The decision to leave the dead children was beyond stressful as these kids were good actors. There is a medical term used in child and adult hypothermia cases that says "they are not dead until they are warm and dead" This term rose out of examples of young children returning from death hrs after their heart stops because their body temp plunged fast such as in super cold water or fridged exposure.

One medic took it litterally for this situation and failed to realize the triage concept under these conditions. He grew emotional over the kids and took it personally. He had to be coaxed and reasoned with to stop his actions over a period of time. He was using valuable resouces and labor that could have been put to use on the other patients. His heart was in the right place but his reasoning was impaired by fatique and mild hypothermia. It was a tense moment but it worked out.
At one point another medic (to his credit)went over to the deceased in front of the other medic and took all the insulative gear off the deceased kids to use on the live child.


Nothing motivates SAR people like children. You find that extra ounce of energy and willpower when it comes to kids even to the point of putting yourself well beyond capabilities and personal risk.

Lets hope we never have to deal with this for real.

It was highly emotional for me to watch him from an instructor in a ghosting observer position. My heart ached for him all the while wanting to kick his [censored] back to reality. When training on the edge like this the scenario seems real to many people as you are beyond tired in pain and your perception is distorted with a mix of exhaustion and adrenalin. Its a bizzar surreal experience.


What would you like to know about the gear? We carry too much. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> What else?

Hound