Boat Accident on Lake Atitlan
Hello,
I went in to the hospital this morning (Saturday, November 22) to do laundry and ended up doing CPR on a drowning victim, a 77-year old gentleman from France. Sadly we were unable to resuscitate him.
There was a boating accident and three people were confirmed dead.
There were four of us in the hospital: the Guatemalan doctor on call, nurse, guardian, and I.
Ten minutes after receiving our first patient, the patient's wife was wheeled in, she was cold and barely conscious. I believe we saved her life. We warmed her and she started responding.
As soon as we got word out, hospital staff came pouring in --- nurses, local doctors, volunteers, the lab tech… even the laundress and the Spanish hotel owner from next door, to do what they could. It is an honor to work with such caring people.
Police were everywhere and the public municipal police performed a respectful, careful and thorough investigation. I know because I also acted as official translator for two young British survivors of the boat sinking.
There were other deaths that were not brought in -- at least two that I know of -- a Guatemalan and a Lutheran Bishop from Malaysia. Three people are still missing, according to reports from the authorities. There were also a few other patients who are not seriously injured -- including the boat pilot, who's hand cuffed to his bed, a foolish young Guatemalan who had the carelessness of youth and whose life has now become a horror. I feel for him too.
We heard from the American Embassy within minutes after the accident, as they were concerned about American citizens involved. Soon we received calls from the French and British embassies, as friends in Panajachel helped contact them.
Our surviving French patient is 72, status post a near drowning, with completely unknown medical history. We all insisted that SHE CANNOT STAY!!!!! If she were to worsen overnight, we could not save her. In Guatemala City she can get the same level of care (at a private hospital, almost certainly staffed by North American and European-trained specialists) that she could in the States -- including ICU. I hope the four-hour trip to the Capital is uneventful. We have regular cell phone contact with our doctor accompanying her. We tried to get helicopter transport (30 minutes, I think) but it was too late in the day by the time we got her temperature up and her vitals stabilized --- mostly. Also the winds are violent today and the airport wasn't allowing helicopters to leave.
After the extra med staff arrived, I switched to administrator/organizer mode. I know and was able to remind new volunteers that lives were saved today because we are here. And gentle care was given to the survivors (thank goodness we have plenty of extra scrubs to give out). This is a hugging culture.
The patients arrived at 2 and 2:10 pm. Now it is 7 pm and the French lady (72 yo) is on her way to Guatemala City in one or our ambulances with two volunteers and a local nurse -- one is a volunteer doctor from Quebec who speaks French, which is the only language the patients speaks, according to her accompanying guide.
The municipal police took her husband to a morgue in the public hospital in Sololá, 90 minutes north of here.
I am glad I went to do my laundry today.
I am proud of everyone at the hospital.
But it is all very sad.
Narda
