A rescue mission to Antarctica and back again
When an Australian patient urgently needed to be retrieved from the remote Casey research station in Antarctica, the Australian Antarctic Division knew that the broad skills of an emergency clinician would be the best fit.
It wasn’t possible to fly the patient out, as the ice runway wasn’t safe for landings. Instead, the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) would send the RSV Nuyina, an icebreaking ship used for deep sea journeys.
Onboard the RSV Nuyina.
FACEM Dr Juan Carlos Ascencio Lane Juan – a practising diving and hyperbaric physician and naval reservist with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) – was asked to accompany the AAD to bring back the patient for urgent specialist treatment in Australia.
Juan said, “In case the patient acutely deteriorated, or needed emergency intervention, the AAD felt that the training as an emergency physician had the best capability and suitability for this case.”
In late August, the Nuyina left Hobart, ferrying the AAD’s expertly trained team of naval, medical and aeromedical staff, and an aeromedical helicopter.
“The ship was able to get as close as 80 nautical miles out from the research station before it was unable to cut through the thick ice and became stuck.”
During the 10-day journey, everyone onboard the ship was briefed and readied for a variety of scenarios – including any potential medical or emergency situations on the ship itself.
The ship was able to get as close as 80 nautical miles out from the research station before it was unable to cut through the thick ice and became stuck.
“There were so many moving parts,” said Juan. “We needed to be at the right place, at the right time, with the right weather. We pretty much had a day or two’s leeway.”
““It just went absolutely perfectly,” said Juan, “and we were able to retrieve the patient and bring them back to the ship safely.””
With the ship now at a safe distance from the base, the team decided to deploy the helicopter to collect the patient.
Luckily, “It just went absolutely perfectly,” said Juan, “and we were able to retrieve the patient and bring them back to the ship safely.”
After an eight day return trip, the patient was delivered safely to the Royal Hobart Hospital to receive urgent specialist care.
The icebreaker making progress.
The success was a group effort, said Juan, “It was a real coming together of these multiple organisations to ensure that this patient got the right care, at the right time.”
If you are an adventurous-minded emergency physician, and you get asked to take on this type of work, Juan strongly recommends it. “If you get the chance,” he said, “just jump straight into it. You’ll never regret it. There are always amazing learning opportunities, you get to meet amazing people and you get to experience new things that you’d never thought you’d get to experience.”
