When a 45-year-old woman from Styria recently collapsed on the Weinebene, mountain rescuer Bernhard Koch happened to be the first on the scene. His courageous help saved the skier’s life. “The only thing you can do wrong is do nothing.”
On Sunday, March 17, around 9 a.m., West Styrian mountain rescuer Bernhard Koch was on his way to the lift ticket office on the Weinebene to report who was on mountain rescue duty that day, when he suddenly heard a call for help. A few seconds later his alarm went off. He was the first rescuer on the scene. A 45-year-old woman from the Graz area collapsed and went into cardiac arrest.
Anxious minutes on the slopes
The mountain rescuer immediately checked the breathing and pulse of the collapsed woman, whose husband had raised the alarm, and was shocked to discover that she no longer showed any signs of life. He immediately began rescue breathing and chest compressions and radioed a defibrillator, a helicopter and support, including an emergency physician.
After the first round with the defibrillator, the woman actually had her first reactions – after about 15 long minutes, she finally responded again. “It was the best feeling ever when she showed signs of life and was responsive again,” Koch recalls of the moment when resuscitation efforts finally worked. Accompanied by the emergency doctor and the air rescuer, the skier was then transported to the helicopter by the mountain rescue team in a quad bike. “The rescue chain worked perfectly. “Also thanks to the help of the elevator company,” Koch emphasizes.
“There should be a defibrillator everywhere and people should know how easy it is to use it. Refresher courses on first aid courses should take place much more regularly. Then the inhibition to help is much lower. For most people, their last course was decades ago,” says Koch.
“A little luck”
If Koch had not been around, things could have turned out differently. “When the woman collapsed in front of the cash register, everyone left. No one took the initiative and helped,” said Karl Fauland, head of operations at the Weinebene snow rescue service. “Every minute really counts here. The sooner the rescue chain is initiated and the first measures are taken, the better cards you have,” says Fauland. If the heart stops for a long time, irreparable brain damage can occur due to a lack of oxygen.
Civic courage needed
“Many people are afraid of doing something wrong when providing first aid. But this should be in everyone’s mind: you can’t do anything wrong, unless you do nothing and look the other way. It already helps if you start the rescue chain and sound the alarm. It would of course be even better to actively offer help,” says Koch.
The Monday after the successful resuscitation, the 45-year-old’s husband had good news for the rescue operations manager on the slope, because his wife was already able to leave the intensive care unit. She had a stent placed and was on the road to recovery, thanks largely to the efforts of the mountain rescue team.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
