Once a decision is made that a dive operation has changed from rescue to recovery, what should happen to risk-taking?

When a dive operation transitions from rescue to recovery, the nature of the mission changes significantly. During a rescue operation, there is an imperative to act quickly due to the potential for saving a life, which often involves higher risks. However, once the situation shifts to recovery, the urgency diminishes.

In this context, risk-taking should be reduced because the priority changes from potentially saving lives to the respectful retrieval of a body and ensuring the safety of all personnel involved in the operation. The focus then shifts to ensuring that the recovery can be executed safely with minimal risk to the divers and support teams. It is essential to assess the situation thoroughly, implement appropriate safety protocols, and reduce risk-taking to maintain the safety of all personnel involved in the operation.

While reviewing and evaluating risks are integral components of the decision-making process, they do not inherently imply a reduction in risk. However, explicitly reducing risk aligns with the objectives of ensuring safety during a less urgent recovery operation.