Rescued snorkeller stabilized, returns to Canada by air ambulance

[Lite Beer]

Rescued snorkeler stabilised, returns to Canada by air ambulance
Phuket Gazette -

FACEBOOK POST: 'Mike being loaded on ambulance to be transported to airport, he is on his way! Will have Josh and Blair from Latitude Aeromedical all to himself on board the Lear jet!'

PHUKET: After a tragic snorkelling accident that left him in the ICU for nearly a month, Canadian national Mike Reynolds and his medical team departed from Phuket Thursday afternoon and landed safely in Canada last night.

Mr Reynolds, 73, suffered a drowning-induced heart attack while snorkelling off the coast of Phi Phi Island on April 22. After about 30 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and six adrenaline shots, staff at Phi Phi Hospital were able to get Mr Reynolds' heart started again (story here).

The rescue efforts had been initiated by an Australian father-daughter lifeguard duo who were on the same tour boat as Mr Reynolds and leaped into action when they saw he was in a life-threatening situation.

A post was made yesterday evening on the “Updates and info on Mike Reynolds” Facebook page with a message received by the family from the medical team, which read, “We are happy to advise that our medical crew and Mr Reynolds have arrived at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria. Our medical crew report that Mr Reynolds is stable…

“We are so happy your husband arrived safely and I’m sure you’re also relieved. You can relax and rest now, we wish you a safe trip home and we’ll follow up with you in a few days to make sure you also got home safe and see how is you husband doing.

“Warm regards, he is home!”

Mr Reynolds’ wife Dora, one of his daughters, Katie Severn, and his grandson will be leaving Phuket on May 19 to join him

Source:
-- Phuket Gazette 2014-05-17

[keestha]

Those who are not so confident in the water should put on a life vest. At snorkeling trips I noticed all Asians but almost no Westerners use life vests. You feel like a bit of a pussy when you are the only Westerner putting on a life vest. But I do, ever since being swept away by a current in Malaysia, only noticing it when looking over my shoulder and seeing the beach far away.

True the article doesn't mention him using a life vest or not, but I suspect he didn't.

[jingjoke]

#1 'about 30 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and six adrenaline shots, staff at Phi Phi Hospital were able to get Mr Reynolds' heart started again'

Kudos to the Australian father-daughter lifeguard duo and Phi Phi Hospital staff for their perseverance with CPR in resuscitating the chap.

Many people either do not know CPR, are hesitant or simply do not want to get involved. Hope someone like the Aussie father-daughter lifeguard duo are nearby should I need CPR.

For those of us who need CPR refreshers every so often, kindly check out the British Heart Foundation's Vinnie Jones' Hands-Only CPR fun instructional how-to video. I've forwarded these to my extended family and friends again especially now that the summer beach trips are on. Sorry will not upload (Error 500 ?), but here they are:

VINNIE JONES Hands-Only CPR to 'Stayin Alive' beat british heart foundation's famous 'stayin' alive' advert, with vinnie jones - Google Search Mini Vinnie Will Save Your Life With CPR, Then Kick Your Ass | Adweek Vinnie Jones In British Heart Foundation Campaign: 'No Kissing Just Hard CPR' (In Time To Stayin' Alive)

[BeforeTigers]

"The rescue efforts had been initiated by an Australian father-daughter lifeguard duo who were on the same tour boat as Mr Reynolds and leaped into action when they saw he was in a life-threatening situation."

Gitcho procrastinating self up and head out to a weekend CPR and emergency care class, stat.
Bumrungrad Hospital offers them monthly, as I am sure many other hospitals and community groups must.

This kind of thing happens all the time, and learning how to be helpful in the situation is far more a relief than a burden.

Really easy to literally improve yourself as a person.

Edited May 17, 2014 by BeforeTigers

[SOTIRIOS]

...we should have more people like those Aussies around......it sounds almost miraculous...

[Bignose]

I don't for a minute think they will be looking for congratulations or gratitude, in my experience the Ozzy Life Guards and SES members do it because they want to contribute and "make a difference"

The fact that they have saved a life and changed countless others will be enough for them, I don't think it's an overstatement to say the world is a better place because of people like this. They sacrifice their time to learn the required skills, they then commit to use those skills while the rest of us stand by and gawk, don't underestimate the strength of character required to intervene under these circumstances.

To the father and daughter team, keep doing what you do as you are a gift from the Supreme Being.

And best wishes to the recovering gentleman and his family, I hope he has many more years to recount this traumatic experience.

[atyclb]

Good job initiated at the scene and continued at the hospital. The article omits the guys current status, awake, lucid, mentation intact, etc etc."stable" has many variations.

30 minutes of cpr with drugs (ACLS) is a long time and not usually associated with a good prognosis. an exception would be if the guy was hypothermic at the beach. the article fails to mention whether or not he got intervention for the heart attack ie; stent, thrombolysis, bypass although ?thrombolysis? in light of prolonged cpr may not be the best choice.

snorkeling on the surface without the need to dive is ok for using a vest. if you need to be able to dive even a few feet a vest is counterproductive. a strong current will take you just the same with a vest but a bit easier to float. in the absence of solid swimming / floating skills a vest is a very good idea. fins help also.

[DogNo1]

Great suggestions! I'll take that CPR class at Bumrungrad so I can be useful if the need arises. BTW, I understand angioplasties for installing stents and bypass operations but what is a thrombolosis? I've never heard of it.

[DogNo1]

Ah, now I get it! Thrombolitic therapy involves the administration of heparin, TPA or streptokinase to reperfuse the artery that was blocked. It should, apparently be administered as soon as possible. Good knowledge to have since I've had blocked coronary arteries in the past. The problem is that when you need thrombolitic therapy you are usually in no condition to ask for it.