The recent death of our friend Nate Romig, most likely due to a blackout, shook up many of us. Every year on average we hear 2 reports of freediving spearfishermen dying this way. I want to start a discussion to establish a protocol for the divers on the surface, to give the blackout victim the best possible chance of survival. I don't want this to be a discussion of "safe diving practices" that should've been followed by the victim, just the scenario where one or two divers are on the surface, with and without a boat, and one diver that fails to surface.
I must make one exception to state that in this situation the victim wearing a Freedivers Recovery Vest would be a huge factor in increasing his chances for survival. If the victim is not wearing an FRV and one of the divers on the surface is wearing one, could also be a big determining factor. Raising an unconscious body from depth is no easy task, but simply reaching the victim and grabbing hold, then inflating your own FRV will raise both divers effortlessly to the surface.