the ice to maintain position.
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Remain in a vertical position, to maximize vertical profile and thereby snag
the searching standby diver’s lifeline.
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Watch for lifeline and the lifeline of the standby diver and wait for the standby
diver to arrive. The lost diver MUST NOT attempt to relocate the hole. The
diver must remain calm and watch for the standby diver.
Searching for a Lost Diver. As soon as the tender fails to get a response from the
diver, the tender must notify the Diving Supervisor immediately. These procedures
are to be implemented at once:
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The Diving Supervisor shall immediately recall all
other divers.
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The Diving Supervisor must estimate the probable location of the lost diver by
assessing the diver’s speed and direction of travel.
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As directed by the Diving Supervisor, the standby diver enters the water and
swims in the indicated direction, a distance equal to twice that believed to be
covered by the lost diver. The distance may be the full extent of the standby
diver’s lifeline since it is twice as long as the lost diver’s lifeline.
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The tender must keep the standby diver’s lifeline taut..
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The standby diver conducts a circular sweep.
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When the lifeline snags on the lost diver, the standby diver swims toward the
diver signaling the tender to take up slack.
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Upon locating the lost diver, the standby diver assists the diver back to the
hole.
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If the first sweep fails, it should be repeated only once before moving the
search to the most likely emergency hole.
Hypothermia. When diving in cold water, hypothermia may predispose the diver
to decompression sickness. Hypothermia is easily diagnosed. The hypothermic
diver loses muscle strength, the ability to concentrate and may become irrational
or confused. The victim may shiver violently, or, with severe hypothermia, shivering
may be replaced by muscle rigidity. Profound hypothermia may so depress the heartbeat and respiration that the victim appears dead. However, a diver should
not be considered dead until the diver has been rewarmed and all resuscitation
attempts have been proven to be unsuccessful.
Hypothermia demands immediate treatment and prompt evacuation to a medical
facility. A hypothermic diver must not be allowed to walk; the diver should be
transported in a horizontal position. Improper handling of the diver can cause
dangerous rhythms of the heart and a drop in the body core temperature, known as
after drop.
