While walking down the beach, I spotted a small child in a homemade appearing life jacket. The child had just been placed in waist deep water and immediately began moving backwards in a rip current. I saw the parents move towards the child and I knew that the she would be easily reached, so I took out my camera and started shooting, in hopes of using the images in future lectures.

With the child in her parents arms, I snapped another couple pictures while looking through my camera. After lowering my camera, I saw two people being pulled further out to sea in that same rip current. If you look in the background of this picture, you can actually see the 2 soon to be patients and another person pointing to them. Despite their good intentions, the pointer and two onlookers to right eventually require rescue once they attempt to help.

Once loaded into the vehicle, the female pt was alert and oriented and appropriately frightened. The male pt was GCS of 12-13, responding only to deep painful stimuli and continued to vomit. You can see Flores and I holding his head up and forward, using the towel to keep his airway clear. We also had to “work with” the driver, who wanted to pull over every time the pt vomited, so that we did not get his car dirty.

Upon arriving at the “hospital”, we proceeded to the 2 bed ED and placed the pt’s on oxygen via Nasal Cannula, which was all that was available. IV’s were placed and D5W started. In my best broken Spanish, I suggested more oxygen and a bronchodilating agent, but did not want to interfere. The emergency management consisted of IV B12, acetylcysteine, and dexamethasone. They also attempted to place an OG tube while the pt was still conscious and vomiting, without success.(Though technical terminology, this amounts to the drowning equivalent of leeches). During this time, the pt began to improve and 4 more pt’s arrived, representing the would-be rescuers who were pulled out by other surfers during this incident.
In Ecuador, upon completion of medical school, doctors do a 1 year internship at a clinic such as this one, then go into practice.

Founder Paul Dunning and Director Gabriela Munoz Ocana solidified this historic agreement with Jorge Proano Bonilla, Subsecretario de Planificacion from the Ministerio de Turismo.

Officials from the Port, Fire Department and Ministry of Tourism are eager to revitalize this Sister City relationship.

Arriving in Manta, the team was greeted by firemen at the fire station Project Ecuador would call home for the duration of the mission.

6AM, Nucapacha Hostel, Guayaquil:

Bill, Jeff, Mike, Nick, Gabby, Miguel, and Andres load lifesaving equipment and luggage into a flatbed truck, then pile themselves into a taxi van headed to Manta.

At a clip of 120 kph, our driver plows north through the Ecuadorian jungle towards Manta, passing herds of roadside cattle, brothels, and trees whose limbs bend under the weight of vultures.

The group makes a brief stop in the village of Cascol for corbiches (fish and plantains deep-fried in batter), empanadas and cappuccino.

Along the way, the team talks about the condition of beach safety in Ecuador. Gaby says more than 80,000 people gather across 13 kilometers of beaches in Playas in a single day of Carnival.

In Manta, she says, it’s the same number, though the beach is just three kilometers.

Unlike the in U.S., alcohol is permitted on the beaches of Ecuador. Andreas, a native of Ecuador began his life guard career at Florida State, says that even during a lightning storm, no one is available to clear the beaches in Ecuador. Many beach-goers he says, ride out the storms in the water.

In the States, lifeguards and lifeguard organizations are paid and sanctioned by local government agencies such as the the National Park Service, police and fire departments: and then also private interests such as commercial ports, hotels, and tourist sites.

Ecuador’s beaches are largely (if not entirely) unregulated and virtually no funding exists for lifeguard services despite the obvious need.

This year, Gaby says, more than half of the lifeguard staff in Playas was cut when mayor Michael Acchi took office. Now, fewer than ten lifeguards are responsible for the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

Our last stop before Manta, a gas station along the highway, women crowd around the van to sell us delicious pan de yuca (a sweet, cheese bread) and tortilla de maiz (corn bread).

We head into Manta through an incredibly low cloud surrounding the mountainside. The driver says he’s never seen anything like it as he pulls out his cellphone to take a picture.

http://www.mercuriomanta.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3723%3Asalvavidas-de-long-beach-integraran-equipos-de-seguridad&catid=4%3Arockstories&Itemid=1

http://www.kcoy.com/global/story.asp?s=11951111