Rescue VS Recovery

[firemedic1979]

At what time frame do you decide that you are no longer in Rescue mode, but in Recovery? I know this depends on temp of water, struggle or not prior and the general condition of the patient before submersion, but is there a "rule of thumb?"

The question rises after a submursion of a person who fell from a boat. The last time he was seen was in the middle of the lake, approximately 75yds from shore. 5 minutes later he could not be seen.

ALS was requested to the scene ~60 minutes after initial dispatch to stand by. We felt this should have been requested immediately and after 60 minutes, the chance of rescue and resuscitation was zero however BLS stated that they were going to "code" him if he was found.

Unfortunately or fortunately, the victim was not located until the following day.

[1696]

Something to keep in mind, espically if you have divers in the water, get an ALS right away. This is not only for the victim(s) but for our people also, in case something goes wrong. Our team will have an ambulance for the victim(s) and one for the divers. As for your question, usually scenes under an hour are rescues, and over an hour is a recovery. It will be up to medical control to decide to "work" the victim or not. However conditions will always vary.