written in the stars
Transcription
written in the stars
HB Grandi Newsletter Issue 2 January 2015 From left: Björn, Kristján and Víðir WRITTEN IN THE STARS THAT THIS WOULD TURN OUT WELL On the morning of December 5th, the freezer trawler Örfirisey RE sailed out of Ísafjarðardjúp, having just returned to sea after being docked in Ísafjörður due to bad weather. Chief mate Kristján Víðir Kristjánsson was heading towards his berth after a long night shift when he collapsed in front of his shipmate in the ship’s coat room. He had had a heart attack, which later led to cardiac arrest. The proper reactions of his shipmates and the defibrillator on board saved Kristján’s life that day, as it took the Coast Guard’s helicopter three hours to reach the site. The helicopter was being used by Civil Protection at Bárðarbunga volcano when the call came. It would only have taken the helicopter an hour to arrive if it had been stationed in Reykjavík. Text: Björg Torfadóttir HB Grandi owns three freezer trawlers, one of those is Örfirisey RE 4 which fishes redfish, cod and saithe as well as other species around the country. The trawler fishes for a month at a time and has two separate crews that take turns on each trip. Each crew has 26 members. The trawler captains are Trausti Egilsson og Símon Jónsson. until he came down and saw Kristján lying in Björn’s arms. “My first reaction was to fetch the defibrillator, and when I returned, Kristján was turning blue. We could not detect any pulse, and in a few seconds he had become dark blue.” “The first thing you do at a time like this is wonder if this is really happening. You just can’t believe that this is happening right in front of you,” says Víðir. “The most stunning thing about this is how quickly it all happened. We saw when he began turning blue, but all of a sudden, he was dark blue and had stopped breathing. It was ugly,” says Björn. Björn Bragi Sigmundsson is the second engineer on Örfirisey, he has been working at sea for 47 years and has worked for HB Grandi for about five years. CORRECT ACTIONS MADE THE DIFFERENCE A month later, I met with second engineer Bragi Sigmundsson and second mate Víðir Lárusson, both of whom had been instrumental in reviving Kristján. Víðir had just completed an extensive training course on treatment of the sick and injured at sea and the handling of various diseases, held by Landsbjörg, the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue. Bragi and Víðir also credit the Safety and Survival Training Scheme, whose continuing education is mandatory for all on board every five years, for how well the crew was able to handle these difficult circumstances. Björn says that he had not intended to be on this shift, so it was a fortunate coincidence that he entered the coat room just as Kristján did so. “He closed the door behind him and sat down. I called to him, asking if he was hanging up his clothes, but there was no reply. I only heard heavy sighs, and a moment later he was lying on the bench. At first I thought that he was playing a prank on me, but when I walked over to him, I was met with a blank stare and laboured breathing.” Björn ran straight up to the mess deck to call for help. Víðir, who was up on the bridge when he heard the call, says that he did not realise the severity of the situation Víðir says that their actions at this point were almost instinctive. They took Kristján off the bench, cut off his clothes and prepared the defibrillator. While they waited for the defibrillator to be ready, Víðir gave Kristján mouth-to-mouth, followed by chest compressions. After 2x30 compressions, the defibrillator was ready. “Using the defibrillator was almost like having a doctor there. It speaks to you in Icelandic and tells you what to do. We thought for a few seconds that the machine would give the shock automatically but soon realised that this was not the case. Björn was quick to push the button, and that is when Kristján took his first breath. We had the oxygen equipment ready, applied it to him and pumped so he received 100% oxygen. Then we waited for the helicopter.” An hour after Kristján collapsed, he had what seemed like muscle cramps all over his body. At first, they thought that Kristján was waking up, but this was not so. The only thing they could do was place him on a mattress, cover him with a blanket, monitor the oxygen closely and hope that the helicopter would arrive soon. Meanwhile, Captain Trausti was communicating constantly with a doctor and the Coast Guard. Trausti was on the ship’s third level, while Kristján lay unconscious on the first. Víðir ran back and forth while they waited to see how things were going. “All the crew showed incredible strength. Somehow, everyone played their part, no one was in the way and every crew member did their best. Everyone who could help was willing to do anything,” says Björn. “We had reached Önundarfjörður by the time the helicopter arrived. These three Víðir Lárusson is second mate on Örfirisey, he has been working at sea for 28 years and has worked for HB Grandi for about 20 years. hours were very long,” adds Víðir pointedly. “The wait to hear how he was doing was also incredibly long. We didn’t know whether he’d survived,” says Björn, who had not strayed from Kristján’s side all this time. Víðir and Björn say that criticism of the Coast Guard is a chapter in itself, but when the helicopter finally arrived, everything was handled in a highly professional manner. The Coast Guard deserves praises for that, although the situation is critical. It is extremely stressful for sailors to be uncertain of whether a helicopter is available in case of emergencies. “This shows the importance of the Safety and Survival Training Scheme. There’s always someone who’s freshly trained. You have to be prepared for everything, because accidents at sea can be very serious. There are heavy objects out there that no man can stop. That this should turn out so well is due to a series of coincidences, such as Kristján going into the coat room. Had he been alone on the deck, no one would have seen him for quite some time,” says Víðir. “It was written in the stars that this would turn out well. It was by complete chance that we were in the right place at the right time. If he had come in a few seconds later, I would have been gone. This wasn’t supposed to happen in any other way,” says Björn. “It’s quite a relief to be able to look back knowing that there were no mistakes made on that fateful day,” says Víðir, “instead of having to regret your choices for the rest of your life.” Kristján Víðir Kristjánsson is the first mate on Örfirisey. He has worked for HB Grandi for 25 years. THANKS HIS SHIPMATES Kristján appeared in a good mood when I sat down with him in the beginning of January. I was amazed how well he was, only a few weeks after the heart attack. He told me he was doing very well considering the circumstances, except for a lack of energy and pain in the chest after the CPR. We went over the events leading up to his heart attack and it’s aftermath. Kristján had been alone on the bridge for most of the night and was returning from his shift at around eleven in the morning when he decided to tie some fish together and hang them behind the bridge. He says that this was probably what caused the heart attack, as carrying 30 kilos of fish up to the bridge had put too much strain on his heart. Kristján says that he was feeling faint as he entered the coat room. Björn, the engineer, who was on his way to have some coffee, walked through and greeted Kristján, who could not utter anything in reply. He says that it was a stroke of luck that Björn was passing through just as he was having his heart attack. not receive enough oxygen, but he seems to have escaped unscathed. He thanks his shipmates for responding so properly and definitely, commending them for their feat. “I did not regain consciousness until I was on the way to Reykjavík in the helicopter, and then only for a brief moment. The next thing I knew, I had undergone cardiac catheterisation,” says Kristján. Upon his arrival in Reykjavík, he was cooled down and kept unconscious for two days. He says that waiting for the helicopter took a considerable toll on the crew, as waiting for over three hours with a seemingly dying man was no joke. “When I awoke, I had all kinds of tubes and whatnot tied to me and had no idea where I was or what had happened to me. I became raging mad, called my wife and asked what experiments were being conducted on me! I didn’t remember tying the fish together, let alone what happened afterwards.” Kristján has recovered remarkably well, and all test results have been positive. There is a great risk of damage if the heart does The heart attack came as a surprise to Kristján, who says that he had felt no aches up until then. Two days before, however, he had felt something that felt like a slight stitch, but brushed it aside. “I had just undergone a medical examination at HB Grandi, but the only thing that came out of it was that my blood pressure was rather high. It has always been rather high but nothing more than that. I did not think anything of this slight pain I felt, so this caught me completely by surprise.” “With arteries as blocked as mine turned out to be, I could have had another stroke at any point while the helicopter was on its way, so my life was in great danger the whole time. It is extremely stressful for us as sailors to be uncertain of whether a helicopter is available, or as Captain Trausti said, “It’s comparable to the ambulances in Reykjavík doubling as taxis and having to finish dropping passengers off before being able to tend to emergencies.” FOCUS ON HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT On November 1st, HB Grandi and its subsidiaries formally introduced a Transport Policy. Its aim is to encourage the company’s staff to use environmentally friendly, efficient and healthy transportation. The aim is to show social responsibility and set a good example by increasing the awareness of their employees about sustainable transportation. In addition, the company wants to improve the environment and the health of their employees and others. Employees are encouraged to sign the Transport Agreement if they are willing to use environmentally friendly modes of transportation, such as walk, bike, run or use public transport to and from work at least three days a week. photo: www.heartsine.com HEART DEFIBRILLATOR The defibrillator that Kristjáns shipmates used in the resuscitation is one of the reason he is still alive today. The device is available on all ships and will soon be in all HB Grandi processing plants. JOY IN DECEMBER FESTIVE CHRISTMAS CONSERT Reykjavík Vopnafjörður photo: Magnús Þór Róbertsson HB Grandi invited its employees living in Reykjavík and Akranes to a Christmas concert with Sigga Beinteins in December. Well known vocalists and musicians like Garðar Thor Cortes, Diddú and Guðrún Gunnarsdóttir performed with Sigga. Every seat in the Norðurljós hall in Harpa was filled and it is fair to say that everyone left in a wonderful christmas mood. CHRISTMAS DANCE AT NORÐURGARÐUR Akranes photo: Björg Torfadóttir The annual Christmas dance was held by the Employee Association in the cafeteria in Norðurgarður between Christmas and New Year. As usual children and their parents sang and danced around the Christmas tree. Two Icelandic Yulelads, Hurðaskellir and Stekkjastaur, surprised the children when they appeared on the roof with bags of goodies for everyone. CHRISTMAS FEASTS Every year, HB Grandi invites its entire workforce for a Christmas lunch. Smoked lamb, smoked rack of pork, roast and herring dishes were on offer in each location and young people from each locality provided the accompanying musical entertainment. ÞÚFA HB GRANDI NEWSLETTER Guarantor: Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson Editor: Björg Torfadóttir Design/layout: Fanney Þórðardóttir Photos: Kristján Maack Printed by: Litlaprent E-mail: [email protected] photo: Jón Páll Gestsson