One man has died and another remains in critical condition after suffering apparent decompression sickness (DCS) following a dive off the coast of Quang Tri, Vietnam.
The two men, aged 45 and 54 years old, were residents of Nam Trach Commune, just north of the city of Dong Hoi, the capital of Quang Tri Province.
Although the location of the dive has not been specified, the divers are said to have returned from their dive on Monday, and began showing symptoms of DCS around two hours later.
Both were taken to the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Hospital in Dong Hoi with symptoms such as extreme fatigue, breathing difficulties, and skin discolouration.
Local media reports that the 45-year-old diver arrived at the hospital ‘conscious but with serious symptoms, including widespread cyanosis, respiratory distress, and abdominal pain.’
Despite attempts by medics to save his life, the diver went into cardiac arrest and died.
The 54-year-old diver was reportedly displaying milder symptoms, and was taken to the recompression chamber at the Vietnam National Institute of Maritime Medicine in Hai Phong City.
Head of the hospital’s intensive care unit, Dr Nguyen Dai Viet Duc, said in a statement that the two men had suffered decompression sickness, following a rapid ascent.
Family members said the two men were forced to surface abruptly from between 15-20 metres, following a ‘technical difficulty.’ There is no information as to the cause of the accident.
As most divers will know, decompression sickness, also known as ‘the bends’ occurs when divers surface too quickly from a dive, or remain too long at depth without taking appropriate time to decompress.
As pressure forces nitrogen to dissolve into the body’s tissues underwater, failing to release the pressure safely can cause bubbles to form during and after ascent.
Depending on the severity of the bubbles and the location in which they form, DCS can cause serious damage to the body’s vital organs, with symptoms varying from mild aches and pains to potentially fatal cardiovascular and cerebral damage.
