Paramedics have recounted how they brought a sailor back from the dead several times during a dramatic rescue aboard a cargo ship off the coast of Point Cartwright.
Brad Stokes, Joshua Lee, Prudence Snedden and Anthony Crompton were named finalists in the state-wide QBANK Everyday Heroes Awards, after going to the aid of a man who went into cardiac arrest multiple times on an international vessel.
Despite facing an array of challenges over a “bizarre” 17-hour period, they managed to save his life.
Mr Stokes shared his memories of the March 3 experience when they were called to a vessel about 5km off the coast.
“We arrived by a police launch (boat) and climbed up a Swiss Family Robinson type of ladder, made of little timber steps,” he said.
“We climbed about 8 to 10m up the side and were directed to a gentleman that was gravely ill.
“He was septic … and didn’t have a lot of time to live if we didn’t act quickly and if we didn’t try to get him off that vessel as quickly as we could.
“Unfortunately, things didn’t fall into plan.”
The weather conditions worsened, making it impossible to move the patient off the ship, so the paramedics battled overnight to keep him alive.
“It was very challenging,” Mr Stokes said.
“There were language barriers, as the workers were from Tanzania and the (ship) owners were from Russia.
“We had a defibrillator running out of battery, we had oxygen depletion and had to find more oxygen cylinders on the vessel, and we had fluids that were not compatible when we were trying to fluid resuscitate the gentleman.
“So, we had to try and make it all work and we improvised a lot of the time.
“We had to work together … and communicated with doctors and hospitals (on land).
“It was one challenge after the next, one hurdle and obstacle after the next.
“It was quite bizarre in some ways.
“We had water fountains flying off the side of the boat, we were drenched, we were cold, we were hungry and we had no water.
“It just never stopped.”
Despite the setbacks, the paramedics kept the man, in his 40s, alive.
In the morning, he was secured to a stretcher and winched into an RACQ LifeFlight helicopter, amid challenging weather conditions.
The patient was in a serious but stable condition when he was flown to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital for further treatment, before he made a recovery.
Mr Stokes, a former Australian surf lifesaving champion, said the incident was one to remember.
“It was an amazing experience … and even more amazing that the gentleman survived,” he said.
“It’s humbling to know he’s now back with his family and I hope he has fond memories of what transpired that night and I hope he can look at Australia as a pretty cool place.”
He said he was honoured to be named a finalist in the QBANK Everyday Heroes Awards.
“I’ve been doing this job now for 19 years. We don’t go out looking for these accolades but it’s nice to be recognised, and it’s nice to be able to show the public what we do and how we go about it and to show them that it’s not as easy as it appears,” he said.
“We do have these challenges, and this was certainly a very challenging case.”
Mr Stokes and Mr Lee were the first paramedics to arrive at the scene after being called out to the job, while Ms Snedden arrived on the scene later to provide assistance and Mr Crompton winched the patient off the ship.
The rescue was an astonishing start to Mr Lee’s career with the Queensland Ambulance Service.
“I haven’t been long in the job,” he said.
“At the time, I was only three weeks on roads, so that was very early in my career.
“I never thought I would be awarded anything.
“This is the job I signed up to do and that I wanted to do for a long time.”
Ms Snedden said the call-out was a rare experience.
“This case is definitely a once-in-a-career type of case,” she said.
“It’s not often you get sent offshore to spend hours on a container ship with a non-English speaking crew and a critically unwell patient.
“It will definitely go into the memory bank as a crazy job.”
She praised Mr Stokes and Mr Lee for their handling of the situation.
“They were the first ones there and they provided the first communication, clinical assessment and care to the patient … so we could look after the guy and have a positive outcome.”
She said the care helped the man survive against the odds.
“(His chances) in the circumstances, and with his clinical picture and what he presented with, were very slim,” she said.
She said the recognition was “really unexpected”.
“Paras don’t do the job for the recognition, they do it because they love the job and they want to look after the community, but this is a nice notification that people do appreciate us.
“I think it’s for the whole team – the first responders, the comms operators who take the phone calls, the despatchers who look after us and all the guys who work behind the scenes.
Ms Prudden said she loved “looking after people” and paramedics provided an invaluable service.
“It can be for an elderly patient who has had a fall or it can be for that gentleman on the ship – we can be the friendly face they need,” she said.
The QBANK Everyday Heroes Awards put the spotlight on the hard work, dedication, and exceptional service of Queensland Police, Fire, Ambulance, Health, Corrections, Justice and Public Service employees who have gone above and beyond to protect, serve and heal their communities.
Winners will be announced on October 12.
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