CONWAY, Ark. — An Ark. firefighter is in the intensive care unit after he suffered an embolism during a diving class.
Conway Firefighter Danny Collins was part of a diving class on Saturday and was in about 20 feet of water conducting a search grid exercise with another firefighter when the incident occurred, according to the Log Cabin Democrat.
The other firefighter felt a tug on his line when he discovered Firefighter Collins had gotten tangled. Both the men fixed the line and when they surfaced, Firefighter Collins started having trouble breathing.
“It was a blessing that the doctor in Hot Springs had seen this kind of injury before and knew what to do,” Conway Fire Chief Bart Castleberry said.
Firefighter Collins was airlifted to a local hospital and is expected to stay in the ICU for a week, spending time in a hyperbaric chamber to treat his injury.