Discussion
My own stupidly and complacency almost killed me and certainly damaged my reputation within the circle of people I dived with.
Due to oxygen toxicity all gas mixes have a maximum operating depth (MOD), the reason being that over a certain O2 concentration (the % of O2 in the mix X the pressure at depth) the human body reacts badly causing convulsions.
On the surface (ie in a dry decompression chamber) these are manageable, however underwater the fit would cause you to spit out the regulator although not fatal in itself the post fit incapacitation is as you would be unable to recover your reg and drown, conscious, but unable to react.
All you could hope for is for your team to support you to the surface, hard enough at recreational depths, verging on the impossible from the 70m meters of cold quarry water we were in that day with multiple gas switches due to be made on the assent.
On the day I had two identical twin cylinder set ups with me, on with a 'Nitrox' mix (highier O2, reduced Nitrogen) for the planned second dive with a MOD of 36m and for the first dive a 'Trimix' set up (contains Helium which is used to reduce the O2 and nitrogen levels).
The first dive went ok, down to a max depth of 70 meters although I remember not feeling right at depth and was rather pleased when it ended. For the second dive I went to check the contents of the cylinders of the second set expecting the instrument to tell me it was the Nitrox mix.
It wasn't, I had taken the set with a MOD of 36m on the first dive, almost to twice its depth. Whilst the MOD is based on a conservative calculation point this was way past the level of acceptable risk.
I had committed the cardinal and unforgivable sin of being complacent, certain that when I had unloaded the car the first set I had brought out was the trimix set, then having got distracted from my drills I failed to 'make a drill' after 'breaking a drill'.
Due to oxygen toxicity all gas mixes have a maximum operating depth (MOD), the reason being that over a certain O2 concentration (the % of O2 in the mix X the pressure at depth) the human body reacts badly causing convulsions.
On the surface (ie in a dry decompression chamber) these are manageable, however underwater the fit would cause you to spit out the regulator although not fatal in itself the post fit incapacitation is as you would be unable to recover your reg and drown, conscious, but unable to react.
All you could hope for is for your team to support you to the surface, hard enough at recreational depths, verging on the impossible from the 70m meters of cold quarry water we were in that day with multiple gas switches due to be made on the assent.
On the day I had two identical twin cylinder set ups with me, on with a 'Nitrox' mix (highier O2, reduced Nitrogen) for the planned second dive with a MOD of 36m and for the first dive a 'Trimix' set up (contains Helium which is used to reduce the O2 and nitrogen levels).
The first dive went ok, down to a max depth of 70 meters although I remember not feeling right at depth and was rather pleased when it ended. For the second dive I went to check the contents of the cylinders of the second set expecting the instrument to tell me it was the Nitrox mix.
It wasn't, I had taken the set with a MOD of 36m on the first dive, almost to twice its depth. Whilst the MOD is based on a conservative calculation point this was way past the level of acceptable risk.
I had committed the cardinal and unforgivable sin of being complacent, certain that when I had unloaded the car the first set I had brought out was the trimix set, then having got distracted from my drills I failed to 'make a drill' after 'breaking a drill'.
Krupp88 said:
My own stupidly and complacency almost killed me and certainly damaged my reputation within the circle of people I dived with.
Due to oxygen toxicity all gas mixes have a maximum operating depth (MOD), the reason being that over a certain O2 concentration (the % of O2 in the mix X the pressure at depth) the human body reacts badly causing convulsions.
On the surface (ie in a dry decompression chamber) these are manageable, however underwater the fit would cause you to spit out the regulator although not fatal in itself the post fit incapacitation is as you would be unable to recover your reg and drown, conscious, but unable to react.
All you could hope for is for your team to support you to the surface, hard enough at recreational depths, verging on the impossible from the 70m meters of cold quarry water we were in that day with multiple gas switches due to be made on the assent.
On the day I had two identical twin cylinder set ups with me, on with a 'Nitrox' mix (highier O2, reduced Nitrogen) for the planned second dive with a MOD of 36m and for the first dive a 'Trimix' set up (contains Helium which is used to reduce the O2 and nitrogen levels).
The first dive went ok, down to a max depth of 70 meters although I remember not feeling right at depth and was rather pleased when it ended. For the second dive I went to check the contents of the cylinders of the second set expecting the instrument to tell me it was the Nitrox mix.
It wasn't, I had taken the set with a MOD of 36m on the first dive, almost to twice its depth. Whilst the MOD is based on a conservative calculation point this was way past the level of acceptable risk.
I had committed the cardinal and unforgivable sin of being complacent, certain that when I had unloaded the car the first set I had brought out was the trimix set, then having got distracted from my drills I failed to 'make a drill' after 'breaking a drill'.
Jesus! No secondary check from a buddy? Due to oxygen toxicity all gas mixes have a maximum operating depth (MOD), the reason being that over a certain O2 concentration (the % of O2 in the mix X the pressure at depth) the human body reacts badly causing convulsions.
On the surface (ie in a dry decompression chamber) these are manageable, however underwater the fit would cause you to spit out the regulator although not fatal in itself the post fit incapacitation is as you would be unable to recover your reg and drown, conscious, but unable to react.
All you could hope for is for your team to support you to the surface, hard enough at recreational depths, verging on the impossible from the 70m meters of cold quarry water we were in that day with multiple gas switches due to be made on the assent.
On the day I had two identical twin cylinder set ups with me, on with a 'Nitrox' mix (highier O2, reduced Nitrogen) for the planned second dive with a MOD of 36m and for the first dive a 'Trimix' set up (contains Helium which is used to reduce the O2 and nitrogen levels).
The first dive went ok, down to a max depth of 70 meters although I remember not feeling right at depth and was rather pleased when it ended. For the second dive I went to check the contents of the cylinders of the second set expecting the instrument to tell me it was the Nitrox mix.
It wasn't, I had taken the set with a MOD of 36m on the first dive, almost to twice its depth. Whilst the MOD is based on a conservative calculation point this was way past the level of acceptable risk.
I had committed the cardinal and unforgivable sin of being complacent, certain that when I had unloaded the car the first set I had brought out was the trimix set, then having got distracted from my drills I failed to 'make a drill' after 'breaking a drill'.
You lucky fellow.
mrtwisty said:
Jesus! No secondary check from a buddy?
You lucky fellow.
Complacency and an awful arrogance, as I said at the start it was unforgivable given the risk it placed the team in. The other pre-dive equipment checks and the shallow bubble check would have gone ahead, I was just convinced that I has picked up the right set and failed to check it. You lucky fellow.
gazza285 said:
Jazoli said:
I was walking back to my van between jobs one day when I turned the corner and saw someone on the ground next to a taxi rank with a Citroen Picasso stopped in the road next to it.
Turns out it was Derek Bird on his rampage, I didn't realise how lucky I was until later that day.
We were on Sca Fell, watching the helicopters and hearing the sirens. Called at the shops in Gosforth the day after, our lass gets a newspaper from one shop and passes it to me in the car while nipping into another shop. I am reading about what happened when she gets back to the car, she asks me where the shooting was while we are sat at one of the locations.Turns out it was Derek Bird on his rampage, I didn't realise how lucky I was until later that day.
Marlin45 said:
2001 - I had just finished a two week project in Istanbul and checked out of the hotel early on the Friday morning to head home to the UK. Beautiful hotel overlooking the Bosphorous.
Sunday I was back home sat watching the TV news with the wife and this came on.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1293687.stm
She was always paranoid about everything anyway so I kept quiet that I only checked out of there 2 days before.
Working for an American company I was due to go on a company event to Istanbul that autumn, it was cancelled! went to Vienna instead much better.Sunday I was back home sat watching the TV news with the wife and this came on.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1293687.stm
She was always paranoid about everything anyway so I kept quiet that I only checked out of there 2 days before.
Edited by Marlin45 on Tuesday 30th June 14:49
Krupp88 said:
mrtwisty said:
Jesus! No secondary check from a buddy?
You lucky fellow.
Complacency and an awful arrogance, as I said at the start it was unforgivable given the risk it placed the team in. The other pre-dive equipment checks and the shallow bubble check would have gone ahead, I was just convinced that I has picked up the right set and failed to check it. You lucky fellow.
My father dived in the early 50s. You had to make most of your own kit as what was available was very very expensive and not great either.
They would do do circa 3 / 4 dives a day, with a pub lunch in between consisting of a lot of ale and then dive pissed in the afternoon.
I have photo of one of them about to head off using an old welding bottle... The big ones that go onto a trolly because... Because it was free and they wanted to do a longer dive for lobsters.
The only safety kit was a knife - made himself. Even his wetsuit was home-made. No BCD, no spare reg, no spare air, etc.
Miracle none of them died. It wasn't as though they staid shallow, many 30-40m wreck dives done.
Funnily enough the only one of their group killed by diving was one of them that went pro.
take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey said:
What made you become a paramedic, most MEOs go and drive an AGR for silly money or join RR or BAE?
Not unusually I did leave and fall into a role with RR in Bath/Bristol supporting Vanguard procurement and ended up working a large-ish project with GEC. Toward the end of the project I met a girl so I finished the project then quit my job, left my house, my car and my cat with my housemate and took a one-way ticket to Kiev. Other adventures in eastern Europe continued for a few years then on returning to the country I decided on a career change so Paramedic it was.Which leads nicely onto...
S100HP said:
I work for the ambulance service dispatching so might be able to answer.
A confirmed cardiac arrests have 2 duel manned ambulances sent by default, then as he was in a loft a specialist team called HART were probably dispatched to assist with extraction (they're a team of 4 trucks), so that's 6, then depending on who else was local a Community First responder or a Rapid Response Vehicle might have been sent if the DMA was more than 7 mins away. Could have possibly had a Team Leader sent too due to it being in a loft space, or a basics doctor, given the Heli was dispatched too.
Two crews for a Cardiac Arrest? Is that because there is only one clinician per crew on dual crewed ambulances where you work? A confirmed cardiac arrests have 2 duel manned ambulances sent by default, then as he was in a loft a specialist team called HART were probably dispatched to assist with extraction (they're a team of 4 trucks), so that's 6, then depending on who else was local a Community First responder or a Rapid Response Vehicle might have been sent if the DMA was more than 7 mins away. Could have possibly had a Team Leader sent too due to it being in a loft space, or a basics doctor, given the Heli was dispatched too.
One of my more taxing moments in the Ambulance Service was working in the Yorkshire Dales as a Technician when my partner called in sick; they asked if I would solo respond but in the Ambulance because the response car was broken. I agreed as I had done it (winged it) before but this particular day there was an reported collapse in Skipton High Street - I was there in minutes but the guy was in cardiac arrest with a non-shockable rhythm; I suffered twenty five minutes of repeated calling on my radio for my back-up (it was diverted twice) pumping this poor guys chest while batting away increasingly fevered questions from passers-by and then family as to why I was on my own, why didn't I shock him, and where was the back-up?
In the end local Plod became aware, pitched in and helped me get him on a trolley into the back of the ambulance and then drove the ambulance to hospital - poor fella never made it... and we passed my back-up coming the other way as they didn't get the message I had managed to get us on our way.
It was quite stressful for me and heartrendingly distressful for the family as his wife had phoned them and they had made their way to the scene.
Not one of my better days.
McGee_22 said:
Two crews for a Cardiac Arrest? Is that because there is only one clinician per crew on dual crewed ambulances where you work?
One of my more taxing moments in the Ambulance Service was working in the Yorkshire Dales as a Technician when my partner called in sick; they asked if I would solo respond but in the Ambulance because the response car was broken. I agreed as I had done it (winged it) before but this particular day there was an reported collapse in Skipton High Street - I was there in minutes but the guy was in cardiac arrest with a non-shockable rhythm; I suffered twenty five minutes of repeated calling on my radio for my back-up (it was diverted twice) pumping this poor guys chest while batting away increasingly fevered questions from passers-by and then family as to why I was on my own, why didn't I shock him, and where was the back-up?
In the end local Plod became aware, pitched in and helped me get him on a trolley into the back of the ambulance and then drove the ambulance to hospital - poor fella never made it... and we passed my back-up coming the other way as they didn't get the message I had managed to get us on our way.
It was quite stressful for me and heartrendingly distressful for the family as his wife had phoned them and they had made their way to the scene.
Not one of my better days.
That's awful for you. Yes, our crews are normally a Para + Tech or ECA. We have Single manned ambulances, but only when someone doesn't turn up for a shift, and even then the SMA won't be sent to anything other than backup to an RRV or similar, where a 2nd pair of hands are required.One of my more taxing moments in the Ambulance Service was working in the Yorkshire Dales as a Technician when my partner called in sick; they asked if I would solo respond but in the Ambulance because the response car was broken. I agreed as I had done it (winged it) before but this particular day there was an reported collapse in Skipton High Street - I was there in minutes but the guy was in cardiac arrest with a non-shockable rhythm; I suffered twenty five minutes of repeated calling on my radio for my back-up (it was diverted twice) pumping this poor guys chest while batting away increasingly fevered questions from passers-by and then family as to why I was on my own, why didn't I shock him, and where was the back-up?
In the end local Plod became aware, pitched in and helped me get him on a trolley into the back of the ambulance and then drove the ambulance to hospital - poor fella never made it... and we passed my back-up coming the other way as they didn't get the message I had managed to get us on our way.
It was quite stressful for me and heartrendingly distressful for the family as his wife had phoned them and they had made their way to the scene.
Not one of my better days.
A couple of years ago, on a Saturday night, a group of us were going to see Duran Duran at the O2 (that shows my age), so my wife arranges to go out for couple of drinks with her friends then on to a tapas restaurant just down the road.
For various reasons our concert trip got cancelled so at the last minute I decided to go and join my wife, we had a couple of drinks and then they ordered a taxi to the restaurant which is just up the road. I waited to see them off and before the cab arrived suggested that if we went to a similar, but less busy, place that had just opened up locally then I'd go with them, otherwise I'd head home and see them later. This was about 9.30-ish.
After a bit of discussion we head over the road and have a very pleasent evening, albeit the police sirens were a bit busier than usual.
If she had got the cab she would have either been in Brindisa on the night of the London Bridge attacks.
For various reasons our concert trip got cancelled so at the last minute I decided to go and join my wife, we had a couple of drinks and then they ordered a taxi to the restaurant which is just up the road. I waited to see them off and before the cab arrived suggested that if we went to a similar, but less busy, place that had just opened up locally then I'd go with them, otherwise I'd head home and see them later. This was about 9.30-ish.
After a bit of discussion we head over the road and have a very pleasent evening, albeit the police sirens were a bit busier than usual.
If she had got the cab she would have either been in Brindisa on the night of the London Bridge attacks.
Was in Chamonix and skiing by myself, last run of the day thought I'd find some fresh powder so went under the ropes of a 'piste interdit'...
Got lost and stuck by a tree line with a gully off to my right, tried to hike back up but the snow was too deep so took my skiis off, decided to hike down the gully with my skiis held across my chest.. the speed of the snow that was rushing down made me query this idea.
Spent 2hr hiking the treeline instead, the gully was a 100' frozen waterfall, sheer drop onto snowy rocks...was going to go straight over the top, guess my body would have eventually been found when the snow thawed at the end of the season as there was a fresh dump that evening..
Stupid idiot....
Got lost and stuck by a tree line with a gully off to my right, tried to hike back up but the snow was too deep so took my skiis off, decided to hike down the gully with my skiis held across my chest.. the speed of the snow that was rushing down made me query this idea.
Spent 2hr hiking the treeline instead, the gully was a 100' frozen waterfall, sheer drop onto snowy rocks...was going to go straight over the top, guess my body would have eventually been found when the snow thawed at the end of the season as there was a fresh dump that evening..
Stupid idiot....
Friend of a friends brother was on a training course in London, sometime around July/August 1980.
Went out for a drink and got talking to a Scottish bloke in a pub for a few hours. Seemed decent enough. Asked Trainee if he wanted to go on to another pub, but wanted to get back so he could be ready for next day of training course. Said farewell and headed off.
Trainee didn't think anymore of it until he saw & recognised the bloke on the TV in early 1983. One Dennis Nilsen
Went out for a drink and got talking to a Scottish bloke in a pub for a few hours. Seemed decent enough. Asked Trainee if he wanted to go on to another pub, but wanted to get back so he could be ready for next day of training course. Said farewell and headed off.
Trainee didn't think anymore of it until he saw & recognised the bloke on the TV in early 1983. One Dennis Nilsen
When I got back into biking on the road I did the IAM advanced bike test. Was out on a training ride with an instructor. Red light about to turn right onto NSL road. Light turned green and being extra careful (as had the instructor behind me) did a double check in both directions. Lucky I did as some idiot in a Sainsbury delivery van drove through the lights at 60. Had I just gone on green, as I was entitled to do, he would have taken me out.
My son went snowboarding with a group of friends to France.
They decided to go off piste and he was belting down a slope that finished with a 200ft drop.
He managed to stop with his feet (and board still attached) dangling over the drop. `every time he tried to dig his hands to pull himslef back he slid a bit closer to the edge. He eventually managed to undo his board and used it to pull himself back by jabbing in vertically into the snow.
None of his pals could get near him and had to watch.
They stayed on piste after that..
Very lucky by all accounts.
He was also very lucky racing a Formula Ford at Oulton Park. He was turned around head on into the barriers coming up the hill onto the pit straight flat out, probably at about 80 mph.
A video taken from behind shows his crash helmet almost touching his n/side mirror, such was the strech in his belts. And his neck, pre HANS device. He walked away.
I had a near miss on the Tyneside Stages over Otterburn in the borders. I was driving an ex works Chevette going as fast as I could down what looked a straight and flat bit of road when the car jumped about 10 ft to the left onto some grass.
Trying to steer it back onto the road from damp grass on slicks whilst approaching a house size rock at 90mph was interesting...
They decided to go off piste and he was belting down a slope that finished with a 200ft drop.
He managed to stop with his feet (and board still attached) dangling over the drop. `every time he tried to dig his hands to pull himslef back he slid a bit closer to the edge. He eventually managed to undo his board and used it to pull himself back by jabbing in vertically into the snow.
None of his pals could get near him and had to watch.
They stayed on piste after that..
Very lucky by all accounts.
He was also very lucky racing a Formula Ford at Oulton Park. He was turned around head on into the barriers coming up the hill onto the pit straight flat out, probably at about 80 mph.
A video taken from behind shows his crash helmet almost touching his n/side mirror, such was the strech in his belts. And his neck, pre HANS device. He walked away.
I had a near miss on the Tyneside Stages over Otterburn in the borders. I was driving an ex works Chevette going as fast as I could down what looked a straight and flat bit of road when the car jumped about 10 ft to the left onto some grass.
Trying to steer it back onto the road from damp grass on slicks whilst approaching a house size rock at 90mph was interesting...
Aged 4 I ran out in front of a car and was hit at about 30mph. Smashed the grill, one headlight and caved the windscreen in. Then went over the roof and landed on the floor. The driver was distraught. Not a scratch on me.
At 5 years of age I jumped into a swimming pool thinking it was the shallow end. It wasn't and I panicked and started drowning. Due to the layout, no-one could see me and the pool was empty, but luckily a 10 year old lad was walking past and rescued me.
Aged 17 I took a bend far too fast in a rather
handling Alfa 33. Barrel-rolled 5 times down a steep embankment and landed right side up. Not a scratch on me, again.
At 5 years of age I jumped into a swimming pool thinking it was the shallow end. It wasn't and I panicked and started drowning. Due to the layout, no-one could see me and the pool was empty, but luckily a 10 year old lad was walking past and rescued me.
Aged 17 I took a bend far too fast in a rather
handling Alfa 33. Barrel-rolled 5 times down a steep embankment and landed right side up. Not a scratch on me, again.MaxFromage said:
Aged 4 I ran out in front of a car and was hit at about 30mph. Smashed the grill, one headlight and caved the windscreen in. Then went over the roof and landed on the floor. The driver was distraught. Not a scratch on me.
Blimey, that took me back. Aged 6 I raced my brother on pushbikes down the back lane - he stopped before the end, I didn't. I went flying into a main road and hit a car; luckily I went over and the bike went under. I flew and hit the railings at the bottom of the railway embankment and somewhat dazed crawled to the edge of the kerb a little way down the road and sat still.Apparently the bicycle was still mostly wedged under the car causing a massive panic to try and find me with, like you, the driver distraught. The next thing I knew my Father arrived and sat beside me, seemingly finding me with just a scratch on my head.
He asked how I was and I said, 'Fine, except I now have two knees on my leg.' I proceeded to lift up my right leg and show him my new knee midway down my shin with my tibia and fibia clearly snapped in two.
Apparently he nearly passed out. Two weeks later my leg was broken a second time as the first time they had set it wrong. It ached in the cold weather for the thick end of twenty years.
He told that story for years to come and also added that if I had gone under and the bike over the car I wouldn't be there.
Simmos said:
S100HP said:
I work for the ambulance service dispatching so might be able to answer...
.
Thanks for the answer S100HP. I was away with the fairies so any info like that helps..
One thing that I think will be a burden for the rest of my life is that there is nothing that I feel I can do or say to thank you bunch of lovely people (all the NHS) enough for what you do.
They also closed 2 lanes out of 4 on a smart section of the M25 .l was initially diagnosed with angina. Later turned into fast atrial fibrillation .
RE The Lockerbie crash. We travelled up to my wifes relations 2 days afterwards, and the A74 had not yet been upgraded. so the town was adjacent to the road.As we approached i have never seen so many blues going, and the road was covered in rubble.
One of the few times i have sen a MINIMUM 50 mph sign, the police were waving us through as if there were no tomorrow. I recall slaloming around the bricks etc and looking across and seeing just the top of the bucket of a JCB which was down that hole. I think at the end of the crash area we were in a convoy doing 80 plus and getting thumbs up from Scotplod for not rubbernecking. The other thing was the small of aviation fuel.
One of the few times i have sen a MINIMUM 50 mph sign, the police were waving us through as if there were no tomorrow. I recall slaloming around the bricks etc and looking across and seeing just the top of the bucket of a JCB which was down that hole. I think at the end of the crash area we were in a convoy doing 80 plus and getting thumbs up from Scotplod for not rubbernecking. The other thing was the small of aviation fuel.
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