Gizmos Mama
Ephemeral Spectre
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2015
- Messages
- 426
- Location
- Southern Alberta, Canada
So, as I mentioned in another thread, I am in the process of buying a boat. It is on the west coast, in Washington, USA. I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Just about 1000 kms away. I drove out Thursday/Friday, to do the sea trial, (test drive and inspection, basically). Everything was great with the boat! Stayed over night in the States, and was going to power through and drive all the way back in one shot. So far, so good.
Well, did I mention that 800 km of that drive is over the rocky mountains? The weather turned bad about 1/4 of the way back, like really bad driving, with driving rain, turning to snow as you go up in elevation. Crappy. I decide to stop and get fuel. Outside the gas station is a young lad, stranded. He offers to pitch in for gas, and is going to Calgary. I don't usually, (ever!) pick up hitch hikers, but something just said this guy needs a ride. Off we go.
4 hours later, my ass needs a break, and my bladder needs to be emptied, so pit stop. He's in the bathroom for a while, but I'd didn't think anything of it. We grab a snack and hit the road for the most difficult and dangerous part of the road. Hair pin corners, with cliff on one side and nothing on the other. Semis on coming on the narrow road. NO SHOULDERS AT ALL.
We head out, and I'm right in the thick of this winding road. Buddy is talking away, and all of a sudden, he starts slurring his words, really bad. I look over, his eyes are rolling back, and he is hardly breathing! I start shaking him, and yelling that he has to wake up. I pinch his arm sooo hard. Nothing. Now he is turning blue.
Holy Effing Crap! I'm pretty sure he is overdosing, and is dying beside me in my car. And I can't stop anywhere on this road.
I finally find a chain up area, (like a pull out for semis to put chains and break check). There is one trucker there, just getting back into his truck. I lay on the horn, and pull in front of him so he can't pull out. I wave my hands and yell I need help, while I pull the guy out of the truck and onto the ground. He is blue, no pulse, nothing. I have taken first aid training about 10 times in my life, so I do know CPR, but was a bit panicked.
I knew he needed oxygen, but didn't have a mask. I had to do it anyway. He was dying. I know the risk of infection is low (no blood transfer) but I hope I don't regret that later. Started chest compressions. Couldn't keep count, because the groaning he was doing as I was pressing his chest was freaking me out. After 2 rounds of 2 breaths and 30(ish) compressions, I could actually see his heart start pounding again.
Some other people started coming around, and a very nice couple of ski patrol girls saw from the other side of the highway, and turned around to help. I'm glad, because I wasn't sure what to do for a pulse, but not breathing, because I was totally blank on what FA says about that. Trucker says Ambulance is on the way. He's still not doing very good, pretty blue, and not taking regular full breaths.
Ambulance comes, gives him antidote, and gets him oxygenated again. He doesn't wake up before they take him away, though. I ask what I should do about the mouth to mouth, and they say go on your way, but stop in at the hospital at home. I sit in the truck and shake and cry, from all the adrenaline. I just watched someone die in front of me. And I helped bring them back. WTF?
I get back on the road, still pretty shaken, and the weather is getting even worse. Snow is building on the road. Finally get out of the mountains, and then it is a total whiteout. Traffic slows. Traffic stops. On the main Highway across Canada. Highway is closed. Dozens of cars, trucks, buses in the ditch. Traffic backed up for tens of km, with no exits for 40 km.
Did I mention that because I jumped out so fast to rescue the guy, I left the truck running the whole time, using up fuel. Now I'm under a 1/4 tank, and even if traffic goes now, I'll barely make it to the next fill. Have to turn the truck off. Which makes ice form, which means i have to keep getting out to clear the wipers every time we inch ahead. Finally inch to the first exit, and crawl through the back roads. Get to the station on fumes. Fill up. Whew, that was close.
Now, I can get to the hospital, and get some advice on what I need to do in case he had something. Oh wait, Hospital is under construction, and I have to park far from Emerg. Slog through the more than ankle deep slush/snow, only to find my winter boots both have really bad leaks. Now I get to sit in emerg at 2:30 am, with soaked feet, and get tested for communicable diseases.
After driving/stuck in traffic for 18 hrs out of 24, I'm finally home 10 hours later than I planned, had no lunch or dinner, have passed through tired, and exhausted, and come out the other side. I'm worried for the guy. I'm concerned that it was too long before I could stop and give him a breath. I'm worried that because I gave him breaths, now I might have long term health consequences.
So I've typed this up, mostly because I need to let get it out, and nobody is awake for me to talk to.
I've also had some other (more Fortean) thoughts on what happened today, but will share those later, as I can't type anymore now.
FU, most horrible day ever!
Well, did I mention that 800 km of that drive is over the rocky mountains? The weather turned bad about 1/4 of the way back, like really bad driving, with driving rain, turning to snow as you go up in elevation. Crappy. I decide to stop and get fuel. Outside the gas station is a young lad, stranded. He offers to pitch in for gas, and is going to Calgary. I don't usually, (ever!) pick up hitch hikers, but something just said this guy needs a ride. Off we go.
4 hours later, my ass needs a break, and my bladder needs to be emptied, so pit stop. He's in the bathroom for a while, but I'd didn't think anything of it. We grab a snack and hit the road for the most difficult and dangerous part of the road. Hair pin corners, with cliff on one side and nothing on the other. Semis on coming on the narrow road. NO SHOULDERS AT ALL.
We head out, and I'm right in the thick of this winding road. Buddy is talking away, and all of a sudden, he starts slurring his words, really bad. I look over, his eyes are rolling back, and he is hardly breathing! I start shaking him, and yelling that he has to wake up. I pinch his arm sooo hard. Nothing. Now he is turning blue.
Holy Effing Crap! I'm pretty sure he is overdosing, and is dying beside me in my car. And I can't stop anywhere on this road.
I finally find a chain up area, (like a pull out for semis to put chains and break check). There is one trucker there, just getting back into his truck. I lay on the horn, and pull in front of him so he can't pull out. I wave my hands and yell I need help, while I pull the guy out of the truck and onto the ground. He is blue, no pulse, nothing. I have taken first aid training about 10 times in my life, so I do know CPR, but was a bit panicked.
I knew he needed oxygen, but didn't have a mask. I had to do it anyway. He was dying. I know the risk of infection is low (no blood transfer) but I hope I don't regret that later. Started chest compressions. Couldn't keep count, because the groaning he was doing as I was pressing his chest was freaking me out. After 2 rounds of 2 breaths and 30(ish) compressions, I could actually see his heart start pounding again.
Some other people started coming around, and a very nice couple of ski patrol girls saw from the other side of the highway, and turned around to help. I'm glad, because I wasn't sure what to do for a pulse, but not breathing, because I was totally blank on what FA says about that. Trucker says Ambulance is on the way. He's still not doing very good, pretty blue, and not taking regular full breaths.
Ambulance comes, gives him antidote, and gets him oxygenated again. He doesn't wake up before they take him away, though. I ask what I should do about the mouth to mouth, and they say go on your way, but stop in at the hospital at home. I sit in the truck and shake and cry, from all the adrenaline. I just watched someone die in front of me. And I helped bring them back. WTF?
I get back on the road, still pretty shaken, and the weather is getting even worse. Snow is building on the road. Finally get out of the mountains, and then it is a total whiteout. Traffic slows. Traffic stops. On the main Highway across Canada. Highway is closed. Dozens of cars, trucks, buses in the ditch. Traffic backed up for tens of km, with no exits for 40 km.
Did I mention that because I jumped out so fast to rescue the guy, I left the truck running the whole time, using up fuel. Now I'm under a 1/4 tank, and even if traffic goes now, I'll barely make it to the next fill. Have to turn the truck off. Which makes ice form, which means i have to keep getting out to clear the wipers every time we inch ahead. Finally inch to the first exit, and crawl through the back roads. Get to the station on fumes. Fill up. Whew, that was close.
Now, I can get to the hospital, and get some advice on what I need to do in case he had something. Oh wait, Hospital is under construction, and I have to park far from Emerg. Slog through the more than ankle deep slush/snow, only to find my winter boots both have really bad leaks. Now I get to sit in emerg at 2:30 am, with soaked feet, and get tested for communicable diseases.
After driving/stuck in traffic for 18 hrs out of 24, I'm finally home 10 hours later than I planned, had no lunch or dinner, have passed through tired, and exhausted, and come out the other side. I'm worried for the guy. I'm concerned that it was too long before I could stop and give him a breath. I'm worried that because I gave him breaths, now I might have long term health consequences.
So I've typed this up, mostly because I need to let get it out, and nobody is awake for me to talk to.
I've also had some other (more Fortean) thoughts on what happened today, but will share those later, as I can't type anymore now.
FU, most horrible day ever!
You did all that you could, and are doing all that you could. Exemplary. xxx
You did a lot more than many would do (I for sure could not have handled that situation), and you stayed calm enough to do what needed to be done. So you should be proud of that.
