Medical Workshop

Team: Heinke, Olli O., Steffen B., Schüssi, Steffen K., Zeljka, Marc, Mats, Tom, Aline, Marc-Christopher, Dierk

When our annual meeting was held in November, the foundation was laid to hold a medical workshop as a team this year. The goal of the workshop was to build some basic knowledge of the equipment available and to learn new materials and techniques. We had also acquired a new roll-up rescue stretcher in the team with whose handling we wanted to familiarize ourselves. Heinke and Olli O. had quickly agreed to prepare something. The date was also found quickly and so it went on the first March weekend in the north to Hemmoor.

A part of the team arrived already on Thursday evening, so that one did not have to make the long journey only for 2 days. Furthermore there was the possibility to do one or the other dive already on Friday. Zeljka and Schüssi made the shaker "unsafe" early Friday morning at fresh temperatures. Around noon Olli O., Steffen B. and Tom arrived. In the late afternoon Marc-Christopher joined us. For the afternoon a small scooter dive was planned for 5 of us. Unfortunately MC's scooter refused to work, so MC and Schüssi went on foot to visit some highlights of Hemmoor. Olli, Steffen K. and Tom went on their way with the scooters. Back in the apartments we welcomed Marc, who together with Steffen B. had already heated up the grills.

Almost Cavebase standard there was delicious grilled meat from Franconia. Also Dierk, Mats and Aline found in the evening still the way to Hemmoor and so we could let the evening end in comfortable round. Around 2 o'clock in the morning, the last participant Heinke arrived.

Saturday morning started with a delicious breakfast, before we started with some theory and practice. First Olli did a part with the basics of CPR and oxygen administration and gave us the opportunity to practice on a manikin.

Exercises such as the Heimlich grip also provided many laughs. Olli also introduced us to the RescuEAN, with which a normal oxygen stage could be used as a constant flow for a ventilation mask. Thanks to some self-printed parts from Steffen B. we now also have an adapter to connect a 2nd stage to a ventilation bag and use it as a "demand valve". All in all, super simple and yet so effective in a pinch. We practiced a scenario or two with this as well. During the lunch break, we were able to recharge our batteries with pasta and tomato sauce.

We use the second part of the day to learn more about Heinke's equipment. In addition to a defibrillator and a portable patient monitor, she always has a whole bag of useful tools with her to care for a patient. Here, too, we use the time for a few practical exercises and were also able to check the suitability or otherwise of the team members for the next project at the patient monitor.

To have some more exercise we decided to walk a little round the lake.

Here you get new views of the lake. After this successful day, how could it be otherwise, we stoked the grill again and strengthened us. Also this evening we let end in large round and already forged the one or other plan.

Unfortunately, Marc and Tom had to leave on Sunday morning, so we continued practicing in a smaller group. Last year we had purchased a roll-up rescue stretcher as a team. We used the morning to try out one or the other stretcher before we started to learn how the roll-up works. This stretcher has the great advantage of being able to be transported in a reasonably small size, but properly set up it is stiff and stable enough to safely transport a person. The stretcher also has appropriate brackets to transport a patient vertically in a shaft, for example, or to attach it to a helicopter. So after we safely packed Steffen B. into the stretcher, our first goal was to suspend him free-floating. So we used a beam on the terrace and attached a few slings. Now we just had to understand the technique of the ropes provided. But that was also done quickly. And so Steffen was hanging horizontally and vertically from the house.

After this challenge was also mastered, we also wanted to do some exercise in and under water. But before that we had a little refreshment with homemade vegetable soup from Heinke. Afterwards we grabbed our suits and equipment and headed for the E1. Fortunately, there was not much going on here on Sunday afternoon.

First of all, we tested the roll-up individually in the water to see how far it is positive or negative in the water - it is almost neutral, minimally negative. Then a diver was to be attached to it. Here Heinke declared herself to be the guinea pig. After determining the amount of lead needed and equipping it with an XDeep sidemount bubble as a buoyancy aid, we clamped Heinke onto the roll-up. Then we attached two stages to the sunbed and connected the cylinders to the dryer and bladder. Now came the moment of truth.

We lifted Heinke, under interested looks of the other divers, first on the water surface before we looked then how she goes down and whether everything functions correctly. A permanent OK sign from Heinke signaled us that we could go one step further. Since the foot area was slightly positive we decided to attach another piece of lead here. We then all slipped into our gear and attempted transport to the surface. 4 rescuers spread out around the stretcher and so we covered a few meters. For a whole lake round our motivation was not enough.

Another increase was on the program. We wanted to transport Heinke under water. Again we distributed ourselves around the stretcher, 2 divers on a rope in front of the stretcher, one diver each on the right and left and one last diver in the foot area.

The diver to the right was also responsible for monitoring the patient. In this constellation, we then dove a few meters to the fixed points of the former archway. The mixture of locomotion, buoyancy and stabilization of the stretcher requires some practice.

In the last step we wanted to test the whole thing with a scooter. The plan was to use a Seacraft Ghost 2000 as a tractor and stabilize the stretcher with 3 other divers. With level 9+ the team shot through the water. Against the foot march a lightness.

Nevertheless, we decided to reduce the speed to level 7. Again, we made very good progress in this team. We also tested whether a transport to 2. is possible. Here, the stretcher is pulled by the scooter and a second diver is directly above the stretcher and stabilizes and steers. At the same time, the diver can monitor the patient.

This attempt was also a complete success. With the impressions gained, a few pictures and videos, we made our way out of the water. Heinke already had cold feet due to the little movement and we did not want to do another exercise on hypothermia.

Back at the accommodation, the grill had to do its job again and we examined the video and photo material that was taken during the exercise. Unfortunately Marc-Christopher, Dierk, Heinke, Mats and Aline had to leave already.

Steffen K., Zeljka, Steffen B., Olli O. and Schüssi made themselves comfortable.

Later in the evening Timo Vierow from tauch.versicherung came by and showed us some possibilities how to insure our diving equipment.

On Monday morning we had to clear the boat and the rest of the team had to go home.

All in all we had a great and instructive weekend. We had a lot of fun and learned a lot for future projects.

In this sense

Your Cavebase.