What should a supervisor do if communications are lost?

• A. Continue the dive
• B. Stop the dive and recover the diver
• C. Notify client
• D. Ascend immediately

Answer: (B)

When communications with a diver are lost, the immediate priority is to stop the dive and recover the diver. Without contact, you can’t confirm the diver’s status, air, depth, or location, and the risk of separation or entanglement is high. Halting the dive creates a controlled opportunity to search for the missing diver, reestablish contact, and bring them safely back before considering any other actions.

Continuing the dive would leave the diver unaccounted for and at greater risk. Notifying the client is important, but it isn’t the first step—safety of the diver comes first. Ascending immediately without locating and recovering the diver can leave the diver behind and can introduce deco or surface-safety risks for the team.