Jan 19: CNN Called: Can you take 70 yr old woman just pulled from rubble of bank across from Presidential Palace. She needs high quality trauma surgery NOW.
Yes. We’re ready for her.
How to get her to Milot?
Ludlow Headquarters calls Milot.
Milot calls our “Sea Angels”, USCG TAHOMA.
Yes. We want to help, rgr.
Can you get her now? Is there a helo?
Only one, already in use. Taking critical survivor to another facility. Where is she now? Need coordinates.
Got ’em.
It’s getting dark. “Push! Push!” She might not make it.
Found a landing pad 1/2 a block away. Do you have lights?
No. No lights.
“Push! Push!” She has broken femur, crushed pelvis.
Pilots familiar with the area but not the pad.
Do you flashlights? Matches? Wave a white cloth.
It’s dark now.
Too dark to go thru the mountains to Milot.
“Push! Push!” What’s ETA?
15 minutes.
We’ve moving her now.
We can’t see the landing site.
You’ll hear the chopper.
It’s dark, we can’t see.
They’ll find you. Go to Palace Gates.
ETA 5 minutes.
Cover her up, the helo kicks up dirt and debris.
We hear the choppers! We see them!
The “Sea Angels” have landed!!!!
Then, in a whirl, on route to USS Batton ETA 12 minutes.
She’s made it out!!!
At the navy amphibious craft, she gets medical attention to stabilize her. In the morning she will fly with the Sea Angels again, on the 25-30 minute flight to Hopital Sacre Coeur, the “Mayo Clinic” of Haiti.
Because of the communication difficulties involved in Haiti, the hour plus of communication to connect patient to hospital took place with a combination of texting, emailing, cell and Skype in a string: PAP to Atlanta to Massachusetts to Milot to a ship offshore Haiti and back again, and again, and again, and again—for over an hour!!
Anderson Cooper’s Executive Producer, Joni, Tim Traynor on Skype in Milot and the USCG TAHOMA (out of Portsmouth, NH)
