Guest Dies on Half Moon Cay

[mcwebber]

Just back from the Elation 4/28 sailing and sad to report a guest died on the beach an apparent drowning or heart attack victim while snorkeling. Carnival people performed CPR on him for nearly an hour. The victim was only 35. His wife had to be found by someone going down the beach asking if anyone was missing from their party who may have gone snorkeling and was wearing black swim trunks. Needless to say his wife and daughter were hysterical when they found them. I spoke to a woman who is a former first responder back home in Mass. who told me the AED was not charged when they tried to use it. She was in the water near shore as the carried him past her to the beach. Carnival also did not have a back board on hand to put the victim on. They also kept him with his head and torso elevated up the slope of the beach when working on him, first at waters edge. He was blue then. I just completed my CPR and AED training and know the feet must be elevated about 8 to 10 inches and the victim must be placed on a hard surface. Both were not done. Carnival personnel had to yell for towels as they tried to dry him off so they could attempt to use the AED on him. I heard one of them say the machine said, "No shock advised" and they continued compressions. I'm sure more news will come out soon and hopefully the exact cause of death will be determined as to whether he drowned or had a heart attack and then drowned. There needs to be a serious investigation of the training and procedures for emergency first aid there.

 

There apparently are no officials of the Bahamian government on Half Moon Cay and the body was brought back to the ship and put in the morgue. After we docked in Nassau the next day, according to ship's personnel, the body was taken off in Nassau to be claimed by his parents who flew down.

[cruzinnluvinit]

Just back from the Elation 4/28 sailing and sad to report a guest died on the beach an apparent drowning or heart attack victim while snorkeling. Carnival people performed CPR on him for nearly an hour. The victim was only 35. His wife had to be found by someone going down the beach asking if anyone was missing from their party who may have gone snorkeling and was wearing black swim trunks. Needless to say his wife and daughter were hysterical when they found them. I spoke to a woman who is a former first responder back home in Mass. who told me the AED was not charged when they tried to use it. She was in the water near shore as the carried him past her to the beach. Carnival also did not have a back board on hand to put the victim on. They also kept him with his head and torso elevated up the slope of the beach when working on him, first at waters edge. He was blue then. I just completed my CPR and AED training and know the feet must be elevated about 8 to 10 inches and the victim must be placed on a hard surface. Both were not done. Carnival personnel had to yell for towels as they tried to dry him off so they could attempt to use the AED on him. I heard one of them say the machine said, "No shock advised" and they continued compressions. I'm sure more news will come out soon and hopefully the exact cause of death will be determined as to whether he drowned or had a heart attack and then drowned. There needs to be a serious investigation of the training and procedures for emergency first aid there.

 

There apparently are no officials of the Bahamian government on Half Moon Cay and the body was brought back to the ship and put in the morgue. After we docked in Nassau the next day, according to ship's personnel, the body was taken off in Nassau to be claimed by his parents who flew down.

We had someone die on Half Moon on the Dec. 31st sailing on Westerdam. I believe it was a heart attack. Not young but still very sad. My prayers are with all family members.

[Wennfred]

I just completed my CPR and AED training and know the feet must be elevated about 8 to 10 inches and the victim must be placed on a hard surface. Both were not done. Carnival personnel had to yell for towels as they tried to dry him off so they could attempt to use the AED on him. I heard one of them say the machine said, "No shock advised" and they continued compressions.

 

That is very sad, I also took my CPR AED Training course last week, first remember that you will never be in a perfect world when you need to place a person on a flat surface in an emergency situtation.

 

Since the AED said "No Shock Advised" that means that it was fully charged but that the Pads were not making proper contact on the body or was not getting a signal from the heart as in fibrillation in order to go into Shock mode. Also some of those pads have a film you need to remove to get it to stick on the body.

 

They made the correct actions by jumpping back into CPR mode after the AED failed.

 

 

Fred

[Wennfred]

We had someone die on Half Moon on the Dec. 31st sailing on Westerdam. I believe it was a heart attack. Not young but still very sad. My prayers are with all family members.

 

Second person, I wonder if there is a Jelly Fish that is causing this? There is a tiny Jelly Fish that if stung will cause cardio arrest.

 

Fred

[hdawson]

AED battery was not charged, but displayed a message "shock not advised"?

[Wennfred]

We need someone like PaulMedik to help us with these AED questions.

 

 

Fred

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

Just back from the Elation 4/28 sailing and sad to report a guest died on the beach an apparent drowning or heart attack victim while snorkeling. Carnival people performed CPR on him for nearly an hour. The victim was only 35. His wife had to be found by someone going down the beach asking if anyone was missing from their party who may have gone snorkeling and was wearing black swim trunks. Needless to say his wife and daughter were hysterical when they found them. I spoke to a woman who is a former first responder back home in Mass. who told me the AED was not charged when they tried to use it. She was in the water near shore as the carried him past her to the beach. Carnival also did not have a back board on hand to put the victim on. They also kept him with his head and torso elevated up the slope of the beach when working on him, first at waters edge. He was blue then. I just completed my CPR and AED training and know the feet must be elevated about 8 to 10 inches and the victim must be placed on a hard surface. Both were not done. Carnival personnel had to yell for towels as they tried to dry him off so they could attempt to use the AED on him. I heard one of them say the machine said, "No shock advised" and they continued compressions. I'm sure more news will come out soon and hopefully the exact cause of death will be determined as to whether he drowned or had a heart attack and then drowned. There needs to be a serious investigation of the training and procedures for emergency first aid there.

 

There apparently are no officials of the Bahamian government on Half Moon Cay and the body was brought back to the ship and put in the morgue. After we docked in Nassau the next day, according to ship's personnel, the body was taken off in Nassau to be claimed by his parents who flew down.

 

 

Since the trained people were doing everything wrong, what did you do to help?

[VentureMan_2000]

Second person, I wonder if there is a Jelly Fish that is causing this? There is a tiny Jelly Fish that if stung will cause cardio arrest.

 

Fred

 

 

That's the Box Jelliefish in Austrailia...

[LovetheSea]

Second person, I wonder if there is a Jelly Fish that is causing this? There is a tiny Jelly Fish that if stung will cause cardio arrest.

 

Fred

 

I was just thinking that very same thing! They temporarily closed the Stingray City tour in Grand Cayman recently because of jelly fish. Three cruise ship passengers received injuries requiring medical attention, from the tiny jelly fish.

http://www.caymannetnews.com/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000132/013225.htm

 

So sorry for the poor family. It is just horrible :(

[kujobie]

Second person, I wonder if there is a Jelly Fish that is causing this? There is a tiny Jelly Fish that if stung will cause cardio arrest.

 

Fred

 

There are no deadly jellyfish in the caribbean, or the Atlantic, for that matter.

[wizard-of-roz]

I am deeply saddened to hear of this......I've worked in the medical profession for many years....and, as a previous poster stated.....there are not always optimal environments for all medical emergencies. Timing is crucial. We don't have all the information on that!

The worst CPR is better than no CPR...and if he had no sinus rhythm and, it appeared he did not....it seems they did all they could to assist him. AED or not!

May his soul rest in peace and may his family be comforted by the memories they shared together!

[Wennfred]

Here is a list of venomous fish and other sea life with the ability to inject venom.

 

http://www.nativeplanet.org/health/dangeroussealife.htm#Venomous%20Fish%20(stinging)

[CT Sox Fan]

This makes all the little things we whine about (and I'm quite guilty of this) cruises seem so insignificant. My heart breaks for this guy's family, and my prayers are with them. This shouldn't happen to any family on their vacation, especially to a man in his thirties. Horrible, just horrible...

[VentureMan_2000]

There will always be someone highly alergic to the most mundaine jellyfish... just as this is true with a bee sting.

 

Also, some folks are just prone to die early from heart desease and this gentleman may have been one of those people.

 

I work with a gentleman and he said that none of the men in his wife's family have lived to be 40 years of age do to heart desease.

 

 

It's sad, for sure.

[LovetheSea]

From Cayman Net... According to experts the majority of the creatures were small moon jellyfish that are not particularly venomous. However, there have been of reports of swimmers and visitors to the sand bar at Stingray City suffering more serious injuries from what are believed to be sea wasps.

[nothomeonacruise]

We have to remember that there must be thousands of people there daily, and emergencies are bound to happen. (sadly)

Here's a link to the sea wasp: http://www.b-v-i.com/Nature/marine.htm

 

 

My thoughts go out to the young family, as well.

[tishie58]

The AED was working because it said NO shock advised, it only shocks Vfib and Vtach. No shock advised means it was working and actually reading the rhythm. If it was a battery problem, check battery or it wouldn't power on...or if would say check pads or check cables. The personnel did what they were supposed to. As far as elevating any body part..well....things aren't as they are supposed to be...Back boards...not necessary either...CPR is done all kinds of ways in all different situations...Do the best you can....just do something. Hindsight is always 20/20...thats why hospitals have M&M meetings....don't blame people who did what they could..sometimes as horrific as things are...its out of our hands. :(

[ffmikey]

Just a few things about this post. I have been firefighter paramedic for 15+ years and a flight medic for 2+. I'm not blowing my horn, just letting you know where I am coming from.

 

No Shock Advised means it is not a shockable rhythm (v-fib/v-tach). ANYTHING else is not "shockable". If the machine gives that message, the pads are connected and reading. If they weren't it would read/say to connect the pads.

 

With the new CPR/ACLS guidelines, we as medics do mostly CPR anymore. If you were here in the States and on the phone, the instructions to by-standers is go do chest compressions, around 500 of them. The only thing that I did read in the story not done was "mouth to mouth" or Bag valve mask breathing w/o draining his lungs by turning him on his side. Saltwater drowning is the worst and being in a warm weather climate did not help. As an EMS person, this type of call SUCKS!

 

I feel for his wife and daughter. My prayers go out to them. It will be a very memorable vacation for ALL the wrong reasons.

 

Mike

[jerseygirl3]

I'm curious as to who the Carnival personnel were that were involved in this incident. When we were on another cruiseline, we noticed that during our day at their private island, they had a medical office set up and all ther nurses (3 of them), as well as the MD, were sitting outside the building in case anyone needed assistance. Now, granted, they weren't busy, and in fact were on lounge chairs sunning themselves while reading magazines, but I'm sure if they were called upon, they would be ready in a flash to provide assistance in an emergency. I just wonder if Carnival had their medical staff on HMC as well.

[mcwebber]

Since the trained people were doing everything wrong' date=' what did you do to help?[/quote']

 

I had two rum and Coke and was not about to insert myself into the situation. Other people tried and were immediately told that their help was not needed.

[mcwebber]

With the new CPR/ACLS guidelines, we as medics do mostly CPR anymore. If you were here in the States and on the phone, the instructions to by-standers is go do chest compressions, around 500 of them. The only thing that I did read in the story not done was "mouth to mouth" or Bag valve mask breathing w/o draining his lungs by turning him on his side. Saltwater drowning is the worst and being in a warm weather climate did not help. As an EMS person, this type of call SUCKS!

They were doing mouth to mouth. I did not get close enough to observe the chest, but according to another witness I spoke to who is in law enforcement, they were not watching for chest rises. There is a building near the pier that says First Aid but I did not see what I would consider medical personnel in attendance. If they were properly prepared they would not have had to put the body onto beach towels to carry him.

[mcwebber]

I was just thinking that very same thing! They temporarily closed the Stingray City tour in Grand Cayman recently because of jelly fish. Three cruise ship passengers received injuries requiring medical attention, from the tiny jelly fish.

 

I've been stung by those while diving in the Caymans. There they are called sea wasps and look like ice cubes with tentacles. It was quite painful, but not deadly. I suppose someone could be allergic, but I don't think the reaction is that fast with those. It hurt like hell and the nematocysts reactivated a week later and hurt again. My guess would be there will be an autopsy and until then the cause of death is up in the air.

[Wiseone24]

OMG, that is so tragically sad. :(

[Flander]

According to my memory of the discovery channel show I saw some time ago, the very tiny jelly fish, relatives to the box jelly, are called iricanjhi (sp?). They live in Australian waters and ware some bad little critters. I already have a massive fear of jellyfish and certainly don't want theses guys swimming around HMC on my cruise in 2 weeks.

[mcwebber]

Since the trained people were doing everything wrong' date=' what did you do to help?[/quote']

I should add the only thing I did to help, besides keeping out of the way, was when they yelled for dry towels I immediately grabbed towels from a couple of nearby people and tossed them to the woman yelling for them. Someone later told me that there were people standing around with towels who didn't hand them over. I just looked behind me for people on chairs with dry towels and didn't even think it would be necessary to look to those with towels in hand since if I had mine in hand I would have given it over. I'd like to think it was just a case of disconnection that can happen in an emergency where people act like they're watching something that isn't really happening. After I did that, (it had been about 5 minutes of CPR), it did hit me as to what I was witnessing and realized that he wasn't going to come back. It was a pretty quiet ride on the ferry back. It was quite sad to see the video of him and his family taped earlier, happily playing together in the water. Hopefully that will be the way they will remember him. (I am saying "him" although I do know his last name I'm not about to post that info until more information comes out through official channels, if it ever does. Also, in case someone reading this thread knew or met him I wouldn't want them to learn about it here.)