A 40-year-old man is in critical condition after suffering decompression sickness in Chicago’s Montrose Harbor on Sunday morning, officials say.
According to the Chicago Fire Department, first responders were called to a recreational dive boat on Sunday morning. When they arrived, a diver aboard was diagnosed with decompression sickness, and the victim was brought back to Montrose Harbor to be transported to a local hospital.
It took approximately 20 minutes for the diver to be brought back to shore, fire officials said.
According to Harvard University, decompression sickness occurs when a person ascends to the surface of a body of water too rapidly while scuba diving. Treatment involves use of a hyperbaric chamber, and officials say the diver will be brought to Lutheran General Hospital for treatment.
