KL7RRC/P Need doctor help

I'm glad the guy's OK. And, thanks to K7IN for seeing the post and getting involved.

QRZ saved the day, this time. Although, hams worldwide could contact their country's naval resources or the closest US embassy and that would have also worked.

Luckily, K7IN was watching the headlines here.

Perhaps Fred needs an "emergency" button for international emergencies that would ring moderator bells or some such.

 

Pardon me for saying so, but doesn't this thread seem a little SURREAL to anyone besides me ?

A call ON THE INTERNET at 11:48 in the morning that someone has had a heart attack, and the first reply is at 4:17 in the AFTERNOON, and that fellow says he is at WORK!

Over 4 hours after a person has had a heart attack, he should almost certainly be DEAD!

Was ham radio itself used to try to raise help? If it was, why was the internet even thought of as a tool? And really, did it do any good ?

The whole thing seems to me, to be a poorly written screenplay, and I can hardly believe that this is the entire story.

Am I crazy, or could there be something else going on that I don't know about. I'm terribly cynical about this whole thing. It isn't April 1st, is it ?

Sorry if I am wrong, but . . . . .

 

Yep. It sort of does. Especially the phone number, assuming it was a cell phone of someone's in the party. If it was, and was in range, why wasn't it used? Or, if it wasn't within cell range, why list the number?

 

everything is ok

You must not have read the entire thread. Based on what I read, Merle is ok, he made it to the hospital and was released. Case Closed.

Besides, often times a perceived heart attack is not a heart attack.

 

I decided I better not comment.

 

Yes, a mayday was issued around 14.263 KHz.

 

The original post was by a Russian ham. He probably didn't have the capability to call out of the country and likely was hearing the expedition's call for help with no response. So, his best course was to post his information on the QRZ news web site. The moderator released the message almost immediately.

In the mean time, the team obviously eventually made contact with someone who could telephone to authorities in Kodiak to dispatch a care flight helicopter to take Merle to the nearest hospital which was in Kodiak, about a two-hour flight, one way.

Unknown to me a couple of hours later, I see the message and no replies at all so, my first inclination was to assume they still need help so, the shortest distance and time to assistance was the call to the USCG station in Juneau, AK. which I made. They had no information on the emergency at all but, jumped into action pursuing the information. Eventually they contacted the hospital in Kodiak who acknowledged that a person had been flown in from Chirikof Island just a short time ago, was doing OK and receiving treatment.

My own actions resulted in information that everything was taken care of and my later posting to the thread. Since this could have been the only outlet to the rest of the world via the Russian ham's internet access, I didn't want to chance not getting then the help they needed and at least finding out about their status. Since there were no other postings until much later in the afternoon, with more details, at least everyone knew things were taken care of.

With our very difficult propagation the last week, who knows if they were getting through to anyone since I had no way of knowing while at work, with little more than a computer screen to tell me. A reasonably good ending to what could have been a tragedy. I wish all the best to Merle on getting home and getting treatment. 73, Paul - K7IN

 

The first call for help I came across was not here, but via a spot on the DX cluster by a Russian station asking for any US Doctor & listing 14.263 MHz. I noted the details as given & monitored the frequency, but propagation was not working between Alaska & my station at that time.

Without further details on the exact location, or the nature of the emergency it would have been pointless contacting the relevant authorities at that time.

The main thing is that Merle got the help he needed & that thankfully he should be OK.

73,

Mark G0VOF

 

"When all else fails . . . . . . The INTERNET ! ! ! "

I knew there was more to the story than that several hour gap, but it just goes to show you that ham radio should NOT be depended on to be a "first responder!"

Just one more indication of "the times, they are a-changin' "

 

Actually AG3Y, a call went out over the air on 20 meters and thats how the word was disseminated along with an emergency services phone number. The QRZ post went out hours after the guy was in the hospital.

 

Personally, I think when one is faced with a life threatening emergency, asking for help by any means available, ham radio, phone, Internet forum, even a note in a bottle if that gets the job done, is what should be done. It wouldn't be the first time that an Internet forum or chat room was used to summon help. In this case, many of those reading are used to helping out in an emergency and knew what to do.

It's very likely that phone calls were made without someone posting that fact. Whatever happened, there was a good outcome to be thankful for.

73,

Steve

 

Wouldn't 14.300 MHz, the Maritime Mobile Srevice Net frequency, have been a more reasonable and productive choice of frequencies? (Just asking out of curiosity, as the MMSN frequency is monitored quite well.)

 

I hope, when and if I have a heart attack, no one writes a letter to the doctor, then waits four hours to go to the post office and get a stamp, so they can mail it. I will be gone five days before the letter reaches the ER.

Yeah, I had decided not to comment either until I read your comment.

I'm glad the fella is fine. But it seems to me posting the call for help on QRZ may not be quite the most expedient way of seeking help.

Then again, if you are stuck out on an ice floe, maybe. Except how the heck do you have access to QRZ.COM? If you have access, you must also have access to more immediate forms of communication, yes?

Those were my thoughts. I see there have been clarifications since then, but again, if there is one form of immediate communication, I could not understand why that means was not used to contact the coast guard or the Alaska state police. I would certainly choose the most immediate route. And, yes, I think the MMSN would have been a much better and more immediate choice. That is precisely why they are there every day. They have been excellent at resolving many life or death emergencies over the years, and continue to do so. Some hams, I suppose, are not aware of the MMSN, but most are, since so many complain about it being there. But many owe their lives to it.

All in all, this particular story was puzzling, to say the least. That someone could call "Mayday" on 14264 and not get a response, is very sad, considering the huge focus on EMCOM hams today have. Of course, most of those are stuck on two meters. It may be that a lot of hams don't know what "Mayday" means?

It was not a good situation, and not much of a success story, despite the good outcome, for ham radio.

I had the need once to call on 40 meters, in an emergency situation, one that could have been life and death for me. I got an answer within five minutes. That I what I would expect, and hope for, today. And I was doing it on CW in the 40 meter phone band! All I had.

Good outcome on this one, but it went through wrinkles to get there.

Ed

 

Hi Ed,

Alaska is now covered by relatively inexpensive satellite internet providers like HughesNet. Folks throughout bush Alaska rely on these, and on Dish Network, for much of their contact with the "Outside". Even our local and well-off ham radio club incorporates a HughesNet satcom system into their operations.

BTW, the "Outside" refers to anywhere beyond the biggest state in the Union.

73.

 

Well I think some of you did not look at where this happened ....

Way out on an Island just south of Alaska ... NO CELL Phone ... No LAND-LINE ... so RADIO came to save the day ... (Via Russia) and “then” (after other things had already gotten in motion) got posted on the Internet ..... Do you Folks even know where this happened?? Yep I kinda guessed you didn't .... (Look it up) Anyway Merle is a GOOD Friend of mine and I'm oh so glad things turned out the way they did .... HAM RADIO to the rescue once again !!!!