A 77-year-old man from Singapore, who collapsed at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park, was revived by park visitors, rangers, and Mercy Air crews, according to park officials.
As noted in an Oct. 2 news release by the park, the incident occurred on Sept. 19 after the unidentified man was found not breathing with no pulse.
“Fortunately, a bystander at the popular viewpoint was a vacationing medical provider, who with the assistance of other bystanders, quickly started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR),” the release stated. “National Park Service rangers received notification from a 911 call and were on location within 10 minutes.”
The release went on to note that upon arrival, park rangers also deployed an automatic external defibrillator (AED), to apply electrical stimulation to the man’s heart.
After defibrillation, and more than 10 minutes of CPR, the man’s pulse returned, and he was able to speak.
He was subsequently transported by park ambulance to a landing zone and taken to a Las Vegas hospital by Mercy Air, according to the release.
“This incident is a great reminder of how the links in the chain of survival start with bystander CPR, and continues all the way to definitive care,” said Death Valley National Park Chief Ranger Rob Wissinger. “This is something that we train for with our partners and it’s great to see these links come together to provide the best possible service to someone in need.”
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com, on Twitter: @pvtimes