Earth Treks Climbing Center, Timonium, MD
August 3, 2009
Ken and Helena Jester were enjoying a climb at the Earth Treks Climbing Center, when suddenly Ken looked like he was hanging in his harness. His wife quickly began to lower him. Two other climbers who happened to be nurses, realized Ken was unconscious and checked his pulse and heard him gasp for air. Andrea began chest compressions and Lynn administered rescue breathing. At the same time a former employee at Earth Treks grabbed the AED device they bought for their facility. Kel followed the simple instructions and after the device’s first shock, Ken’s heart resumed beating.
“The AED saved his life,” says Kel. “It brought him back and saved time and minimized damage to his heart.” By then, the fire department and ambulance personnel had arrived and Ken had regained consciousness.
“The key was the immediate defibrillation,” says Lynn, who had lost a 27-year-old friend when an AED was not on hand at a volleyball game. “You can administer CPR forever, but unless you can shock the heart rhythm, the chances of an out-of-hospital rescue are slim.”
Related posts:
