{"id":301,"date":"2024-12-31T08:18:52","date_gmt":"2024-12-31T08:18:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swarm.craa.cz\/?p=301"},"modified":"2025-08-23T09:51:43","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T09:51:43","slug":"nehoda-potapece-v-dusledku-vdechnuti-ciziho-telesa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swarm.craa.cz\/en\/nehoda-potapece-v-dusledku-vdechnuti-ciziho-telesa\/","title":{"rendered":"Diver's accident due to foreign object aspiration"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Year 1, Issue 1, 2024
swarm.craa.cz, ISSN 3029-7508
Safety, Work And Rescue Magazine
Pages 13-21, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.71319\/swarm2401.13-21<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Diver’s accident due to foreign object aspiration<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Roman Kudela1<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1<\/sup> CRAA \u2013 \u00dastav bezpe\u010dnosti pr\u00e1ce ve v\u00fd\u0161k\u00e1ch, z. \u00fa. ; kudela\"SWARMemail.cz<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Type of Paper
<\/strong>Case Study

Keywords<\/strong>
Accident, aspiration, buddy team, dive plan, diving.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CC BY licensed Open Access article<\/em>
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Abstract<\/strong>
The article deals with the causes of a diving accident that occurred in 2014 in Svobodn\u00e9 He\u0159manice quarry. One of the divers began to surface for unknown reasons in the 12th minute of a recreational dive and then sank to the bottom. As a result of the lack of breath, he lost consciousness. The second diver pulled him to the surface, where he successfully resuscitated him. Later, in the hospital, a foreign object was found in the injured diver’s lungs.<\/em>
English version of the article for download in PDF<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Introduction<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the autumn of 2014, a serious diving accident occurred involving one of four divers. Although the group was swimming together, the first two divers distanced themselves from the second pair during the dive, with the fourth diver lagging behind. The third diver initiated an emergency ascent, during which they unexpectedly descended to the bottom and remained motionless. Shortly thereafter, the last diver found them, brought them to the surface, and performed emergency resuscitation. Subsequent medical examination revealed a foreign object (referred to as a \u201cnut\u201d) in the casualty\u2019s lungs, likely originating from the diving regulator. Fortunately, the accident did not result in a fatality; the diver survived. Nevertheless, the incident merits attention as a reminder of the importance of full cooperation within buddy teams and the necessity of maintaining equipment in a faultless condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1       The Diver\u2019s Accident<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The incident occurred in November 2014 at the well-known flooded slate quarry \u0160\u00edfr in Svobodn\u00e9 He\u0159manice, Brunt\u00e1l district, in the Moravian-Silesian region. The quarry\u2019s maximum depth is reported to be 35 metres. The events took place at a depth of approximately 20 metres. According to participants, visibility that day ranged between 10 and 15 metres, and the water temperature was approximately 9\u00b0C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four divers participated in the dive. After convening by the water, they discussed the dive plan and the composition of the buddy team. Two divers were to swim as a pair in the front, with the other two following behind. The third position in the group was assigned to the casualty, who was the least experienced member. This lack of experience became evident at a depth of 4 metres, where the casualty struggled to achieve proper buoyancy control, causing them to ascend to the surface twice before descending again. Once they managed to stabilise their buoyancy, the group continued their dive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"M\u00edsto<\/a>
Figure 1: The \u0160\u00edfr quarry in Svobodn\u00e9 He\u0159manice [Source: mapy.cz]<\/sup><\/strong><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Initially, the dive proceeded according to plan. At a depth of 20 metres, the group paused briefly to confirm everything was in order before continuing. Shortly thereafter, the leading pair swam ahead at a faster pace. The casualty unsuccessfully attempted to catch up with them, resulting in their separation from the slowest diver, who remained behind. As a result, the casualty swam alone, positioned between the leading pair and the last diver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.1    Course of the Accident<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After a while, the last diver observed the casualty making an uncontrolled ascent to the surface. This was attributed to the casualty\u2019s lack of experience and inability to control buoyancy effectively. The last diver then lost sight of the casualty entirely. Attempting to alert the leading pair, the last diver struck a piece of slate against a metal bomb casing before beginning their own ascent. At approximately 5\u20136 metres above the bottom, they saw the casualty falling backwards (with arms and legs pointing upwards) and landing heavily11<\/a><\/sup> on a sloped bottom, where they rolled further down to the quarry bottom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Profil<\/a>
Figure 2: Casualty\u2019s dive profile [Source: Suunto<\/em> Vyper computer of the casualty]<\/sup><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The last diver (hereinafter referred to as the rescuer) quickly reached the casualty, who was lying on their side with bulging eyes12<\/a><\/sup> and was not breathing. The casualty\u2019s jaw was clenched around the regulator13<\/a><\/sup>, hampering the rescuer from inserting the backup regulator. The rescuer then grasped the casualty\u2019s BCD inflator and ascended to the surface with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Profiles of the dives performed by the rescuer (blue curve) and the casualty (red curve) corroborate the rescuer\u2019s statement. The data shows that both divers followed similar dive profiles14<\/a><\/sup> until the casualty\u2019s abrupt ascent and subsequent fall to the bottom.
The rescuer’s dive started more smoothly than the casualty’s dive, who initially stayed at the surface for almost 2 minutes and then sank to about 4 meters. Subsequently, both divers continued the dive together. The graph shows that the casualty ascends sharply to a depth of 13.7 meters at the dive time of 13:40 and then literally falls to a depth of 23.8 meters, when his fall, already slower, continues to a depth of 25.9 meters, where he stopped. After almost a minute and a half at the bottom (where the rescuer tried to solve the problem), a rapid ascent (the rescuer carrying the victim out) is started at the dive time of 16:20, which ends at the dive time of 16:40 with reaching the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Porovn\u00e1n\u00ed<\/a>
Figure 3: Casualty\u2019s and rescuer\u2019s diving profiles comparison<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

At the surface, the rescuer inflated the casualty\u2019s BCD. Upon attempting to remove the regulator, the casualty\u2019s clenched jaw relaxed, and they began to expel pink foam and vomit. Despite initial resuscitation efforts being unsuccessful, the rescuer dragged the casualty approximately 100 metres to the shore, where resuscitation was resumed more effectively, resulting in the casualty regaining independent breathing. The rescuer then removed the casualty\u2019s equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortly thereafter, the casualty stopped breathing again. The rescuer unzipped the casualty\u2019s wetsuit and continued resuscitation until assistance arrived from the first pair of divers, who helped revive the casualty and called for emergency medical services. A helicopter was dispatched to the scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.2    Witness Statements<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Statements from the leading pair of divers provided no significant insights, except for corroborating that the casualty used both diving regulators during the dive15<\/a><\/sup> and consistently signalled that they were fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rescuer noted that the casualty was wearing a very tight wetsuit, which they believed contributed to the casualty\u2019s breathing difficulties and subsequent cessation of breathing after successful resuscitation on the shore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly, the casualty was not interviewed during the investigation, reportedly due to amnesia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.3    Consequences of the Accident<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The casualty was airlifted to a hospital in Ostrava, where they were examined and briefly observed without requiring extended hospitalisation. The medical report listed the following diagnoses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n