News
Record 53 hour session in hyperbaric chamber saves diver’s life

Thanks to some quick thinking by doctors and a handy US Navy Diving manual, a recent record breaking long-haul stay in a hyperbaric chamber saved the life of a Michigan diver…
“What I was worried about the most was holding my breath if I panicked,” said 64-year-old Begnoche, as holding your breath while ascending rapidly could cause a fatal lung embolism. “Panic is what really kills people.”
Last month Begnoche and other volunteers dived a shipwreck to capture footage off the coast of Grand Marais, Michigan. After he was pulled onto the boat, he started feeling prickly sensations in his body and he lost control of his arms and legs. His rapid ascent caused nitrogen bubbles to form in his bloodstream, cutting off blood to his spinal cord and other parts of his body.
His decompression sickness was so severe that saving Begnoche required a helicopter rescue to Marquette, Michigan and then a low-altitude flight to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, where doctors tried a rare treatment protocol which they found in the U.S. Navy’s Diving Manual.
Along with a nurse, Begnoche spent a record 53 hours in HCMC’s hyperbaric chamber to give his body a chance to slowly clear out the damaging nitrogen bubbles.
“It’s really rare to have to do that protocol for a couple of reasons,” said Dr. Chris Logue, medical director of HCMC’s center for hyperbaric medicine. “One is that most people die. They never make it to treatment.”
Begnoche was like a “human soda bottle” that had been shaken up, Logue said, and caregivers needed to figure out how to deflate the bubbles.
Most of the time, HCMC’s hyperbaric chamber simulates a depth pressure of 45 feet to 60 feet below the surface and promotes healing by creating an oxygen-rich environment for patients suffering severe wounds or conditions such as anemia or carbon monoxide poisoning.
In this instance, Logue needed to simulate a depth of 165 feet — only 10 feet above the chamber’s maximum limit — to mimic Begnoche’s actual dive depth. That would drive the nitrogen in his body from bubbles into a solution and allow it to escape his body slowly and safely.
That’s what would have happened naturally if Begnoche ascended slowly from the lake as planned, with three or four decompression stops on the way to the surface.
Nurse Kimberlee Nerling, who was in the chamber with Begnoche the entire time, said she noticed immediate movement in the man’s arms when the chamber reached its maximum depth.
Begnoche has since regained control of his arms, and concerns about his lung functioning are over. But the semi-retired environmental manager and university lecturer can’t walk or move his legs yet.
He is receiving additional daily treatments in the hyperbaric chamber in the hopes that they will stimulate healing and reduce inflammation in his spinal cord. Whether he will make a full recovery is, as yet, uncertain.
“It’s such a rare event, it’s impossible to tell,” Logue said. “What we’ve gained back, I’m thrilled about.”
Begnoche, who lives in Michigan, watched films during his two-plus days in the chamber. He struggled to sleep and replayed how the dive went wrong in his mind.
Loaded with underwater lighting and a video camera to examine the recently discovered Nelson, a three-masted schooner that sank off the coast of Grand Marais, Michigan in 1899, Begnoche had neglected to put on a weight that would have otherwise controlled his ascent. The project was part of his work with the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
Given the amount of oxygen in his tank, he had only 20 minutes to spend by the ship. At 19 minutes, just to play it safe, he started to rise and pointed the video camera back down at the ship on the lake’s floor. That’s when he noticed how rapidly he rose past another diver.
With 40 years of experience and numerous deep-water dives, Begnoche knew he couldn’t stop his momentum.
“I was doing everything I could do to push any air out of the suit or any buoyancy devices that I had,” he said, but with the pressure decreasing and the gasses in his suit and his body expanding, it was “like a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
When he reached the surface, Begnoche immediately submerged a few feet to try to decompress and then returned to the boat when his oxygen tank was nearly empty. A Coast Guard helicopter was dispatched along with a boat.
Flying Begnoche to Minneapolis was complicated, because a high-altitude flight would have worsened his decompression sickness. So the pilot was ordered to keep the plane below 800 feet.
Having never spent more than three hours in the hyperbaric chamber before, nurse Nerling was in for an unusual shift. The 53 hours in the chamber was necessary for her as well. Bringing them out of a simulated depth of 165 feet any faster would have caused her to suffer decompression sickness.
So Nerling made sure her daughter could stay with her father and grabbed a textbook she needed to study for an upcoming nurse practitioner exam.
“It’s just me and you,” she told Begnoche in the chamber.
Once the air pressure in the chamber rose back to a simulated depth of 60 feet, additional caregivers were allowed in so that Nerling could rest.
Begnoche said he is grateful for the help he received in the lake, for the national Divers Alert Network that assessed his injuries and referred him to HCMC, and for the proximity of the hyperbaric chamber in Minneapolis.
He hopes that continued hyperbaric treatments along with physical therapy will help him regain strength, but he’s also worried. In the water, his expertise helped him focus and stay calm. In the hospital, he is burdened with the knowledge of just how devastating a rapid ascent can be to the body.
“It’s scary,” he said, “especially when you know what’s going on and what could have happened”
Source: www.startribune.com
Photos: Renee Jones Schneider
Marine Life & Conservation
British duo compete to find world’s rarest sharks in Netflix reality series ‘All the Sharks’

British shark specialists Dan Abbott and Sarah Roberts take to the seas in All the Sharks, a major new reality TV series on Netflix.
This six-part competition follows the pair as they go head-to-head against three teams across six stunning global locations, in pursuit of the world’s most elusive sharks. With points awarded for each species spotted, Dan and Sarah must seek out elusive and unusual sharks to stay ahead in the race.
Featuring rare encounters and firsthand accounts from those on the frontlines of marine conservation, All the Sharks is an action-packed, family-friendly series that combines intense competitor drama with heart-racing underwater adventures. Underwater cinematographer and UK shark guide Dan Abbott reflects: “This series has taken us to some of the remotest parts of the world, sharing the water with iconic species.

ALL THE SHARKS. Episode 6 of ALL THE SHARKS. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix, © 2025
“The sharks we encountered are unique, misunderstood and many of them, completely unknown. Shining a spotlight on these incredible animals will help people appreciate them in a whole new way.” Eco journalist, author and presenter Sarah Roberts, says.
The pair are no strangers to global adventure, having collaborated closely for seven years, with Dan typically behind the camera and Sarah in front. Their projects have taken them from the icy Arctic to tiger tracking in Indonesia. Along the way, they’ve encountered alligators and venomous snakes. But this venture is regarded as their wildest yet.
Throughout filming, Dan and Sarah captured footage of as many rare sharks as possible, using their extensive experience to maintain a respectful approach to all shark encounters and ensure minimal disturbance.
The series arrives at a time of growing interest in shark conservation in UK waters, where sightings of basking and blue sharks are growing, making the British connection to these incredible animals more relevant than ever.
All the Sharks is streaming now on Netflix.
Gear Reviews
BARE: 53 Years of Innovation

53 Years Deep
53 years ago, the idea for BARE was kindled in a small shop on the coast of British Columbia. Two passionate divers—hellbent on crafting a drysuit capable of surviving their frigid local waters—came together with a vision and a dream.
53 Years of Innovation
With every stitch, they innovated. Through every failure, they pushed. Not for profit, but for performance. To provide the sport of diving with equipment that fit better, functioned better—and lasted longer.
Ever since, BARE has continued to push, with innovations like their revolutionary Graphene Omnired® thermal technology, their impenetrable No-Stitch Technology, and their relentless dedication to Fit, Craftsmanship and Innovation.
More Than 5 Decades of Passion
Just like their founders over five decades ago, heart and passion drive every suit the BARE team make today. Because, like their founders, they don’t just make the suits—they dive in them. It’s this strong culture and unrelenting dedication that has transformed BARE from that small British Columbia shop into a truly global brand. And they’re just breaking the surface.
So whether you’re taking your first paddle strokes, or venturing out on a worldwide dive odyssey, BARE have the experience and know-how—53 years’ worth—to keep you safer and more comfortable in the water.
When you’re ready, BARE won’t be hard to find. They’ll be there—In Your Element—53 Years Deep.
Sea & Sea is the home of BARE and other Huish Outdoors diving brands in the UK.
- News2 months ago
Aqualung Group Enters Court-Supervised Reorganization Process
- Gear Reviews2 months ago
Gear Review: Garmin Descent G2 Dive Computer (Watch Video)
- News3 months ago
Saeed Rashid Joins Scubaverse as Underwater Photography Editor
- Marine Life & Conservation2 months ago
David Attenborough’s Ocean: A Review
- News3 months ago
Shannon Moran Joins the Scubaverse Underwater Photography Team
- News3 months ago
Jane Morgan Joins Scubaverse’s Underwater Photography Team
- Blogs2 months ago
Rescues, Rays, and Darwin the Turtle: My Trip to Biomes Marine Biology Center
- Marine Life & Conservation3 months ago
Book Review: Into the Great Wide Ocean