Gratitude for a life saved on the slopes: Redmond man returns to Hoodoo to thank Ski Patrol, area medics
SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A special gathering took place at Hoodoo Ski Area over the weekend, as a Redmond man returned with his wife to thank the people who helped save his life on the slopes just over a month ago.
On Saturday, March 1, EMS personnel from the Sisters-Camp Sherman and Black Butte Ranch fire districts were dispatched to Hoodoo on a report of a man in cardiac arrest, Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District Deputy Chief of Operations Tim Craig said.
Responding units were advised that CPR had been started immediately by bystanders and by Hoodoo Ski Patrol members. They had applied an AED (automated external defibrillator) and delivered multiple shocks.
Ski Patrol staff then loaded the man into a toboggan and towed him to a designated landing zone to meet with a Life Flight Network air ambulance.
While they were on the way, further information became available, Craig said. The efforts of the ski patrollers and the bystanders were successful in restoring the man’s pulse, and he was regaining consciousness.
By the time EMS personnel arrived, the patient, 67-year-old Tom Lane of Redmond, was conscious and talking. Paramedics and EMTs from Sisters-Camp Sherman and Black Butte Ranch fire districts took over patient care and began advanced life support procedures while waiting for the helicopter's arrival.
Lane was flown to St. Charles Bend - and he walked out of the hospital 11 days later, with no memory of the event but a new lease on life, thanks to the efforts of those involved.
On Saturday, just over a month after a life was saved, some of the EMS personnel, along with the ski patrollers, were able to meet with Tom and his wife, Dawn, at the Hoodoo Ski Patrol Lodge. The Lanes got a chance to express their gratitude for the work that was performed by the responders and bystanders.
Deputy Chief Tim Craig and Firefighter/Paramedic Änna Westburg, along with Black Butte Ranch Fire District Firefighter/Paramedic Matt Linker, were there to present the Hoodoo Ski Patrol staff with life-saving awards.
Early recognition of cardiac arrest, immediate CPR and AED application, and early access to EMS are critical to survival.
“Without the efforts of Hoodoo Ski Patrol members and bystanders, Tom would not be with us today," Craig said. "The fact that these folks had the proper training, proper equipment, and jumped in to apply their skills in a professional manner saved Tom’s life.”
Craig said the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District wanted to thank Hoodoo Ski Patrol, Black Butte Ranch Fire District and Life Flight Network for their partnership and support in making the effort a success.
