In case of Emergency, Dial 911 and report a "Diver Emergency"
Here's the scenario:
It was a great day diving with friends in Howe Sound. Everyone had a good time. You get home and after rinsing and hanging your gear to dry, you sit down to relax in front of the TV. Your mind repeatedly keeps back to your shoulder. You followed your dive plan perfectly, your profile looks conservative, yet you can't shake the pain & slight tingling in your shoulder. What should you do?
Not every dive goes exactly to plan, and sometimes, even the most safety conscious and conservative divers will take an unfair hit. The most important thing is to get help quickly. It's far better to go to the hospital and find out it just a strain, rather than wait too long, thinking it will go away, to eventually have to deal with permanent nerve damage. If you are in doubt, call the doctors at the Hyperbaric Unit. They will gladly chat with you to discuss your dive profile and help you figure out if you should make your way there. Remember, the sooner you get help, the less chance you'll have of developing irreversible damage.
Please note that the club does have an oxygen tank to bring on dives in case of emergencies. It is stored at Michel's house and is available for our use.
It was a great day diving with friends in Howe Sound. Everyone had a good time. You get home and after rinsing and hanging your gear to dry, you sit down to relax in front of the TV. Your mind repeatedly keeps back to your shoulder. You followed your dive plan perfectly, your profile looks conservative, yet you can't shake the pain & slight tingling in your shoulder. What should you do?
Not every dive goes exactly to plan, and sometimes, even the most safety conscious and conservative divers will take an unfair hit. The most important thing is to get help quickly. It's far better to go to the hospital and find out it just a strain, rather than wait too long, thinking it will go away, to eventually have to deal with permanent nerve damage. If you are in doubt, call the doctors at the Hyperbaric Unit. They will gladly chat with you to discuss your dive profile and help you figure out if you should make your way there. Remember, the sooner you get help, the less chance you'll have of developing irreversible damage.
Please note that the club does have an oxygen tank to bring on dives in case of emergencies. It is stored at Michel's house and is available for our use.
Nearest Hospitals
|
Lion’s Gate Hospital
231 East 15 Street. North Vancouver Emergency Room (604) 988-3131 Ext 4500 |
Vancouver General HospitalHyperbaric Unit
Division of Hyperbaric Medicine 855 West 12th Street, Vancouver (604) 875-5000 - 24 hours In case of emergency call and ask to have hyperbaric/diving Doctor on call paged. Dr. David W. Harrison, MD, Medical Manager Tel: 604-875-4033 Fax: 604-875-5294 David.harrison@vgh.ca |
Vancouver General Hospital
899 West 12th Street, Vancouver (604) 875-4111 |
Other Important Contacts
|
West Vancouver Police
Non-Emergency (604) 925-7300 |
North Vancouver RCMP
Non-Emergency (604) 985-1311 |
Canadian Coast Guard Cellular - *16
VHF Radio Channel 16 (156.800) |
|
RCMP Coastal Watch
1 (888) 855-6655 |
Vancouver Police Marine Squad
(604) 717-2791 |
Canadian Coast Guard
Air and Marine Emergency 1 (800) 567-5111 |