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What REALLY Happens When You Get Decompression Sickness
Sep 14, 2025
A technical diver explains how they got #decompression sickness (DCS) after a deep decompression dive using trimix and a closed circuit rebreather. They provide details of their symptoms, immediate first aid, evacuation to a recompression chamber via Coast Guard helicopter, subsequent treatment and long term prognosis *Support DDRC* Please consider supporting the important work of the Diving Diseases Research Centre (DDRC). This can easily be done via their JustGiving page - https://www.justgiving.com/ddrc/Donate *Highlights* 00:00 Introduction 02:56 The dive & profile 07:04 Massive fin whales! 08:17 How much decompression? 14:40 40 mins later - Symptoms 16:00 Helicopter evacuation 21:01 Recompression treatment 24:47 Walking challenges 26:55 Would a deep stops have helped? 28:20 Future diving? 30:49 Takeaways #helicopter #decompression #emergencyrescue
View Video Transcript
0:00
How do you think Mrs. Aton's going to take this news, Rick? Not well.
0:07
Many people will have seen that humorous clip of uh of Rick who obviously
0:12
humorous clip, not so humorous situation. Rick was on oxygen because uh he had the symptoms of decompression
0:18
illness and was subsequently evacuated. I'm I'm really pleased that Rick is here with me to talk about uh the dive and
0:26
the incident and everything that happened. So, uh, good evening, Rick. Hi, Dom. Yes, I'm glad to be here, too.
0:34
Well, thank you very much. But I think there's an important question you need to answer before we go any further, which is, of course, how is Mrs. Eton?
0:42
Mrs. Eton is absolutely fine and and she had a lot of concern. Um, we actually
0:49
got a got an extra week long holiday in Plymouth on the back of this. Um not not
0:55
that I'd want to repeat it, but um I we we did have a have a nice time together
1:01
while I was undergoing the treatments and uh yeah.
1:06
Well, what's not to like with a with with a nice week in Plymouth? But no, seriously though, Rick. Absolutely. Yeah.
1:12
How how are you? Um I'm almost back to normal actually.
1:19
Um, I've still got a little bit of um, tingling on the skin of my left leg. Um,
1:27
and I think that's going to be something that's going to take a long time to resolve. Um, but it's certainly livable
1:34
with and my walking's come come back. And I think you've you've got a clip showing me going into the uh, DDRC
1:42
couple of days after my first or the day after my first treatment where walking
1:47
was tricky. Um it's it's virtually back to normal now. Um so I'm very pleased
1:54
for that. Yeah, that that is fantastic news and I I I'm really pleased as well. And I do
2:00
have that clip later on, but it's it's great that you mentioned DDRC because lots of people might not know DDRC is
2:06
the Diving Diseases Research Center. It's one of the leading um recompression chambers in the world and and certainly
2:13
in the United Kingdom. And I think this video we are going to be doing with a fundraiser to to make money for for you
2:20
know funding DJC. It is it is selfunded. It is a charity. So um there's somewhere on this video there's a button that
2:26
people can click and if they want to contribute that would obviously be absolutely fantastic and uh really
2:32
appreciated. Yeah they I I don't know where I would have been without uh the the emergency
2:38
services and the DDRC. It's been you know it's fantastic really. Yeah. And I think we've we've coming up
2:44
we've got some video that shows um you know in some detail your evacuation and exactly the service that was
2:51
uh that was provided. So there's lots of that to come in the video. But I think before we do that we probably just need
2:56
to talk about the dive first of all Rick. So yeah. Yeah. Here you are. Here we all are.
3:03
Here we all are on deco. Yes. It um it it was a strange one and looking back on
3:09
it, there were a couple of things that happened to me on the dive or on the ascent
3:15
um from the dive um that were a little bit strange. Um I I I remember and I I
3:24
can't remember exactly, but I think it was because I I was actually last up the
3:29
shot line and I released the lazy shot. Um, and I think it was at around about
3:36
50 mters on the ascent. I I got I got pain in my in my guts in my abdomen. So,
3:43
sort of around about there. Um, which gradually increased in intensity to the
3:51
point where I started thinking, oh my dear, what's going what am I going to do? Um, I've got all these, you know,
3:57
best part of an hour and a half of decompression to do and this this pain is actually really uncomfortable. And I
4:03
I I've I've never known any literature about
4:09
abdominal pain being a sign of decompression sickness. Um, and so my my
4:16
thoughts were, what had I just eaten as usual on the boat? I'd had a hot cross
4:21
bun and I'd had a sandwich and things like that and I I just wondered whether I'd eaten something funny and I was
4:28
getting some really rather unpleasant indigestion. But the strange thing was
4:33
it it it sort of reached a a peak and then tailed off and it and it virtually
4:38
disappeared. And you know, but I think that little kink is where I probably cut
4:44
the lazy and dropped a bit as the uh as I went off with the lazy and then
4:49
carried on the deco. I'm not sure at what point I wasn't aware of it anymore,
4:55
but I certainly completed all the deco without any concerns. Um, I I think it
5:01
was probably in mid- teens of of the deco where I I realized that the pain
5:08
wasn't there anymore and it had disappeared. Um, so, you know, I I
5:14
didn't put that down to being anything at all to do with a decompression
5:19
incident. Um but then later on when I was on the decompression trapze at 6
5:26
mters I was aware that one of my legs was warm. So sort of on at this point
5:34
here one of my legs was warm and one of them was cold. So my my my right leg was
5:42
warm and my left leg was cold. Uh, and my first thought was, I've sprung sprung
5:50
a leak in my dry suit and I'm getting wet and that's what's making my my leg cold. But then I realized that wasn't
5:57
really the case. It wasn't severe or anything like that. Um, and I think this
6:02
is probably the one thing that that I did wrong and I didn't alert people on
6:08
the boat when I got back up that that attempt. remember I said to you, "Oh, I had I had guts ache on the uh on on the
6:15
dive and then it sort of went um on once we once it surfaced, but I didn't say
6:20
anything about about the the difference in leg temperature." And the strange
6:25
thing was that it happened for a while and then it was so minimal, you know,
6:31
you you got to the end of the d deco cleared, sort my camera out and come to the surface. And by the time I got back
6:38
on the boat, I'd sort of forgotten about it. Um, and I got back on the boat and
6:43
all seemed fine. I decked. I I went uh down below in the on in the sort of the
6:51
for peak of the boat and got changed and back into dry clothes and so on. And um
6:56
yeah, we were sat down in the in the wheelhouse sort of on the way
7:01
home and you know, I don't know if you've got the the video of the whales
7:07
because it was the whales that that alerted me to the problem. Um, so we
7:12
there was this massive bait ball or something going on and we stopped with there were tuna jumping out of the
7:19
water. There were dolphins and then all of a sudden there were whales as well which was just incredible. These two
7:24
enormous fin whales, one of which jumped out of the water. It was like a a bus
7:30
coming out of the water and crashing back in. It's absolutely vast. But the
7:36
boat stopped and we all stood up. And it was at that point that I realized I still had pins and needles in or I had
7:43
pins and needles in that leg because I'd been sat in a rather uncomfortable chair. So I stood up, had pins and
7:49
needles and it thought, "Oh, well that'll clear." But then it didn't. And at that point I said to everyone, "I
7:55
think I've got a problem because I've got pins and needles that's not get getting any better." Um, and
8:02
I was put on O2. Uh the the the guys on the boat called it in and um yeah, the Coast Guard
8:11
helicopter came to fetch me and take me into Plymouth uh to the DDRC.
8:16
Just going to go back to the uh the deco profile here. Um you know, Rick, because lots of people, I think, will probably
8:22
want to know things like, you know, you know, how deep, how long, you know, how does this compare to other deco other
8:28
diving you've done and all those kind of things. And I so I think it's probably worth worth covering because you know I think we both view this as a u
8:37
not particularly aggressive dive, not particularly long dive and therefore you know a bit odd that this was the one on
8:42
which you you you had a problem. Yeah. I I I think there are a couple of things. I I think I think when you're
8:48
doing an 84 meter dive, it's an aggressive dive. Whatever. You can't not say it's aggressive. Um, I think so. We
8:58
we were looking for a shipwreck and it wasn't a shipwreck, but there were some interesting things to go and look at and
9:04
I swam around quite a bit. Um, and looking back on the dive, although it
9:10
was shorter than a than a normal dive, it was a 20 minute bottom time. Um, or
9:16
20 minute to the start of the ascent. So, um, I I think I probably did a lot
9:24
more thinning during my the bottom phase than I would have done if we'd gone down and found a
9:31
steam ship, say. I think if we'd stand found a steamship, I'd have I'd have been going around it, but I'd have been
9:38
doing it much more slowly because I'd have been stopping to take pictures, whereas I was going around to sort of
9:44
cover a bit of ground to see see what was there. So, that's one thing. So, so I do feel looking back on the dive, I
9:51
probably although it was shortish, it was deep and I think I probably worked a
9:57
bit harder than I perhaps would have done on a standard wreck dive.
10:03
Um, so yeah. Okay. Um, I mean it's interesting
10:08
actually. Obviously I had my my scooter and you didn't, which is which is un which is unusual. Normally we both do we
10:14
both do the same. But I guess you know do you think maybe that if you'd had a scooter it might have helped?
10:20
It might well have done. Yeah. Because obviously when you've got the scooter you don't have to put the work in doing
10:26
to with your muscles that you're not pumping blood at a at a greater rate round around your body. You you can sort
10:33
of sit and just let the scooter take the strain. Um, so yeah, I I think that might have made a difference, but um,
10:40
you know, hindsight's great and all all all these comments that we'll be making are full of hindsight, but that that's
10:47
the way of it, unfortunately. So, yeah, for certain. In terms of gradient factors and partial
10:54
pressures of O2 and all those kind of things, you didn't do anything from what you normally do.
10:59
No, no, it's sort of usual usual things. I um I think I was trying to think what
11:06
my gradient factors are. I'd have to go and get my computer to look. Uh but I think I think it was there um
11:14
something like 60 85 or something like that. That sounds about right, I think.
11:19
But I'll check I could check I could check that if you want me to. Yeah. I mean I think people will want to
11:25
know. So maybe we could we could put it in afterwards. In fact, I think I can probably get it up. Uh
11:30
it might be on It might be on there. Yeah. 6585 you've got. Yeah.
11:36
There. And um probably you were diving 1265.
11:41
1265. Yeah. And and so this was the third day of a
11:47
three-day trip. Um, the first dive was 75, the second dive was 55, but then we
11:55
actually had a virt almost or just over a 24-hour interval between the second
12:01
dive and and this one. So, it wasn't as though we were doing a a dive after, you
12:06
know, 18 hours or something. It was it was a full 24 hours after the uh the previous dive.
12:12
Um but uh yeah. And um did you push up your POT to accelerate the decco?
12:19
Um I'm not sure I did on on that one. Again, you'd be able to um to to check
12:26
on the uh not sure.
12:31
I think I left it at I left it at 1.3 cuz I because I felt I felt it was a uh a dive that you know
12:39
again perhaps I should have done um because I I I I'm aware that you you
12:44
know you you do sometimes crack you know get that oxygen toxicity level going
12:50
really high and I felt it because it was a short dive and you know it wasn't a
12:55
horrendous amount of uh deco in the grand scheme of things it um it didn't seem so necessary. But again, yeah, you
13:03
know, would that have made a difference? Possibly it would have done. I don't know. I'm going to let I've just checked here,
13:09
Rick. That green line is your P2 and um you've got 1.4 bar there. So, you
13:15
All right. So, I did I pushed it up, but I you know, it looks like I pushed it up
13:21
fairly late on in the uh in the dive. I don't I you know, I don't know why that
13:26
was. Um, but I obviously decided it was I needed to accelerate things a bit, but
13:32
uh I certainly didn't do it from the bottom. Okay. So, yeah.
13:37
So, I mean, but the there's nothing in this profile, you know, you've done any number of
13:43
other dives that are similar to this, haven't you? Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. and you know cleared all your stops and you know
13:50
so in that kind of sense you could argue that it is a you know undeserved
13:55
um you know quotation mark bend but but there you know they're all
14:00
deserved one way or another unfortunately. Yeah. Yeah for certain.
14:05
My age is not on my side unfortunately. Um and um you know I probably worked
14:12
harder at depth um which contributed uh I don't know whether I I think I I I was
14:20
pretty well hydrated. I'd had about three cups of tea on the boat out. Um but um yeah, all things considered it,
14:29
you know, it it was a shame. It was it was that one that that that caught me out, but it
14:35
it has done unfortunately. Yeah. So, so kind of going back to where we were, you were on the boat. You'd
14:42
obviously mentioned to me that you'd had this stomach pain. You then I guess it was probably about
14:47
40 minutes later, give or take. Yeah, I I would guess so. Something like that. Um, and then as soon as I said it,
14:55
I was immediately sorted out with some O2 to breathe. Um, which is where you
15:02
kindly took video of me and asked how Helen would take it.
15:09
Yeah. And I have to say you were in you were in surprisingly good spirits. Well, it didn't it it didn't seem I
15:16
suppose that's the insidious thing about decompression sickness. It didn't actually seem that bad at that time. It
15:22
it was a little bit of tingling in my leg, but nothing much else. And you
15:28
know, if you think about it, when the helicopter came to get me, I virtually sort of skipped along along the deck to
15:36
get so that the the the helicopter was coming into the uh the the the rear uh
15:42
port quarter of the boat and I had to walk out from the um wheelhouse to there
15:48
to to sort of be lifted off. And I walked out there without any difficulty at all. And I, you know, yes, I was
15:54
aware my legs were tingling, but there was no loss of function at that point at
16:00
all. No, no. Which which was, which was quite surprising, I thought. Yeah. I mean, I guess for people who've
16:07
not had a um an evacuation or not seen it, you know, this is this is quite a
16:12
good example of of of what happens. And it's I guess it's people would be interested to know. So, this is the um
16:18
Coast Guard helicopter in the UK. This one I think came from uh New Key and was
16:23
with us actually relatively quickly within about 20 or 25 minutes I would say from from when we called it and
16:30
maybe maybe a bit longer but it was um and given the fact that we were kind
16:36
of 30 odd miles offshore that's that's pretty impressive really and and then I guess what happens is as
16:43
you can see here so everyone's in the wheelhouse all the kit is secured and and tied down and everything and then
16:48
you just the the coast the helicopter comes up on the radio and you just do exactly what they say. Um, and and they
16:55
told us to head in a certain direction, I think, and at certain speed. And as you can see there, everybody is in the
17:01
wheelhouse kind of watching it. You're still on O2. And we're just kind of waiting for the uh for the crewman to
17:07
arrive. And in fact, I think this next video is going to be the crewman
17:14
have to get the windows cleaned. Yeah. Yeah. There he is. Here he comes. Uh the classic thing is obviously don't
17:21
try and help him. They know what they're doing. You can see there it must have been very disorientating in
17:26
seeing him spin like that. He must have been, you know, very dizzy by the time he got on the boat. Amazing really.
17:34
Yeah. Um but they're obviously pros, aren't they? The skill, the skill of these guys is just incredible actually.
17:40
Yeah, really is. So So there you go. You don't need to help him at all. He just gets himself all sorted. And I think we're going to
17:46
see him in a second on clip. But I turned the video off this point cuz I I would imagine the last thing in the world he needs when he gets into a cabin
17:53
is a whole load of people um sticking phones and stuff in his face. So So I guess this is this is the next
17:59
bit of video which is Yeah. I'm putting a harness.
18:04
Yeah. He talked to you first of all, didn't he Rick? He did. He did. And he he did a few checks on me uh in the wheelhouse. Asked
18:12
how you know asked various things and um looked at me. I described my symptoms
18:18
and then we went out onto the back quarter of the boat. Uh I was in a
18:23
harness and uh he he clipped himself to me or me to him and then the uh the the
18:32
pilot I I presume drops the uh the winch cable back to him. Um it was very quick
18:39
once once we clipped on it was there was no messing about.
18:45
I've got I was mo I was most concerned about losing shoes.
18:51
That that was the main thing I was worried about. That that is the question, isn't it? You
18:56
know, you it's a really odd position you're in here, isn't it? Kind of um completely in somebody else's control. I
19:03
was wondering what was going through your mind. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think we'd prepared you as well,
19:08
hadn't we? We've given you some stuff to take with you so that you know you weren't completely um
19:14
without any means of coms or anything like that at the far end. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm trying to think what it was we gave
19:20
you. You had your you had your phone jacket. My phone and um a few things like that.
19:26
I don't know. It's um Yeah. But uh No, it was I so so the one thing that I will
19:32
say which I will this is feedback from Helen actually. So, I told told everyone
19:38
on the boat, "Oh, don't worry. I'll I'll contact Helen." Um, and she thinks that
19:43
that was wrong and she she thinks you should they there was a chance that I
19:49
was, you know, I was in a much worse condition and I could have expired or, you know, become unconscious on the on
19:56
the helicopter on the way in. and she thinks it it would have made much more sense for the people on the boat to have
20:02
contacted her anyway, probably without telling me that they were going to do so. So, that's that's feedback and and a
20:09
learning point, I guess. Um, possibly. Yeah. Know, not not that she would have been able to
20:15
have done anything because she was she was in a a music recital or something.
20:20
So, but uh yeah, but useful to have that feedback. I mean, I guess this point when you when
20:26
you left, you were happy and smiling. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. You know, I I it
20:32
it almost seemed as though I was just getting a quick trip back to Plymouth
20:37
and I wasn't going to have to sit on the boat for another two or three hours. I mean, the word on the boat was you
20:43
just did it because you didn't want to carry your kit up at low water. Yeah. Yeah.
20:49
But but no. Okay. So, so so so that was you. Uh it's a really good point that and really useful and you know something
20:55
I'll definitely stay away for for the future and I guess what we don't have is is what happened at the far end.
21:01
Yeah. So um the I the helicopter doesn't land directly by the hospital or the
21:08
DDRC. It lands at a Royal Marines base a few miles out of Plymouth. Um,
21:16
so I we we landed there and we were met by an ambulance and so I then had then
21:22
had the blue light treatment to the DDRC. Um, which you know it all it all
21:27
happened in in good time and I was met by um the the chamber team and and uh
21:33
Dr. Rosie uh at the DDRC who was the on call doctor. Um and we then went into
21:40
the um one of the rooms there and and she examined me first of all and and did
21:46
a load of tests and um then proposed uh an 8hour
21:54
treatment um which was the Royal Naval 62 table I believe um which I think you
22:01
go down to uh 18 m breathing oxygen with
22:06
air brakes every sort often uh for 8 hours which uh was unpleasant. It wasn't
22:14
uncom it was well it was a bit uncomfortable cuz I had to be on a trolley which was um not the most
22:21
comfortable thing and sitting up and you have so the I was in the big chamber at
22:26
the DDRC which is I think an eightman or a 12 person chamber I'm not entirely sure um and I was in there with with one
22:33
attendant um and
22:39
it's a a chamber that's pressurized in air and then you have a a plastic hood
22:45
that goes over your head which feeds oxygen into it. Um so
22:50
uh yeah, so I I was in there with Tori who was the attendant on that evening
22:56
and we were in there I think I I must have gone in at about 8:00 p.m. I guess.
23:02
Um and because we we came out at 4:00 in the morning and you very kindly came and
23:08
picked me up but uh Yeah. Yeah. And then you got to sleep in one
23:14
of my kids bunk beds. Then I got that was the absolute highlight, the uh double-decker bus bunk
23:20
bed and I I slept in crawled into the bottom of it and I was absolutely exhausted by that time. It was difficult
23:27
to sleep when when you're in in the chamber because they you they keep it
23:32
keeps being you know you're pausing every so often to have an air break and so on. So it's difficult to actually
23:38
sleep at all at Yeah. And and and then and then you you went back in the next
23:44
day and I think And then I went back in the next day for another which is yes this video of me
23:49
stumbling in. You can Yeah, I'm walking but I'm you know not not the best. Um
23:57
and uh I had a 5hour treatment. Uh same table, Royal Naval 62 table. Uh fivehour
24:05
treatment this time. And um and then uh after that I had a a number
24:12
of other treatments which were um shallower treatments. So that I think they were to 12 m I think in oxygen um
24:22
for just two two hours for had another seven of those. So I had nine treatments
24:27
in all which uh was pretty amazing really. But each time I was getting each
24:34
day I was getting some improvement probably in to the last couple of days it was pretty minimal but um each day I
24:40
was getting significant improvement. I mean I so I remember when you came out after the first treatment and I picked
24:46
you up you were very much like we can see in this uh in this video and then I
24:51
think I so I think this was the we the incident was on the Thursday. I
24:57
picked you up on the I think picked you up on Friday morning. This is you going in Friday afternoon. Yeah. And then I
25:04
saw you again on um Sunday and it was it was amazing actually how much of a
25:10
difference there was by the time how much improved by even by then but compared to now I've improved you know
25:18
absolutely incredibly really. Um I I was caught in a range yesterday and tried to
25:23
run. That was still a little bit tricky, but I was still able to crack on at a fair old pace, but I think um running
25:30
will take a bit little bit more time to to get there. Okay. Yeah. I It's kind of interesting, isn't
25:36
it? So yeah, did did they um you know, in terms of the type of bend that you
25:41
had? Yeah. Um so yeah, so it was it was a spinal bend um
25:48
which is not good because it you know worst case scenario is you get uh
25:53
bubbles forming in the spinal cord which ultimately could lead to you know paralysis which is why I've got some
26:00
altered sensation. Um but you know if it had been really bad I could have been ended up in a wheelchair which uh
26:06
wouldn't have been much fun. So uh yeah not not at all. And I guess um you know
26:12
my understanding is it's that's the thing that gave you the abdominal symptoms cuz it was part of
26:18
Yeah. So, so that that was a really strange thing. And I I I mentioned the the abdominal pain to um Rosie and she
26:29
speculated that when that happened was the actual moment that I was getting a
26:36
bubble forming and it it was as it was forming I was getting some pain associated with it. And uh that was
26:43
really interesting because it it it cuz I as I think I mentioned it earlier I
26:48
thought it happened at about 50 m and it opens that um sort of um box of um
26:57
tricks of deep stops and you know we we've stopped doing deep stops but in
27:02
fact if I'd done a deep stop would would I have mitigated against it and helped? I don't know. I don't know. Um, but it
27:11
it's an interesting thought, but uh because I you know if you if you'd done
27:17
I think my first stop was at my first schedule stop was 33 m or something. You
27:24
could which is there. Yeah. The the the little dip down is when I released the
27:29
the shot. Um so halfway to that would have been a you know 60ish probably
27:34
wouldn't it? So which might have been before I got the pain. And if I'd stopped there for a minute or two, you
27:40
know, who knows? Another if only, but we'll never know. Absolutely. You know, we're all just,
27:47
you know, we're kind of speculating at this point, aren't, aren't we? Yeah. So, so I guess um you know, you've
27:53
obviously had a fantastic treatment both from the Coast Guard and the ambulance service and DDRC. And it's probably
27:59
worth mentioning again that we're doing this fundraising fundraiser for DDRC to try and raise some money, which would be
28:04
great. Yeah. Which would be fantastic. Yeah. Yeah. And um I guess the thing that
28:10
people will want to know is you know fantastic that you've you know you're walking much better than we've seen in
28:15
that video even if you're not kind of running marathons yet but but you know what does the future
28:21
look like for you Rick? do well I I unfortunately it means that I'm
28:26
not going to be in a position to do any uh of the deep diving that I know and
28:33
love. Uh I I have to call it a day because in a way it's been a it's been a you
28:40
know a shot across the boughs so to speak. I can't risk another uh bend and
28:46
all the problem being that if if I had another bend it would almost certainly happen in the same place. Um
28:54
I I think there's some evidence that these the sort of bend I've had is perhaps related to using trimeix. So,
29:01
the helium a helium bend rather than a nitrogen base bend. So, unfortunately,
29:07
I'm going to have to call time on my deep diving career. Um, I'm hoping that
29:13
I might be able to carry on doing some shallow stuff. Uh, I've got to have three months off uh diving completely
29:20
and it just so happens that I'm about to go to South Africa for an overland trip
29:25
for almost 3 months. It all fits in quite nicely and and basically means that I'll I'll have a review with the
29:33
DDRC in January and we'll talk about what the future holds. But uh I think
29:38
I'm going to be busted down to recreational at uh the at the very least. Um, but you
29:46
know the thing is I'm a I'm I am a photographer and I know you you've seen my wreck photos, but I do take photos of
29:53
other stuff as well and the other stuff will have to take precedent unfortunately. I'll I'll miss going to
30:00
those deep wrecks when the viz is fantastic. But uh that's one of those
30:05
things. Yeah, for absolute certain, you know, we will we will miss having you and me in
30:10
particular because some of some of the best diving that I have done in the last however many
30:16
and and and me as well. It's it's been been absolutely incredible, but uh it
30:22
it's it's one of those things that I I can't risk doing the same thing again and uh I I I've got to respect my body
30:31
on that. Yeah. No, I mean it makes it makes complete sense and it's you know it is
30:37
absolutely the sensible decision to do you know there's no doubt about that but but really sad at the same time
30:43
I guess I guess just before we conclude then Rick is is just to um you know say
30:48
is there you know what are your kind of takeaways from this is there anything that you you know think would be useful for other people to know
30:55
um oh there's all sorts of things you know it it it it's that whole list of if
31:03
ies. Um, and the problem is you don't know when whether that would have made a
31:09
difference. Um, I think I did everything right on the day and I was using
31:16
everything the same as I'd done the previous two days, but it caught me out. And I I think that that is the um the
31:24
main thing that you can take is that decompression sickness can catch you
31:31
unawares. It's a bit it can be like rolling the dice and you can just be
31:38
unlucky on your on that particular day and it'll unfortunately catch you out
31:43
and I' that's what I've I've leared to to my cost unfortunately. Yeah. Okay. That
31:50
so you know the fact is what we do has a level of risk and there's a kind of uncertainty to that risk. Um, and you
31:58
know, it's just one of those things we have to people who do this kind of things. It's one of the things we we live with. We
32:03
got to live with. But I guess the flip side of it is, you know, and it goes back to that point
32:09
when you left the the boat, you were kind of had a bit of a tingling in your leg. 24 hours later, you were
32:16
struggling. Not quite struggling to work, but it was more difficult. It was a problem. It was a problem.
32:21
Yeah. Yeah. And I guess maybe the for me the thing to take away is if somebody thinks they've got decompression illness, they
32:29
probably have and therefore you need to start doing the right things for them to get them in the right place to have it
32:34
treated. Yeah. I I think the one on the day I think the one mistake I
32:43
really made was not telling other people about the hot and
32:48
cold difference on my legs because I I I think our good friend Will had the same
32:54
sort of symptoms. Um which I'd sort of forgotten about. But if I think if I'd said to you, I've had hot and cold legs,
33:02
you'd have said you'd have perhaps flagged up that perhaps you've got a decompression thing happening. And so I
33:08
might have gone on O2 a bit earlier. Um but I I think that's the only thing
33:13
where um I fell short of my of what I should
33:20
have done. Um I I I should have identified that and mentioned it. So,
33:25
uh, yeah, I think it's it's one of those things is is, you know, we all come up from dives and you all feel, you know, what is a
33:33
Yeah, it's it's very difficult, isn't it? There isn't a marked threshold between,
33:39
you know, something being wrong and something being right. You know, there's kind of shades of gray, isn't there? Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, it it is what
33:47
it is and and I'm here to tell the tale and I'm I'm here to be able to um change
33:54
what I do, but carry on doing what I do hopefully. Yeah, I know. Fantastic. Well, we'll all look forward to more of your fantastic
34:01
shall and I I I've already told Steve Green I'm going to come out on uh one or
34:06
two of those trips uh out of Plymouth uh next year cuz uh I I I want to get a
34:13
load of topside pictures which I never never have um because I'm always diving.
34:18
So, it'll be nice to actually come out and spend a bit of time taking some nice pictures of people getting ready to go
34:23
jump in the water. Oh, that's brilliant because it'll be great to have you on the boat as always anyway. Yeah. So, so thank you.
34:29
Yeah. Um, well, I think I think that's probably the right time to to draw things to a to to
34:36
a close, Rick. But I just want to thank you for being willing to to to do this to
34:41
explain. Not at all. you know, if I I just hope people can take on board that, you know,
34:48
especially the thing about abdominal pain because I I think that's something that
34:53
you never see it in any diving textbook that that is a possible symptom of
34:59
decompression sickness. Um, but I I think I I've known other people um
35:06
who've who've had symptoms of of pain um dur during a a decompression incident.
35:13
Um but you know it it is something that should be out there.
35:19
Yeah. Well well hopefully we by doing this we've we've we've got it out there. Yeah. So, so I guess we conclude just by
35:25
saying to people, look, if you want to support DDRC, there is the fundraiser at the bottom. It would be great if you
35:31
could give whatever you can spare and it will, you know, go to a really good cause, which is helping people like Rick
35:37
and in fact a few of our friends, lots of other people as well. Yes. Yeah. Getting getting treated and uh,
35:44
you know, being put back together again. So, um, and obviously for me, all the usual sort of stuff. if you can uh you
35:50
know like like the video, if you can you know leave a comment, even if it's just to say thank you Rick. Um and uh other
35:57
than that I will um see you all on on the next one. So thank you very much and goodbye.