A Dive Gone Wrong

While diving in Indonesia, a diver was stung by a hydroid, leading to some frightening symptoms.

- Dan

THE INCIDENT

A DAN Member was on a liveaboard trip in Indonesia. He was in good overall health with no known allergies. While on the second dive of the day, which was to 29 metres, the diver felt something hit his neck during the ascent and saw that it was a hydroid.

At that stage, he was at 23 metres and there was a strong current on the wall when the incident occurred. He immediately felt his neck become hot and burning. He panicked, became confused and descended to 47 metres without realising.

After composing himself, he ascended slowly and completed his safety stop, finishing the dive safely without further incident. When his buddy checked his neck there was only one small red spot.

Back on the boat he treated his neck with a hot compress and took an antihistamine.

The diver felt fine, so four hours later he commenced the final dive of the day to 15 metres. However, he soon aborted the dive as his breathing became difficult. That night, his neck began to swell.