How should a Dive Supervisor respond if a diver has a medical issue before or during a dive?

• A. Stop dive, provide first aid, remove from duty, reevaluate fitness, and adjust plan.
• B. Continue the dive but assign a standby diver to monitor.
• C. Document and proceed after a short delay.
• D. Ignore symptoms unless life-threatening.

Answer: (A)

When a diver has a medical issue before or during a dive, safety must come first. The supervisor should stop the dive, provide first aid and oxygen if indicated, and pull the diver from diving duties to prevent further risk. Then reassess whether the diver is fit to dive and adjust the plan accordingly, which may mean postponing or cancelling the dive and seeking medical clearance before resuming. This approach protects the diver from worsening condition and reduces risk to the rest of the team. Continuing the dive with symptoms, delaying without treatment, or ignoring symptoms all fail to address the immediate danger and are not acceptable.