Accident and rescue

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

as some of you might have heard there was a serious accident on Saturday on Telendos. My friend fell on the scramble down and is now in a hospital in Athens with serious injuries.

I don’t want to go into any details about the incident itself but i am still shocked about the rescue.. Don’t get me wrong, the entire rescue team including Claude was great as far as i can comment but the rescue of a woman with serious head injuries was

1) Carrying down the mountain

2) Boat to Kalymnos

3) ambulance to local hospital

4) ambulance to ferry port

5) FERRY to kos!!!!!!!!!!!

6) Flight to Athens

and god knows what…. we finally got a text at 2am from her husband that she is in surgery in Athens! Nearly 12 hrs later!!

Aris and Claude and all the other volunteers, is there anything we can do from here to help you guys?? Have you started fund raising for a better infrastructure?

I think one small(ish) step would be to make the local airport ready for night flights… that probably would have cut the hours down…

We are back in London now with our friend, her husband and their family in Athens… all praying…. still shocked and feeling helpless but i can’t just sit around and do nothing so i thought i start this topic…

and just a little thing…. the reason for this topic is to understand and help on better rescue options… so if you have something interesting to say, please do… if not, please keep quite.

Many thanks,

Andrea and all friends involved

[Anonymous]

I am sorry to hear that it has been a climbing accident at Kalymnos. Does anyone know what happened?

[Anonymous]

Hello,really sorry that an accident happen. Hope will be fine.

Like to share few thoughts we had in a similar situation for diving accident rescue early times in Egypt. The simple idea was each diver is paying 1 Euro (OK was Marks that days) per diving day. Out of this local recue was financed and organised. We mad very good experience. Wouldn’t this an idea for mountain rescue in Kalymnos as well? Had talk about this with Loukas in August, as he metion that mountain rescue was stop due to budget reason.

[Anonymous]

if you have a scooter accident on Kalymnos, this is the same problem, an accident on Mount Everest same … an accident in Mali on Humbori towers same … and in Madagascar also!

Hospital in the world is sometimes very far and a serious accident in the streets of London will be treated, while in the streets of Mopti or Pothia or Diego Suarez … it is perhaps fatal!

There are not many solutions, and it is not only a problem of money i think.

With money it is possible to buy somme gear for rescue of course, useful for minor injuries … but not a modern hospital for neurologic accidents with scanner and IRM.

On Kalymnos the problems are the same for all people,climbers or not, … a severe cerebral accident in Pothia, you are died before Athénes (or Rhodes). Perhaps we have to accept this risk on islands

[Anonymous]

Really sorry to hear this. Had a similar experience helping a rescue from School in late Sept.

[Anonymous]

Hi Andrea

MR is a real concern on Kalymnos for us climbers but not seemingly for the town hall, equipment promised, airways, 1st aid essentials etc never turns up. The Kong stretcher your friend will have been carried down in by Claude was fundraised by Sue & Steve at the Glaros Bar who administer the bolt fund, we where there talking to Sue 2 weeks ago and are currently talking to the BMC and the Mountain Rescue Commission UK to see what can be done to help the situation from our end, drop me an email and I’ll let you know the details.

Hope your friend is OK.

Andy x

[Anonymous]

Email address might help! andyh211@msn.com

Ax

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

thanks a million for your messages.

I am not a person who is just accepting things that can be changed but i think i am also very realistic about options and timescales… but somebody has to start and i got many contacts now about people who are willing to change things.

Hopefully with the help of loads of climbers, we can help to improve things…

Andrea

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

we’ve been to Kalymnos three times now and never wondered much about what would happen in the case of an emergency. Since we heard and read about your friend we wanted to get in touch and see how things worked out and if there is a way how we can support the idea of improve things concerning rescuing.

Hope your friend is ok.

Cheers,

Elena+Tobias

[Anonymous]

Hi Andrea

My husband and I were one of the first persons trying to help your friend. She is still in my thoughts and prayers and sometimes I wonder how she is doing.

Thanks also for your initiative!

Best

Lisa

[Author]

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