Lou from downunder
New member
Hi Kyle,
I believe that in this case the doctors have used incorrect terminology.
I think what your brother experienced was an "embolism", fancy name for a ruptured lung.
Have heard of one or two here in Oz that have suffered the same whilst freediving.
No one is sure why it happens but basically the deal is that on ascent for some reason the wall of the lung ruptures allowing air to escape into the chest cavity.
As you continue up the air outside the lung expands as the water pressure drops and puts pressure onto the lung, in effect squeezing it, making it hard to breathe once you surface.
This air will work its way up into the neck area, hence the air bubbles he had in his neck.
In extreme cases these air bubbles around the neck can work their way up along veins, arteries etc into the skull, not necessarily a fatal occurrance, but definitely not good!
Bubbles can work their way through to the skin on the chest area and if pressed on will separate the skin from the tissue. Not a big deal but I believe the sound effects are akin to popping bubble wrap.
An embolism is one of the worst things that can happen to a scuba diver, thats why we have it beaten into us that you must not hold your breath whilst diving, especially when surfacing.
A lungfull of air taken and held at 30' will expand to twice that volume at the surface resulting in a burst lung.
But a lungfull of air taken at the surface before a freedive to any depth will still be the same lungfull of air on resurfacing. Thats why embolisms whilst freediving are rare and difficult to explain.
Cheers Lou.
I believe that in this case the doctors have used incorrect terminology.
I think what your brother experienced was an "embolism", fancy name for a ruptured lung.
Have heard of one or two here in Oz that have suffered the same whilst freediving.
No one is sure why it happens but basically the deal is that on ascent for some reason the wall of the lung ruptures allowing air to escape into the chest cavity.
As you continue up the air outside the lung expands as the water pressure drops and puts pressure onto the lung, in effect squeezing it, making it hard to breathe once you surface.
This air will work its way up into the neck area, hence the air bubbles he had in his neck.
In extreme cases these air bubbles around the neck can work their way up along veins, arteries etc into the skull, not necessarily a fatal occurrance, but definitely not good!
Bubbles can work their way through to the skin on the chest area and if pressed on will separate the skin from the tissue. Not a big deal but I believe the sound effects are akin to popping bubble wrap.
An embolism is one of the worst things that can happen to a scuba diver, thats why we have it beaten into us that you must not hold your breath whilst diving, especially when surfacing.
A lungfull of air taken and held at 30' will expand to twice that volume at the surface resulting in a burst lung.
But a lungfull of air taken at the surface before a freedive to any depth will still be the same lungfull of air on resurfacing. Thats why embolisms whilst freediving are rare and difficult to explain.
Cheers Lou.