October 31th

As promised yesterday, a paramedic story following the end of yesterdays post.

Here is a quick recap if you didn’t read yesterdays post:

For example: as I work as a paramedic from time to time my number is registered at the call-takers software. So when I call the emergency telephone number, they see who calls and my experience level right away.

So they are asking completely different questions than they would ask someone with no experience as a paramedic. Great, now I’ve got a topic idea for tomorrow.

It was Halloween a few years back if I remember correctly. I was invited to a small party of a coworker. As I was driving home at about midnight, I saw blinking blue lights on the road ahead of me.

Since it was in the middle of the night there were only a few possibilities: a normal traffic control by the police, something burning or an accident.

Sadly it was the latter. I stopped my car beside a police officer and asked if they would need help. I described I am a paramedic in a city nearby. I didn’t finish my sentence as he told me that help would really be appreciated.

I drove my car to the next road exit so I wouldn’t block any other emergency vehicles.

While I drove past the accident zone I quickly took a look at the situation:

A car was parked on the left side (from my view) of the road. A guy was crying nearby. One policeman was standing beside them and it looked like he was asking him stuff. I also saw something lying on the road.

As it was pitch black I couldn’t really see the anything until I was back from my car. (Sidenote: I have a few pair of gloves and some bandages always in an “emergency” bag in my trunk.)

I quickly walked back and started to realise what happened. The thing I couldn’t clearly see out of my car window was another guy. Lying on the road with no reactions.

The officer quickly briefed me as I was getting on my knees beside the body.

The officer told me that the other guy hit the guy that lied in front of me. The driver said he was going about 80 kilometres per hour or so. He did see the guy walking drunk on the side and almost passed him as the guy dropped into the middle of his driving way.

While hearing this I checked the vital signs. The guy on the road was still breathing a little bit and I could fell a slow heartbeat. Blood came out of his ears and nose, an indicator for a basal skull fracture.

The policemen already put the guy into the “stable lateral position”. As he was unconscious there wasn’t much I could do. Besides a laceration on his head and the obvious bleeding, he didn’t seem injured.

I told the officer what I was thinking and asked if they called the ambulance which he confirmed. So I knew that an ambulance vehicle was on its way.

I took out my cell phone and called the emergency line. As I’ve said, they no my number and after a quick: “Hello my name is Philipp Haidenbauer, service number XYZ” I was forwarded to the right dispatcher.

I told him where I was and what I observed. Then I asked which car would be coming and when they would arrive and also if an emergency doctor was notified and on his way.

He told me the ambulance should arrive any minute according to the latest GPS coordinates. A doctor was also dispatched but it would take a few more minutes from him to arrive.

He thanked me for the call and forwarded the information to the vehicles on approach so they would know a little bit more about the situation when they arrive and I don’t have to tell the exact same thing again.

When the ambulance and the doctor arrived I stayed a little bit longer to help them. More hands, easier working for all.

As I finally drove away I took a look at the car that hit the guy. You could clearly see a large impact zone on the windshield where the head hit it.

A few weeks later I heard from a paramedic colleague that the guy was still living but had severe brain damage. As far as I heard he was talking strange stuff to himself. Also, I heard that besides a few bruises and the skull fracture he didn’t have any other injuries.

I think a few months passed as another paramedic colleague was approaching me and told me that the guy died.

Sadly not all stories can end in a happy ending. Thinking back, I can remember every detail of that accident, although the faces of the guys involved vanished. Another invisible scar added…