First Aid on the ice.

[dabluz]

A very interesting event happened when I was ice fishing yesterday.

I was with 4 fishing buddies from Quebec City.  We were fishing for smelt in the Saguenay River not far from my home.  There were over a hundred other fishermen in the area where we were fishing.

Suddenly, about 100 yards away from us, we heard a guy calling out for help.  His buddy had fallen down and was unconscious.  Nobody nearby was responding so we ran over (passing about 20 other onlooking fishermen) to lend a hand.  The fallen fisherman looked to me to be dying.  He was all blue in the face and was not breathing.  His eyes were rolled back and there was blood coming out of his mouth.  I thought for sure that in a few seconds he was going to die from a heart attack.  Meanwhile, one of the guys from Quebec, was holding his head and we rolled him on to his side.  I was on the verge of giving him mouth to mouth resuscitation when he started to gargle and then slowly draw in some air with difficulty.  It looked like he had swallowed his tongue.  He was a big fellow....about 30 years old.  His buddy was in panic.  We had been calling out for someone with a cell phone to call an ambulance but all I could see around us were people who were just looking at what was happening.  Finally a woman with a cell phone was nearby and contacting 911.

Finally, the fallen fisherman started to get his colour back and finally his buddy told us that he was epileptic.  After about 15 minutes, we found out that there were members of his family (aunts and uncles) and friends nearby.  Either they were in shock or just plain dumb, but I was surprised that they did not come to help the fallen fisherman right away.  Just knowing right away the fact that he was epileptic would have been a big help.  Anyway, we stayed with the guy until the ambulance arrived.  Meanwhile, everybody around just continued to fish as if nothing had happened.  I asked for someone to go to the nearby ice village to get someone with a snowmobile and maybe a sled because I knew that the ambulance could not reach us.  Most of the ambulances in my region already have a sled for transporting people.  All I got were blank stares while they continued to fish for smelt.  We stayed with the guy until the men from the ambulance arrived with a snowmobile and sled.

[pike-perch01]

That is very,very SAD! thank God for people like you.God bless

[Mr.Sodus]

YOU are the MAN!
The other lazy good for nothing slouch bas*&^ds, would never share ice or bread or anything else with me EVER again.
Must all be Ranger fans.
Good for you to step up and at least try to help.
You say his relatives were there also; and did nothing?
More Ranger fans, I'll bet.

[pin smelt]

Having had many gran mal seizures in the past (seizure free for the last fifteen years), I can tell you that there really is nothing you can do for someone during a seizure other than pulling away any furniture or objects around them so that when they are convulsing they do not bang into something and get furhter injuries.  During a gran mall seizure, every muscle i the body contracts and holds at the same time (short circuit in the brain).  The initial shout from the person seizing occurs because the body is forcefully exhaling.  You cannot breathe during the seizure and do turn blue from lack of oxygen (no breathing).  After the initial seizure, your neurons start firing rapidly and your body convulses (flops around uncontrollably) until the seizure has run it's course.  If you were standing whenit began you will topple over like a felled tree.  Sometimes you lose control of your urine.  Once you come out of the seizure, you are dazed and confused, probably partly from lack of oxygen, definitley mostly form the firestorm in your brain.  It was good of you to call an ambulance, at the least, the blood is from biting your tongue or cheek.

Each time yuou have a seizure you increase the ability to have future seizures and can have multiple seizures within a short time.  An epileptic cannot control when a seizure will occur or how bad it will be.  Medication helps but does not completely prevent.  Sometimes you will know when it is coming on but by that time it is too late.

[Buck1985]

they are right, YOU ARE DA MAN!!!!! It's pathetic how most people don't stop what they're doing to help someone else in need. Last night I had a flat tire on my truck, I know how to fix it and all, but my jack was a little short and also I have oversized tires on my truck and too my wrench was too short to reach my lug nuts (fancy style). I  should have known better and should have checked this before I really needed it. But we were there for over an  hour and then an officer pulled up to help, thank god his 4 by was deep enough, my dad and grandpa were already on their way up with a deep well socket set, but still, it was pretty cold out, most people were descent about moving over, but some of them were cutting it pretty close to my truck as they went by. I know how bad it sucks to have a flat from before, so I help with flats whenever I can. Person by person I lose faith in humanity

[pipes18079]

I know that feeling I dislocated my knee for the first time while fishing in the woods aqnother fisherman came over to look at and said oh that is cool looking as he contiuned by. Half hour later an ambulance shows upsaid a lady heard the crys for help from her house. As the load me up and bring me up the trails I look over and there he is still fishing.

[dabluz]

I actually didn't do very much.  It was mostly my buddy from Quebec City who took charge of things.  He works with young children, so like me, has had first aid training.  Also, he has a bit of experience with people with epilepsy.

However, it would have been nice to have had some extra hands to place the fallen fisherman on a tarp and set up a wind break, find something to put his head on....even ask if there was something they could do to help.

My sister in law died 2 years ago in a snowmobile accident.  I was not there.  Somebody at the scene said to not move her but nobody checked her breathing or heart rate.  Anyway, she did not suffer from much physical damage but her brain went dead from lack of oxygen.  She finally died 40 days later when it was decided to pull the plug.  If I had been there, I am sure that I would have given her mouth to mouth resuscitation.

Another time, a fishing buddy told me he flipped over in his canoe in fast water below a dam.  There were fishermen close by who just kept on fishing and did not even help him up when he swam to shore.

[bullheaded]

You did the right thing and you will know that everyday of your life.  Keep it up, It's never all that hard to help a stranger or fellow sportsman in need.  I commend you and your friends for your actions and wish the best for the man you helped.  It is good to know that people like you are still in the crowd.  Well Done

[pikemaster789]

wow good for you guys helping him out. I dont know if I would know what to do in that situation but Id try something like you guys did!

[Big Burk]

wow some people great job for helping this poor fellow out, havent encountered anything major and hopefully will never but if something happens i am always willing to help out fellow anglers. 

[Got Flag?]

It takes all kinds of people to make the world run.. People like those other people just so normal people like you that would help a fellow guy out can have a bunch of people looking at you while it is in your heart to be helping.. Should be more people like you in the world