The wife of Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon was rushed to the hospital after experiencing decompression sickness (DCS) following a scuba dive. 

Biazon brought his wife, Trina, to the emergency room on May 17 after she complained of pain in her elblow. 

The mayor and his wife are certified divers and have more than 700 dives each. 

“Now, after all those years of diving, the thing that divers want to avoid most has happened to one of us,” he posted on Facebook. 

He said his wife’s pain "was growing in intensity and coverage. At first, it was bearable but by evening as we were having dinner out, it came to a point that she had difficulty bending her elbow.”

Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon and Trina Reyes-Biazon in the hospital (Photo from Mayor Biazon's Facebook account)

Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon and Trina Reyes-Biazon in the hospital (Photo from Mayor Biazon's Facebook account)

Trina Reyes-Biazon, wife of Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon, in the hospital (Photo from Mayor Biazon's Facebook account)

Biazon suspected that it could be DCS. They contacted a hyperbaric chamber operator, and a doctor advised oxygen treatment at a hospital. 

After dinner, Trina underwent a three-hour oxygen therapy session that ended at about 3 a.m. on May 18. 

Because of the medical emergency, the mayor missed the flag ceremony at Muntinlupa City Hall but reported to his office at about 8 a.m. 

Trina later went to her scheduled hyperbaric appointment, where a doctor confirmed she had DCS. 

“She underwent a five-hour treatment in the chamber, which simulates the pressure a diver undergoes in a depth of 160 feet. The pressure is then gradually adjusted according to the pressure change happening when a diver is moving toward the surface,” the mayor said. 

He explained that her condition was likely caused by a combination of five dives on May 15 and 16, extended time at deep water, and unintentionally rapid surfacing. 

“Thankfully, it was a mild case of DCS and that we were quick to decide on getting a Hyperbaric Treatment,” he said. 

Biazon added: “DCS can be treated if done on time. For some, it may leave permanent damage or permanent disqualification from scuba diving but the ultimate consequence is death. Scuba Diving can kill, for a variety of reasons. Panic, equipment failure, diver mistake, diving conditions or other occurrences.” 

“I thank God for Trina's recovery. Of course, this is a lesson that we will not forget for the rest of our scuba diving life,” he said.