Panicking is considered one of the most critical situations that may happen to a scuba diver underwater. Panicking will make you forget what you already know leading to losing the ability to think rationally which is considered one of the worst things to happen to a scuba diver when being in a depth of tens or even hundreds of feet underwater with actions as the only way to communicate.

How To Assist a Panicked Scuba Diver

If you don’t have the rescue diver certification which is the recommended minimum certification level for even recreational scuba divers, dealing with a panicking scuba diver can be very hard and sometimes even scary.

In most cases, scuba divers tend to feel panicked when they’re going out of air or aren’t getting enough air. Due to the strange environment you’re in, scuba divers usually feel panic , especially in emergency situations. 

Your natural human response will make your sense of anxiety take over instead of remembering what you have learned in the training. So before trying to reach for your octopus or back-up air supply or even signal to your dive buddy about the problem, your first instinct will push you to get out of this emergency situation as quickly as possible, which is the absolute wrong when we talk about scuba diving since that instinct (in an out of air situation) is to hold your breath and kick back to the surface. Before knowing how to assist a panicked scuba diver, it’s important to identify the signs of panic at first, then learn how to properly deal with him/her.

Signs Of Panic in a Scuba Diver

Trust that you can identify the active signs of panic easily, for example, aچ scuba diver trying to tear the regulator from the mouth of another diver in an effort in order to get air. However, there are many other signs that aren’t so obvious to dive buddies, who aren’t experiencing it. These signs including:

• A wide-eyed stare that refers to panicking.
• Hyperventilation or rapid, shallow breathing.
• Breath holding during ascent.
• Sudden inability to communicate with other divers or even recognize underwater other divers’ hand signals or signs.
• Flailing both arms and trying hard to go to the surface.
• Withdrawal, involuntary freezing or inability to move.

Tips on How to Assist a Panicked Scuba Diver

Panic can happen suddenly to anyone. Use the following basic rescue techniques to calm the panicked diver down and safely get them to shore to avoid any potential emergencies.

• Try to show some calming and reassuring signs when communicating with the victim. Look him straight in the eyes with confidence (to say that you know what to do). The last thing a panicked scuba diver needs is to see in your eyes that you are afraid and you are signaling something they can’t understand.
• Help the panicked scuba diver by establishing buoyancy for him if he is quickly ascending or descending. Follow the next steps to do this
  •  First get behind them.
  • Keep your hand on his tank valve to prevent him from turning around and try to reach around for their power inflator and do what  is needed.
• Check the gauges of the panicked diver to ensure he is actually out of air or locked arms and give him your octopus. Once it is in his mouth, purge it for him. If he isn’t out of air like he seems to think, retrieve his octopus and put it in his mouth and purge it of any water.
• Once the problem of air is solved, try to get the panicked diver safely back to the surface, first ,lock your arms with him and make him ascend with you at a safe rate. This is easier said than done especially when the scuba diver is very panicked. Clinging to an anchor line to ascend will help greatly as it will make him feel more secure.
• At the surface, expect the panicked diver will try to push you or another diver in the group to get out of the water. If that diver has grasped you around your neck or head, tring to climb you. To escape from this situation, follow the next steps:
  • Keep your face away from the crook of his arm and towards his hand. 
  • Try to grasp his elbow with your hand that is closest to the crook of his arm while grasp his hand or wrist with the other hand. 
  • Push his elbow and pull out on his hand, and while sinking, twist his arm away from you. The last step is to swim clearly and prepare to regain control.
• If the panicked diver is still struggling at the surface, you have to maintain a defensive position. Just swim away on the back to keep your eyes on him. If he gets too close to you, just place one foot gently on his chest to push him away. Do do that aggressively, just try to keep a distance away from him. Swim in a safe direction, and he may follow you.
• Remember that the ideal way to assist a panicked scuba diver is to not let him panic from the beginning and if it’s too late, try to calm him down and do things for him without resting. To know how to professionally assist a panicked scuba diver, it is recommended to take a rescue diver course in which you will learn how to deal with different scenarios by role playing exercises.