Scuba diver's simple mistake almost costs him his life
A man’s diving holiday to Bali took a turn for the worse after he failed to adhere to one golden rule at the end of his trip.
Minhaj Qidwai caught his flight back to the US within 24 hours of his last dive – a move he now looks back on with deep regret.
As he was on his second leg, a 13-hour flight from Korea to Dallas, decompression sickness began to set in following his move from ocean depths to high altitude in a short space of time.
“As soon as we reached that altitude that's when it crashed and it just hit me," he told US television station WFAA.
"My joints started hurting – my elbows, my knees, everything started aching," he said.
On landing, he was rushed to hospital and admitted to the hyperbaric chamber where he was given oxygen therapy to emit nitrogen bubbles from his bloodstream.
Staff at Medical City Plano had packed up for the night and were forced to return when Mr Qidwai was presented to the facility.
Dr Derek Culnan told WFAA it was rare to see decompression sickness, which can often prove to be fatal, in an area without a coast.
Mr Qidwai spent five hours in the chamber and thankfully returned to full health following his ordeal.
He said he wants the “humbling” experience to be a reminder to other divers to take note of the strict instructions given to them, including not flying 24 hours after your last dive, as it may saver their lives.
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