One Diver Dead, One Saved By HCMC Chamber

All around Wazee Lake, Wisconsin, are posted signs warning divers the nearest hyperbaric chamber is three hours away in Minneapolis. The distance proved too great for three men involved in a rare fatal incident of decompression sickness, or the bends. One died of cardiac arrest at the scene. One died after hours of hyperbaric oxygen treatment at Hennepin County Medical Center. One was treated and released.

The region is fortunate to have HCMC at all. We've covered the center's successful battle for survival as our way of asking:

Why doesn't every Level 1 trauma center in America have 24/7 access to a hyperbaric chamber?

As we survey HBOT providers from coast to coast, to update the HyperbaricLink treatment center directory and upgrade select centers to ProfilePlus, we're noting the location of every ER-accessible chamber in the US. Once our survey is complete the hyperbaric community will have a powerful database to assess its emergency preparedness and take action to improve it. This cause is near to our hearts and central to our corporate mission.