Diver critical following scuba-dive accident

Jeremiah Jackson, NSRI Shelly Beach acting station commander, said: 'At 09h46, Friday, 26th June, NSRI Shelly Beach crew responded to a request for medical assistance from a dive charter boat reporting that they were heading towards Shelly Beach conducting Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) efforts on a 42 year old female diver who suffered a dive accident while scuba-diving at Protea Banks.'It appears that the woman was amongst divers who were descending on a scuba-dive when the woman diver encountered difficulties from unknown causes and she surfaced and upon surfacing she was taken aboard the dive boat by crew of the boat and by fellow divers where crew and fellow divers immediately initiated CPR and raised the alarm while heading towards Shelly Beach.Med-Evac ambulance services and Netcare 911 ambulance services were activated.We launched our sea rescue craft the DISCOVERY Rescue Runner accompanied by a Netcare 911 paramedic and rendezvoused with the boat at the backline off Shelly Beach and observing CPR being conducted on the woman by the boat crew and by fellow divers we escorted the boat to shore. Once on the beach paramedics were standing-by and the paramedics took over continuing CPR and administering advanced life support CPR on the 42 year old German.The patient was then moved into our medical room in our Sea Rescue base with advanced life support CPR continuing. A heart beat was restored and the patient began to breath spontaneously. Paramedics continued with advanced life support resuscitation efforts.The patient was transported to hospital by a Netcare 911 ambulance with paramedics continuing advanced life support resuscitation efforts en route to hospital and at the Netcare Margate hospital medical staff are continuing with medical treatment where the patient is reported to be stable but critical.The German Consulate are informed. File image: Shelly Beach