Cypress Cardiac Arrest

---

This afternoon, during the search for the Bernese Mountain Dog “Ohly”, NSR was requested by BC Ambulance Service to respond for a patient in cardiac arrest on Cypress Mountain. A helicopter rescue team immediately launched from Bone Creek SAR station with our recently re-certified HETS kit and other life-saving equipment. On flying over the scene (see map at bottom), crews noted a single skier receiving CPR from 2 unidentified individuals on the ground. Having been provided a Latitude and Longitude for the accident site, the flight team was able to easily pinpoint the location and land nearby to rig the aircraft for a helicopter longline extraction.

Concurrently, Cypress Resorts professional Ski Patrollers responded to the scene from the ski area. They took over CPR from two bystanders, and applied a automated external defibrillator immediately. The friends had been doing CPR for approximately 40 minutes before ski patrol was able to get on scene. Shortly thereafter, two members of NSR’s HETS team were inserted to the site via longline, where they quickly packaged the patient and took him straight to a waiting BC Ambulance Advanced Life Support unit at the Capilano SAR Station. From here the patient was taken to VGH where, according to the media, he has been resuscitated and remains in critical condition.

This accident occurred in a common back-country ski area between the Nordic area and the downhill area of Cypress. He was skiing a gladed area when, it is assumed, he tumbled into a depression at a base of tree that was full of water.

Tremendous responses from all agencies (NSR, BCAS, WVPD) and especially Cypress Resorts staff.

UPDATE: Sadly, the young man passed away last night in hospital. I would like to offer my, and my teams, sincerest condolences to his family and friends.

---