THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala fire and rescue services dept is training a team of scuba divers from across the state to enhance rescue operations. Since most districts in the state are flood-prone, the initiative aims to save maximum lives during catastrophes. Divers say the risks involved are high in this underappreciated profession that saves lives and even solves crimes many times
We are often associated with death and bad news as we find bodies in deep waters without delay. I don’t think people know about the struggles we face while on life-threatening assignments,” says Vinod Kumar M A, an officer who trains hundreds of fire and rescue officers in scuba diving under the Institute for Advanced Training in Water Rescue (IATWR) across the state. Scuba diving was introduced as a modernisation measure in the force in 2010, with minimal resources. It is now being developed as a rescue method across the state, with district teams coordinating rescue operations.
“Before the scuba diving wing was formed, we used to search deep waters with the help of a grapnel during accidents,” he said. The wing started its training sessions at Mattancherry and Kothamangalam with just six scuba diving sets.
“Currently, we are offering two diving courses to those recruited to the wing — basic open water and advanced open water. Basic open water is for freshers to improve their diving proficiency in 21 days. Advanced open water diving will cover diving up to 40 metres deep for rescue operations,” said the officer. The wing also aims to train civil defence volunteers in scuba diving.
“As there is a high probability of natural calamities in future, IATWR is looking to train civil defence officers and the public. We are also conducting swimming sessions for children and awareness programmes about water accidents,” he said.
Learning from the flood
IATWR was conceived as a special wing under the department of fire and rescue services, Kerala, after the consecutive floods in 2018 and 2019. “IATWR trainers have completed the scuba diving course from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). A total of 125 officers have passed the advanced open water diving course over the past few years. We have one trained scuba diver in all states now. Apart from this, our job also demands searching for dead bodies or evidence and even appearing before the court to provide statements,” said IATWR assistant station officer P A Joshi.
The job also comes with other challenges. “There are times when we have to cease the search for bodies. This breaks the heart of families who wait eagerly. Recently, a 36-year-old woman killed her newborn by throwing it into a quarry pond at Thiruvaniyoor in Ernakulam. In certain cases, it takes days to recover the body. By that time, it would be decayed. Such images stay with us for a long time,” said an officer.
POTHENCODE INCIDENT
Compressed nitrogen can be quite toxic to divers. “Inhaling compressed nitrogen continuously under water has a hallucinating effect on our bodies. It’s referred to as the ‘Martini effect’. When this happens, if the diver is deeper than 40 metres in water, rescue becomes difficult. Even if rescued, it will take months of medication to cure the impact. While diving back to back, a diver is required to rest at least for an hour in between. But sometimes, when the work demands it, we make more than five trips continuously, risking a high nitrogen level in our body,” said the official.
Ratheesh Kumar, a fire and rescue officer from Vizhinjam station, experienced this risk first hand in June 2021 at a scuba diving camp organised in a 15-metre-deep quarry pond at Pothencode in Thiruvananthapuram. His high nitrogen levels caused decompression sickness, nearly paralysing Ratheesh. He was taken to SP Fort Hospital in partial coma. His limbs were weak and he was unable to speak. “While under water, a diver must ascend slowly, reducing his or her nitrogen intake. Ratheesh ascended quickly while his body still had a high level of nitrogen in it. This created pain in his joints and blocked his nerve cells, sabotaging his body in a matter of minutes. We rushed him to the hospital where he underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy,” said the official.
Need for better facilities
Despite working sincerely even in the face of disasters, the officers are provided only basic facilities. The biggest irony is that none of them has state-sponsored insurance. “Divers even struggle with waterborne diseases and are constantly at the risk of developing respiratory disorders due to nitrogen inhalation,” said IATWR assistant station officer P A Joshi. There is no counselling facility either, though they deal with traumatic situations almost daily. “We help out each other after every mission because it takes a toll on your mental health. But scientific counselling is vital for us, without it, we just bottle up the traumatic experiences and move on to the next assignment,” said Vinod Kumar M A, trainer. The officers also want communication systems that can be used underwater, which they believe would be more efficient than hand signs.
the beginning
Scuba diving was introduced as a modernisation measure in the force in 2010, with minimal resources. It is now being developed as a rescue method across the state, with district teams coordinating rescue operations.
all the help we need
The Institute for Advanced Training in Water Rescue (IATWR) was conceived as a special wing under the department of fire and rescue services, after the floods in 2018 and 2019. A total of 125 officers have passed the advanced open water diving course from the institute.