On May 9, 2025, the medical clinic on Song Tu Tay Island, Brigade 146, Naval Region 4, received and treated a fisherman from Binh Thuan Province who suffered from severe acute decompression sickness while harvesting seafood in the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago area.

The patient, Tran Van Uu, born in 1986, from Phu Long, Long Hai, Binh Thuan, was a crew member of fishing vessel BT 97669 TS, captained by Tran Huu Khiem, born in 1974, from the same hometown. The patient had no prior health issues.

According to the captain, Tran Huu Khiem, on May 8, 2025, the patient made two dives. The first dive lasted 4 hours at a depth of 20 meters, with a surfacing time of 5 minutes. After surfacing, the patient experienced numbness and weakness in all four limbs and difficulty urinating. In the second dive, which lasted 3 hours at a depth of 9 meters, with a surfacing time of 3 minutes, the symptoms improved slightly — reduced numbness in the limbs and better mobility — but later numbness and weakness in both legs returned and progressively worsened.

On May 9, 2025, the patient dived again from 1 to 3 hours at a depth of 8 meters, with a surfacing time of 3 minutes. After surfacing, the symptoms did not improve. At around 4:30 p.m. on the same day, the patient was brought to the Song Tu Tay Island medical clinic in a conscious and alert state. He had a pulse of 100 bpm, blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg, body temperature of 37.5°C, was breathing on his own, and had no headache. However, he experienced numbness from below the navel downwards, weakness in both legs (muscle strength 4/5), difficulty urinating, was able to move both arms, had no ear pain or bleeding, and had a soft, non-tender abdomen. A chest X-ray showed clear lungs on both sides, sharp costophrenic angles, and no vertebral compression or displacement in the thoracic spine.

Upon receiving the patient, the Song Tu Tay Island clinic reported to higher authorities and proceeded with an examination. The medical staff diagnosed the patient with severe acute decompression sickness (type 2). They consulted the Naval Medical Institute, initiated recompression therapy according to Protocol 6, administered IV fluids, provided oxygen therapy, inserted a urinary catheter, administered anti-platelet medication, and closely monitored the patient’s condition, reporting any progress promptly.