How should an exhausted diver be managed?

The management of an exhausted diver is critical for ensuring their safety and well-being. Assisting the exhausted diver to the surface and monitoring them for medical issues is the best approach in this situation.

When a diver is exhausted, they may not have the strength to safely ascend unassisted. By providing support to help them reach the surface, the supervisor ensures that the diver does not risk further complications, such as decompression sickness or drowning. Once at the surface, monitoring for medical issues becomes essential because fatigue can lead to various underwater injuries or conditions, including hypoxia, carbon dioxide buildup, or barotrauma.

In contrast, leaving a diver at the bottom to recover can be highly dangerous, as they may struggle to regain strength or face other issues. Adding extra weights for stabilization does not address the diver's state of exhaustion and could worsen their condition. Immediately resuscitating without assessing the diver for other potential issues overlooks the need for a thorough evaluation of the diver’s health status, which is necessary before such critical interventions.

Thus, the structured and cautious approach of assisting the diver to the surface and ensuring their safety through monitoring aligns perfectly with best practices in dive safety management.