Injured speleologist sends greetings

Bailout: „best regards“ from the injured speleologist

06/15/2014

After five days at a depth of 1,000 meters, the long and arduous way up has begun for the injured speleologist Johann Westhauser. The researcher had suffered from a rockfall a traumatic brain injury. When the rescue operation started, he sent „best regards“ to the family.

Five days at a depth of 1,000 meters
On Friday, the rescue operation for Johann Westhauser, who had an accident in the Riesending-Schachthöhle in the Berchtesgaden Alps, began. Last Sunday, the experienced speleologist, who works at the Institute of Applied Physics at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), suffered a traumatic brain injury in the cave due to a rockfall. For five days he had to remain injured in 1,000 meters deep. As a spokesman for the mountain rescue announced on Saturday morning, feel the casualty „in the stretcher very well and sends best wishes to his family.“

Rescue teams have to take breaks
The rescue team has now made a complicated part of the route. The team, consisting of 14 rescuers and a specialized doctor from Munich, are together with the injured in the section „Barbarossas throne room“, which lies in front of the bivouac 5. After a long break, an Italian rescue team should continue the transport to bivouac 4. Benno Hansbauer of the Bergwacht explained that such breaks are important: „The track demands not only the injured but also the rescue workers a lot. When the forces are exhausted, you have to pause.“

No emergency operation necessary
According to the mountain rescue the transport to the daylight should last at least a week. The health of the patient is still stable and on Sunday morning it was announced that no emergency operation is necessary. Traumatic brain injuries are divided into three degrees of severity. Even with the mild form, patients should be hospitalized for at least 24 hours as it is a potentially life-threatening condition. The symptoms can be very variable depending on the injury. Signs of traumatic brain injury include headache, nausea and vomiting, dizziness and balance disorders, and dysregulation. (Ad)