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DON'T GET BASHFUL IN AN EMERGENCY
NIGEL EATON, EDITOR
IF IN DOUBT, CALL US OUT. That's the message for British divers from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), which says that we are too slow to get in touch when things go wrong at sea.
Although its annual figures for 2002 show no increase in diving incidents over the previous year and a welcome reduction in deaths, the MCA, which coordinates rescue services at coastal sites around the UK, is concerned that divers often delay calling for help.
It also points out, as we have reported previously (News, April), that many divers are unaware that the Coastguard should always be their first call in times of trouble. And this bears reiteration in the light of the MCA's figures for the first 4 months of 2003, which show a continuation of the underlying trend.
"We have seen evidence of divers not making HM Coastguard their first point of contact in the event of an emergency [causing] delays and possible worsening of medical conditions," says Ken Bazeley, the MCA's National Diving Liaison Officer. " A reluctance to report to us often stems from embarrassment, fear, and lack of knowledge of how to contact us."
But Bazeley maintains: "There is no loss of face, and it gives the Coastguard the opportunity to assemble RNLI crews, scramble rescue helicopters and in general prepare for a search. Minutes count and can never be got back."
The advice is that Coastguard stations are on call 24 hours a day all year round to assist any shore or boat-diving incident (when ashore, call the local Coastguard number or dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard; when at sea, use VHF Channel 16).
The emergency help on offer includes: connection by telephone, VHF radio or mobile phone to a diving doctor; searching for missing divers; and arranging for evacuation of divers.
How do they do it? In addition to RNLI lifeboats, Coastguard vessels, and SAR helicopters, the impressive array of services at their disposal includes ambulance and fire units, and MoD bomb-clearance teams. They are also able to call on naval and other vessels which may be passing through a given sea area.
In terms of reducing risks, the key recommendations for divers are to ensure that boats are properly equipped and maintained, and to use effective surface-detection aids on every dive.
But the reality is that, however well we prepare, things at sea can sometimes go awry. So, when trouble strikes, we shouldn't be afraid to call in the experts. That, after all, is what they are there for.
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