The case of the sailor who had a cardiac arrest at sea

Imagine being in the middle ocean, with no land in sight and going through a serious medical emergency such as a cardiac arrest. No doctors, no hospital, nothing but the sea nearby. As scary as this might sound, the risk of these perilous incidents should not be eliminated for sailors.

Despite the fact that such occupational accidents are common for those who work at sea, the steps involved in emergency planning remain subpar. The common procedure usually involves the ship taking the patient to the nearest hospital where emergency care will be provided in a local hospital. However, if healthcare quality in this particular area is poor or if the patient is taking too long to recover, companies have an insurance cover, which includes repatriation, for their employees.

medical evacuation jet

The 26-year old fell overboard and had a cardiac arrest

We recently arranged such a repatriation mission for a 26-year old sailor who miraculously survived several dangerous medical emergencies. He fell overboard a sailing yacht in the Baltic sea, and his fellow sailors were unable to get him back on board. The young man had to wait for approximately more than one and a half hours in the cold water, during which time he suffered from a cardiac arrest and hypothermia.

When he was finally rescued, the rescuing team performed CPR to resuscitate him en route to a hospital in Karlskrona, Sweden. After days of medical treatment in the ICU, he showed minimal signs of improvement and was put on controlled ventilation. Considering his medical condition, the treatment and recovery turned out to be very long for the patient, who was away from his family.

Medical Air Service was contacted by the patient's employer

Thus, Medical Air Service was contacted by his employer to organize his medical repatriation to Poland. Considering that the patient needed intensive care, an aircraft with ICU equipment was requested. We immediately began organizing the flight and deployed the Cessna Citation 550 Bravo, which is large enough to accommodate the proper equipment, the medical team and the patient’s mother, who wanted to be at the side of his beloved son, providing moral support.

Ground ambulances were arranged both in Sweden and Poland to ensure that constant care is provided. After landing in Poland, the client was taken to a clinic where he obtained further treatment and most importantly, where his loved ones were alongside to look after him and to help him recover in a homely and warm environment, which will surely fasten the recuperation process.

Contact us for an air ambulance

If you need to organize the medical transport of a patient needing intensive care, we can help you out. Our air ambulances can cater to the needs of ICU patients. Just contact our team!

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