Assisting a diver: rescue skills and emergency response on site

In short

Assisting a diver in difficulty is something you learn: in France, it is the purpose of the RIFAP (reactions and intervention in a diving accident); other agencies offer equivalent rescue and first aid courses. This guide presents the chain of assistance, calling emergency services, the equipment on site and everyone's role. It describes no first aid or care procedure: those are learned in training, with qualified instructors, and must be kept up to date.

Why it matters

After a diving accident, the first minutes count. Specialised rescue services take time to arrive at sea; it is the divers on site who recognise the problem, bring the casualty back, raise the alarm and begin the first aid they have learned. A trained team, checked equipment and a well-given alert clearly improve the casualty's chances.

The skill and where to learn it

• In France, the RIFAP is a qualification issued by diving federations and agencies; it is required for some levels and for instructors. It combines in-water rescue techniques and first aid adapted to diving, including oxygen administration.
• Elsewhere, international agencies offer rescue diver and first aid courses, often complemented by oxygen provider training.
• First aiders trained elsewhere (civilian first aid) have a useful basis, to be completed with the specifics of diving.

Ask your club or dive centre. Skills fade: refresher courses and regular practice are essential.

The chain of assistance

Without going into the techniques, which are taught in training, assistance always follows the same logic:

1. Recognise a problem: a "something is wrong" signal, unusual behaviour, rapid breathing, a diver who is motionless or does not respond.
2. Intervene underwater: face the diver, make contact, provide air if needed, take control of the situation without putting yourself in danger.
3. Ascend while controlling the speed, with the rest of the team if possible.
4. At the surface: make sure the casualty and you are buoyant, keep their airway out of the water, signal to the boat.
5. Tow and get out of the water to the boat or the shore, with the help of the surface team.
6. Call emergency services and apply the first aid you have learned until they arrive.

The rescuer must never become a second casualty: their own safety comes first.

Calling emergency services

Who to call

• At sea, in France: the CROSS (maritime rescue coordination centre), on 196 from a phone or on VHF channel 16. The CROSS coordinates rescue at sea and transfer to a suitable facility.
• On land or anywhere in Europe: 112. In France, 15 (emergency medical service) and 18 (fire brigade) are also available.
• Abroad, find out the local numbers and the nearest hyperbaric centre before the dive.

What to tell them

• who you are and where you are calling from (name of the boat, position, site);
• what happened and the casualty's condition as you see it;
• the dive data: maximum depth, time, time of surfacing, stops made or missed, gas breathed, previous dives that day;
• what has already been done;
• a number to call you back. Stay on the line and follow the instructions.

Many dive operators use an evacuation form that gathers this information and goes with the casualty.

Equipment on site

Before each trip, the person in charge checks the presence and condition of the emergency equipment, according to the regulations and the operator's own rules:

• oxygen: a sufficiently filled cylinder and complete delivery equipment;
• first aid kit;
• emergency blanket;
• means of communication: charged phone, VHF radio;
• evacuation form and list of useful numbers;
• fresh drinking water.

Every diver can ask where this equipment is before departure.

Everyone's role on board

In an accident, the dive leader or person in charge organises the response: one diver takes care of the casualty, another calls for help, another prepares the equipment, the other teams are recalled or watched. If you are not trained, you can help by following their instructions: keeping watch, noting times, gathering the dive data.

Practising

Assisted ascents, towing and getting a diver out of the water are practised regularly in clubs, in the pool and in open water. A simulated emergency call on board checks that everyone knows who to call and where the equipment is.

Key takeaways

• Assisting a diver is learned in training (RIFAP or equivalent) and kept up to date.
• Recognise, intervene, ascend, tow, get out of the water, call for help.
• At sea in France: CROSS on 196 or VHF 16; anywhere in Europe: 112.
• Give the dive data to the emergency services.
• Never become a second casualty.

Further reading

The app lets you quickly find the data of a dive recorded by the watch (maximum depth, time, profile, stops and alerts) in the session, on the iPhone or on the website, so that you can pass it on to emergency services. The diving accidents guide helps you recognise situations that call for an alert; the useful links page lists the official contacts.