A B.C. snowshoer who fell and was stuck in a tree well for more than seven hours is expected to make a full recovery, thanks to a fortuitous chain of events that saved her life.
Christine "Tink" Newman, 24, was unconscious and hypothermic when she was found on the morning of April 1 in Garibaldi Park near Whistler, reported Pique Newsmagazine.
Newman was apparently heard leaving the Wax at Elfin Lakes shelter around 2 a.m. and other guests thought she was going to use the bathroom, Squamish Search and Rescue manager John Howe told Pique.
Newman's parents, John and Ernestine, told Global News that she was discovered only because her backpack had fallen near the tree well. Her friends, who were snowshoeing the next morning, spotted it and pulled her out.
Her six rescuers included a retired paramedic and a nurse who were able to start CPR right away, Howe told the Whistler news outlet. They rotated every five minutes until search and rescue arrived. Those members continued the emergency procedure for another hour, meaning Newman received four continuous hours of CPR.
“As far as I know, this is the longest duration of CPR ever performed in North America for this condition, probably any condition, with a good outcome,” Dr. Doug Brown, an ER doctor who has researched accidental hypothermia, told Global News.
Brown is also a volunteer with Squamish Search and Rescue. He was able to direct Newman, who was transferred by helicopter, to the Vancouver General Hospital, which has a special device called an ECMO that helped raise her body temperature, said Global.
"The stars were aligned as far as these people being able to find the young lady at the time they did; to be able to get that call out as quickly as they did; to have the knowledge, skill and training to do initial CPR," John Willcox of the Squamish Search and Rescue told CBC News.
Newman is in stable condition in hospital and is expected to fully recover from the incident, reported CBC.
Newman is a former skeleton athlete who is studying interactive arts and technology, and business entrepreneurship at Simon Fraser University, according to several online profiles. She's also CEO of a startup called Foodavinci, a food website.
Christine "Tink" Newman, 24, was unconscious and hypothermic when she was found on the morning of April 1 in Garibaldi Park near Whistler, reported Pique Newsmagazine.
Newman was apparently heard leaving the Wax at Elfin Lakes shelter around 2 a.m. and other guests thought she was going to use the bathroom, Squamish Search and Rescue manager John Howe told Pique.
Newman's parents, John and Ernestine, told Global News that she was discovered only because her backpack had fallen near the tree well. Her friends, who were snowshoeing the next morning, spotted it and pulled her out.
Her six rescuers included a retired paramedic and a nurse who were able to start CPR right away, Howe told the Whistler news outlet. They rotated every five minutes until search and rescue arrived. Those members continued the emergency procedure for another hour, meaning Newman received four continuous hours of CPR.
“As far as I know, this is the longest duration of CPR ever performed in North America for this condition, probably any condition, with a good outcome,” Dr. Doug Brown, an ER doctor who has researched accidental hypothermia, told Global News.
Brown is also a volunteer with Squamish Search and Rescue. He was able to direct Newman, who was transferred by helicopter, to the Vancouver General Hospital, which has a special device called an ECMO that helped raise her body temperature, said Global.
"The stars were aligned as far as these people being able to find the young lady at the time they did; to be able to get that call out as quickly as they did; to have the knowledge, skill and training to do initial CPR," John Willcox of the Squamish Search and Rescue told CBC News.
Newman is in stable condition in hospital and is expected to fully recover from the incident, reported CBC.
Newman is a former skeleton athlete who is studying interactive arts and technology, and business entrepreneurship at Simon Fraser University, according to several online profiles. She's also CEO of a startup called Foodavinci, a food website.
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