Two Off-Duty Nurses Save Hiker's Life in Cardiac Arrest in Bèrnia Mountains

Knowing how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques should be mandatory in Spain. The actions of two nurses enjoying a mountain hike in the Bèrnia mountains were crucial in saving the life of a hiker who went into cardiac arrest.

The medical staff, upon realizing the dire situation, began CPR until the firefighters arrived, who used the automatic external defibrillator (AED) from the rescue helicopter to restore the victim's pulse.

The incident occurred around 1 PM this Sunday, in the Fort de Bèrnia area, within the municipality of Callosa d'Ensarrià. Immediately, the Consortium's coordination center (Control-3) mobilized the Special Rescue Group (GER) along with the Alfa-1 rescue helicopter.

Upon arrival, rescuers found the hiker already attended to by two nurses who were there as civilians and had begun CPR. The rescue team used the Alfa-1 helicopter's AED to restore the affected person's pulse. Minutes later, the Generalitat Valenciana's Alfa-9 medical helicopter landed in the area, where medical staff proceeded to stabilize the hiker.

Once stabilized, the man was evacuated in the Alfa-9 helicopter to a hospital for further assessment and a more comprehensive evaluation of his condition. The intervention by the Alicante Provincial Fire Consortium concluded nearly three hours after the call.