Even before the ambulance arrived, a volunteer EMT was on the scene providing life-saving care. The rural volunteer ambulance crew was his only chance for survival.
#EMSHeroesHighlights #RuralEMS #FirstResponders #EMSSavesLives
Submitted by: Chuck Hanson – Selby, SD
My daughter-in-law called at about 6:45 am on March 12, 2013, to tell me our son, Justin, had a medical problem and was at Eureka Hospital where they are trying to stabilize him to be flown to Aberdeen. We drove to Eureka; and when we got to the emergency room, I was not prepared for what I saw. Our son was unresponsive, intubated, and CPR was in progress. Unfortunately, Justin did not survive; but without our rural volunteer ambulance crew he wouldn’t have had the opportunity for survival.
We learned Justin had a cardiac arrest while riding to work. His co-worker called 911 and started CPR. Campbell County Ambulance was dispatched, and Mindi Rueb, EMT, who lives close, responded directly to the scene. She performed CPR until the ambulance arrived to transport him to Eureka. The weather was stormy so the helicopter couldn’t fly and the flight crew was being brought by ground ambulance.
The ambulance crew continued with his care while in the ER doing CPR and defibrillation whenever his heart would stop beating. As an EMT and member of the ambulance crew, I stayed in the ER to help. He had been unresponsive about 3 hours by the time the flight crew arrived, received the patient report, and conferred with the ER doctor and medical staff in Aberdeen. They agreed to stop CPR and called time of death at 8:36 am.
I am forever in debt to Mindi and the whole Campbell County Ambulance. They were there giving lifesaving care the whole time and were so kind and respectful to us. These rural ambulance services are definitely essential services!
@South Dakota EMS Association @SDAA
