CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) – A 40-year-old diver was transported to the hospital Sunday suffering from decompression sickness, the Chicago Fire Department said.
Firefighters intercepted a diving boat around noon and took a diver from Montrose Harbor to Lutheran General Hospital in critical condition. He was expected to undergo treatment in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.
Decompression sickness occurs in about 1,000 scuba divers each year, according to Divers Alert Network.
The sickness occurs when someone experiences a rapid decrease in air or water pressure. Nitrogen in the blood cannot be released normally and instead forms bubbles in the blood or tissues, causing painful symptoms, according to Harvard Medical School.