This year's Eco Challenge in Malaysian Borneo was the most challenging and yet the most successful from the perspective of the Medical Rescue team, according to Eco Challenge Medical Director and veteran of the last 4 year's events, Dr. Adrian Cohen.

Press Releases    Medquest    About Dr. Adrian Cohen    Media Experience    Eco 2000 Medical Stories    Eco Web Site Stories    EXN Stories    Media Briefing    Medical Photos

"Eco Challenge 2000 was the year some competitors simply ran out of luck", said Dr. Cohen. "In a race which pushes competitors to the very limit, we made the difference between life and death. At the end of the day, that's pretty much our job description. Or, as I like to put it 'no-one dies on our shift' "

The Medical Team recorded more hospitalizations, serious illness and life-threatening injuries than in the previous 3 years, attributable to the extreme conditions in Borneo and some unlucky circumstances.

Over 1,200 consultations, dozens of rescue responses, 2 rappel rescues from helicopters, the inevitable battles against exhaustion, hyperthermia, dehydration, gastroenteritis and the plethora of blisters, coral cuts, scrapes, bruises, lacerations, ulcers and de-gloving injuries provided our team with a high workload, and two dramatic days of rescue responses to several potentially life-threatening injuries.

The shared mission of looking after more than 600 competitors, event staff, TV production personnel as well as media was again professionally dispatched, with what we perceive as an increasing degree of race and personal knowledge as well as the typically easy-going Australian countenance.

Some of the highlights included:

Day 4 of Eco Challenge 2000

Busy time on day 4 of Eco Challenge, with a competitor impaling himself on a tree branch during the mountain bike leg of the course.

Rescue Paramedic Steve Martz and Dr. Adrian Cohen responded by 4WD vehicle and motor bike, with a 300 metre sprint to the top of a hill added in.

On scene, the competitor, David Laux of Team Ernst & Young (#56) was semi-conscious and in respiratory distress, with a penetrating chest wound and enlarging pneumothorax (punctured chest with collapsed lung).

Dr. Cohen performed a needle thoracostomy into his chest, IV lines were inserted and he was airlifted him back to our Field Hospital at Silam on the East Coast.

There the team continued advanced life support, placing a formal chest drain.

He was later flown by helicopter to Lahad Datu for rendezvous with an Air Ambulance and the 40 minute flight to Kota Kinabalu.

Last reports had him back home in the USA and doing well.............a very good effort by all our team, and undoubtedly the most precarious case we have had on an Eco Challenge to date.

Day 6: Roger versus the Jungle

Rescue Specialist Roger Graham and Rescue Paramedic Pat Cotter were involved in a 9 hour extrication of a competitor from Team #61 (Goonies) with a bee-sting allergic reaction.

Deep into the jungle of the Danum Valley, access to the patient was only possible following a 200 ft rappel from the Bell 212 Helicopter .....what followed was to become a long, long walk out in the dark of night.

Meanwhile, Rescue Paramedic Steve Hughes lead a ground stretcher -party of 14 locals through the 4 kilometres of Rainforest to rendezvous for the extrication.

The patient recovered well, and should suffer no long-term effects.

Day 5: One of the Busiest in Eco Medical History

You know that old song, "it never rains, man it pours"??? Welcome to Borneo and Eco Challenge 2000 Day 5.

On the afternoon of the 24th September, the Medical Rescue "Thunderbird" teams responded to 4 separate jungle incidents :

• Mountain Bike accident, Eric Resurrection, Team GO #60 suffered a closed head injury and shoulder trauma. In order to access him, the Medical Team of Steve "Howie" Hughes (Rescue Paramedic) and Dr. Adrian Cohen rappelled 100 ft from Bell 212 helicopter because there was no-where to land. Whilst being treated and later evacuated to the Field Hospital.....
• The result of a another Mountain Bike accident, Cammie Crampton, team Right Angle Turn #61 sustained cervical spine and shoulder trauma, and was attended en route by Dr. Adrian Cohen and Rescue Specialist Clay Alison
• With a Helicopter Medivac underway, Rescue Paramedic Steve Hughes responded by Quad Bike to Chris Andrews, Team Northstar #65 suffering Dehydration and Heat Stroke
• During the Jungle Trekking leg, Jeremy Truebridge (Team Van Eck #21) dislocated his shoulder falling over, and Rescue Specialist Roger Graham and Rescue Paramedic Pat Cotter walked 5 hour in the jungle to reach him an stabilise his injury

In addition, Rescue Paramedic Steve Martz performed a fixed wing evacuation of an event staffer with appendicitis to KK first thing that morning, whilst Dr. Mark Gillett was attending to yesterday's major chest trauma case also in KK............600 kilometres from the race course..........you could say we were stretched a little thin!!!!

IMMEDIATE ASSISTANTS

Immediate Assistants is a premier Medical Rescue Team which has provided services for major international events and venues for over 15 years, including the last 4 Eco Challenges.

Under the direction of Dr. Adrian Cohen, the team combines Emergency Room doctors, experienced Rescue Paramedics, Rescue Specialists, Physical Therapists and Nurses with state-of-the-at pre-hospital care equipment and vehicles.

Starting many months before an event, Dr. Cohen analyses the medical risks and plans for rescue responses along the course. This includes the provisioning of 2-3 Field Hospitals, liaison with local medical authorities, training of helicopter operators and drills with the Immediate Assistants Rescue Medical Teams, nicknamed "Thunderbirds". The Thunderbird Teams are skilled in patient access, treatment and extrication, and can literally go wherever competitors can, combining physical fitness, rappelling, cave and water rescue with Advanced Life Support medical skills.

Immediate Assistants also provides services to other adventure races, international motorsport, ocean events and the film/television industry, including the acclaimed CBS production "Survivor".

More information at www.ias.com.au

Immediate Assistants MEDICAL TEAM BORNEO 2000

Medical Director Dr. Adrian Cohen Sydney, Australia 4^th Eco Challenge

Doctors: Dr. Mark Gillett Sydney, Australia 1^st Eco Challenge

Dr. Liza Rady Sydney, Australia 1^st Eco Challenge

Dr. Andrew Graham Cairns, Australia 3^rd Eco Challenge

Dr. Annette Riggs Cleveland, USA 1^st Eco Challenge

Dr. Brian Buhlke Iowa, USA 1^st Eco Challenge

Dr. Dev Siddhu Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia 1^st Eco Challenge

Dr Teoh Siang Chin Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia 1^st Eco Challenge

Rescue Paramedics: Steve Martz London, England 3^rd Eco Challenge

Pat Cotter Sydney, Australia 1^st Eco Challenge

Steve Hughes Sydney, Australia 1^st Eco Challenge

Rescue Specialists Roger Graham Sydney, Australia 2^nd Eco Challenge

Clay Allison Sydney, Australia 3^rd Eco Challenge

Nurse Practitioner Karen Dahle USA 1^st Eco Challenge

Physical Therapists Maren Otte USA 1^st Eco Challenge

Michael Lear USA 1^st Eco Challenge

All "Medquest" photos and content ^© 2001 Medquest Productions, L.L.C.
All Rights Reserved. All other photos used by permission.