Diver airlifted to hospital after showing signs of the bends

Coastguard: The diver showed symptoms of decompression sickness.Crown Copyright

A diver has been airlifted to hospital after showing symptoms of suffering from the bends.

The man became unwell during a dive off the coast of the Isle of Muck, in the Inner Hebrides, at about 12.45pm on Monday.

His diving party contacted the emergency services after he had been brought to the pier on the island.

Stornoway coastguard said he was taken by helicopter to Oban hospital in Argyll.

The coastguard confirmed that should he require further treatment, the diver will be taken to Oban Hyperbaric Chamber at Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory in the town for decompression sickness treatment.

Decompression sickness, also known as the bends, can affect divers who surface too quickly because the change in pressure can cause nitrogen bubbles to form in the bloodstream.

Map shows location of Isle of Muck diving incident.


View Isle of Muck locator in a larger map

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