Deployed medics rescue, evacuate injured Chinese citizen
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Treating the patient required action which utilized every part of this location's medical resources. Medical crews had to go out to sea to rescue the patient, a Chinese citizen working aboard a commercial vessel.
The man was seriously when a high-tension wire broke and tore through the top of his left foot. The incident nearly severed his toes and caused severe bleeding that could not be stopped by the ship's crew. The crew called for help and diverted their ship here.
Although the Navy normally coordinates rescues at sea, the service requested assistance from the Air Force's 349th expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight deployed here from Travis AFB, Calif. Tech. Sgt. Donna Broussard, an emergency medical technician, and Staff Sgt. René Seinhauer, a paramedic and ER nurse joined the Navy medical team and was taken to the scene aboard a civilian tugboat. British Royal Marine Commandos provided security for the rescue.
When the medical crew arrived aboard the ship "Ever Guest," the Chinese man's bleeding had been controlled, but the patient needed intravenous fluids and later required a blood infusion.
The patient was unable to walk and had to be lowered more than 60 feet in a Stokes litter to the boat waiting below. Upon arriving here, he was immediately transported to the 28th Expeditionary Medical Services tent at Camp Justice, the Air Force camp established here.
"EMEDS went into full gear to provide the Chinese sailor with the best medical care possible," Steinhauer said.
Working in the EMEDS tent, surgeons amputated all of the toes on the patient's left foot in order to save his life. The team decided immediately to aeromedically evacuate the patient to Singapore. The 349th EAEF transported the patients to a waiting Navy P-3 Orion, who in turn flew him to Singapore.
Although the rescue team was comprised of members wearing different uniforms, Steinhauer said the importance of saving lives was common to all.
"The rescue was a shining example of teamwork in action," he said. "The unique combination of personnel from the United States and British forces and the Navy and Air Force medical crews made this mission a rescue to remember."
(FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS)
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