A SENIOR officer on board a Russian freighter is recovering from serious burns in St James’s Hospital, Dublin, following his rescue and initial emergency treatment by the Irish Coast Guard’s Dublin-based search and rescue helicopter.
The Irish Coast Guard/CHC airman Derek Everitt had to apply all his paramedic skills to prepare the officer for an airlift during the emergency off the east coast just over a week ago.
The alert was raised when the ship was reported to have lost power, and was drifting with an injured man on board, some 14 miles east of Clogherhead, Co Louth, late on September 4th.
Airman Everitt discovered that the chief engineer on board had suffered severe burns to his hands and face when he was dropped onto the ship by the Sikorsky helicopter flown by Capt Mark Donnelly, Michael Meally and winch operator Alan Gallagher.
Irish Coast Guard winch crews now receive full paramedical training, similar to land-based ambulance crews, which has helped to save lives off the coastline, and in mountainous areas and inland waters where rescues are carried out. Formerly, the crews had to “scoop and run” with victims, but now they can perform initial assessment and certain forms of treatment en route to hospital.
The engineer received the full impact of an electrical flash burn, resulting in second degree burns on his face and hand. He was in considerable pain and had to be given pain relief.
Airman Everitt, who was aware that his pilot would have fuel considerations, also applied a water gel to the burns, and gave the officer oxygen, before securing him on a stretcher for an airlift of 30m to the waiting aircraft.
An emergency landing point in Drogheda was established by Irish Coast Guard Drogheda and the Health Service Executive (HSE), and the injured man was then taken by ambulance to hospital in Drogheda.
He was transferred to the burns unit at St James’s Hospital in Dublin, where surgical options were still being considered at the weekend. Internal injury has been ruled out.
The ship was able to restore power and returned to port.
