Club reacted well to emergency - 30th October 2008
This is a personal account from Chris Waters of last Saturday afternoon on the marina.
Kass Goddard thanks all who were there, those who helped and those who patiently waited while Ian was helped.
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On Saturday 25th October SYC had a great day of racing. We , in Bali Dancer, returned to the pen and cleaned up the boat. Ian Goddard, a man with an interest in our boat , and a great interest in life, declined a beer. Asked why he said he was feeling a bit ordinary. Ian had had a stent (a device that opens a constricted blood vessel) fitted a year or so ago for angina symptoms. We talked about the symptoms of heart attack and he said one of them was pain or soreness in the arms. Now Ian was doing main sheet, and we were short handed so he also helped on head sail and some spinnaker work, so he'd been working hard. So when he said his arms were sore that sort of went with the day! He;d been working hard and there was a lot of rope pulling under pretty heavy loads. I took his pulse. It was 110 at rest which was pretty high, but it was a good, consistent and rhythmic pulse so I didn't get alarmed. We talked further of symptoms, and even though Ian had had his daily aspirin, we decided to give him a disprin (soluble aspirin) and take him to Sandringham hospital just in case. Margie Marks offered to drive him and they departed. Two Minutes later Ian Boon hastened back - "There's a man with a heart attack, the ambulance has been called - come quickly".
Margie had been walking with Ian, and on the fuelling jetty he leant on her - "I'm not feeling well". Margie said "I'll get a wheel barrow and take you to the car" - "Not in front of these people" said Ian. He took three more steps and sank to his knees. Margie manoeuvred him down onto his back and started her level 2 first aid trained response. She checked his airways and screamed for someone to call an ambulance and for someone to go to Row A - Bali Dancer and get me.
My friend, my colleague and part of our team was fighting for his life. Margie was now doing first aid - not on a manikin, or a class mate, but on a friend and crew mate who wasn't taking his turn in a class. He was dying.
I sprinted (as best my aged legs do these days) up to the KKC. By the time I got there Kathy Pollack and Lyn Allen had started CPR and Rob Cuthbertson (a doctor) from Musketeer, had joined them with the serious strength that it takes to bang away at a heart in real life CPR. The shock wave from each of Rob's compressions shot down to Ian's pelvis and echoed back up his body. A heaving sea of gut as the desperate fight for life was played out. Paul Corfield, Duty manager had been summoned by Susan Garvan and arrived with the club defibrulator (a device to stop the trembling, ineffectual beat that heart muscle can go into). Everyone's seen it on TV - "CLEAR - - bang". Shit - its no fun when it's real. Paul quickly fitted the pads according to the instructions and the device played out its preprogrammed instructions. Ian's body convulsed with the high voltage pulse that was shot through his chest. Just like the movies. Except just not like the movies, this was my friend, who was in dreadful danger. His pants were wet from his pee where his bladder had involuntarily released. Kathy Pollack was tasting his vomit as she continued mouth to mouth. His face was becoming increasingly grey. I checked that all that could be done was in hand. Club members were already at the gates to direct ambulances. Another crew from Musketeer was urging anyone who didn't have a serious reason to be there to move on. I shortly after asked Paul Corfield to get the keys to 2 ducks to allow the patient body of members who were waiting at the gates to be ferried to the crane jetty..
The firies and the ambos arrived. Somewhat brutally they asked everyone to move away. They need to take control, they don't know that there may be some highly competent people on the job. Later they asked that their apologies be conveyed. They have no time to be polite!!
Ian had been many minutes without a continuous pulse. Occasional spontaneous breaths, and brief pulse, were desperate signs of a battle, with signs of hope. The paramedics worked quietly and determinedly with all their resources and eventually restored a strong consistent pulse!!
In the mean time, Margie had called Ian's wife Kass. She was in Mount Eliza. Again members where positioned to meet Kass and bring her down to the scene. Marissa McManus, a trained nurse, and member of our safety advisory group on sail committee, was waiting. Kass was with her husband when he finally responded and lifted himself back to the living. The ambos could now stabilise the situation. In the background many of us could now help those who had been in the forefront of this event. Everyone is shocked. In the correct sense of the word. This event was real. There was no time out. There was no "ring a friend". All the people involved did a magnificent job. The staff at the Alfred, (to where Ian was transported), said on Sunday that Ian's being alive when he arrived at the Alfred was due to the prompt, and accurate, and efficient, support he received.
All of us who were closely involved have probably shed a tear or two. It is a shattering experience, yet a gift of unexplainable privilege, to try to save a life.
To those who worked, who supervised, who consoled, who organised, who did whatever it takes, I thank you with all my heart.
At the time of writing I don't know whether I have helped save, or have lost, a friend. But what has struck me profoundly is the way the members of our club responded instinctively and collectively to the most important issue in our lives - life and death. And perhaps this really signifies what we mean to each other as a club.
When it matters, it matters, and we help each other. Whatever it takes.
Ian's wife Kass, asked me to convey her heartfelt thanks to all those involved. And I convey mine, and those of Margie Marks, and Lee Evans.
Thank You.
Chris Waters,
