First aid
Now people who initially give aid at the scene of trauma such as the recent shark attacks in North Carolina have three tasks. The first and second are to administer first aid and have someone call 9/11. The third is something we don’t ordinarily think about, and it’s a relatively new one: protect the injured person from the prying eye of the ubiquitous cell phone camera.
Two teenagers face a long recovery after being bitten in separate shark attacks off Oak Island Sunday evening.
Dr. Borden Hooks, the surgeon who operated on the pair Sunday night, said Monday afternoon that the prognosis for both was good.
A 12-year-old girl was bitten near the Ocean Crest Pier just before 5 p.m., and the attack on the 16-year-old boy happened about an hour later near the 55th Street beach access, authorities said. Both were in waist-deep water about 20 yards from shore, Oak Island Town Manager Tim Holloman said…
“When we first got to the beach, a lot of the bystanders were helping,” said Tracy Carnes, a Brunswick County paramedic. “They helped carry our stuff to the beach and then a lot of them were just helping shelter her from photos being taken of her.”
It’s a natural human impulse: to document. Now almost everyone has the tools at hand most of the time. These attacks were especially grisly, and remain mysterious. Why were two people attacked, when shark attacks are so rare to begin with? And attacks by such a large shark are also especially rare in such very shallow water.
Small nit – the last time I took BLS, it was first get someone to call 911, then whatever first aid/CPR was necessary.
They didn’t mention the amateur press…
Step 5, administer First Aid/CPR to any amateur press that were undeterred by Step 3.
I’ll leave Step 4 to your imagination.
Amidst the horror of seeing my child injured like that, I can’t imagine how much worse it would be for nosy rubberneckers to be snapping pictures.
ConceptJunkie, excuse me?
I understand step four, no problem, but step five? No! Ain’t gunna happen. At least it gives the ambularazzi something to take pictures of.
KRB
Crazy sharks are a consequence of Climate Change. I am kidding, just kidding.
There should be some recourse for people who suffer physical or emotional trauma against voyeurs who gratuitously invade their privacy at moments when they are most vulnerable. You do not have a right to document their suffering. I am not kidding about that.
I recall the first time I visited Istanbul, we were cautioned to not take pictures of individuals unless they granted permission, because it was an affront to their beliefs. I guess that has changed. Clearly, fundamentalist Muslim terrorists are fond of displaying photos and videos of their victims.
Dinner and a movie for the NatGeo channel.
I just spent 10 minutes looking for one of the most interesting photos ever taken. No success.
IIRC, a young man lies on the beach drowned, and his girlfriend who is kneeling next to him smiles at the camera as someone takes the picture of his lifeless body.
Her smile is so reflexive you can almost forgive her but the contrast is startling.
The USN, when doing research on sharks, needed to know what the average size of a shark in US waters would be. The Navy Standard Shark is an 8 foot 450 pounder. So, I would suspect that the villain is probably a Navy Standard sized Bull, or maybe a small Tiger, as apparently the shark also bit the girls boogie board at the same time. Tigers love sea turtle, and have jaws adapted to bite through the shell.
I noticed the young men lined up using towels as a shield. I was very impressed at their compassion. Unfortunately the person taking the photos managed to get closer in to get a picture. Also one of the people on the beach at the time was EMT and that was a huge help.
I have Army and civilian first aid training, so I’d be likely involved in dealing with the injured person. But if the places were all taken by more competent people…I’m also trained in “self defense”.
When I took a Red Cross First Aid/AED course several years ago, the instructor mentioned having bystanders use their coats to shield the victim for privacy’s sake. Especially important when you’re stripping a female victim in order to apply the AED electrodes.
scottthebadger said:
“So, I would suspect that the villain is probably a Navy Standard sized Bull”
Always a good bet.
http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/23202992/bull-sharks-caught-in-potomac-river
Considering most people are attacked close to shore, and given that Bull sharks will attack you in ankle deep water and have been found thousands of miles from the ocean up the Zambezi, Ganges, Amazon, and Mississippi (talking Illinois folks), if you’re going to be attacked by a shark, it’s likely going to be a Bull shark.