Tragedy for brothers in paradise

S ometimes, decisions can impact the rest of our lives in the most tragic ways. And sometimes, medical assistance companies are amongst the first to call when such a tragedy strikes.

In this case, managed by Malteser AeroMedical, two brothers set out to spend a dream holiday in the Seychelles, only to have one misstep change the course of their future.

The love of adventure

The older brother, a 32-year-old professional mountain biker, known for his adventurous spirit and love for exploring new terrain, was travelling with his younger brother. Both had brought their mountain bikes along to experience the islands’ rugged trails.

One sunny morning they decided to venture to a smaller, less populated island with their bikes in tow. Eager to relax and enjoy the serene surroundings, they indulged in smoking marijuana. Hours passed blissfully until they realised they had lost track of time and needed to rush back to catch their ferry to the main island.

Realising biking back in their state was not an option, they flagged down a passing truck and negotiated a ride back to the ferry terminal. The older brother, feeling the need to clear his head, impulsively decided he was going to jog behind the truck instead. As he stood up and the truck began to move, a tragic accident unfolded. In the abrupt acceleration, he lost his balance and was thrown backward, the younger brother grasping desperately at his feet in a futile attempt to hold him back. The force threw the older brother headfirst onto the asphalt, knocking him unconscious instantly. The younger sibling, panicked and shocked, rushed to his side and found him unresponsive and not breathing, and suffering from visible head and face fractures.

In the abrupt acceleration,
he lost his balance and was
thrown backward

With no time to lose, he performed emergency CPR, desperately trying to keep his older brother alive in the remote location while waiting for rescue services. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation became his lifeline to his brother as they awaited help, a grueling two-hour ordeal in the sweltering heat.

The rescue

When rescue finally arrived, the injured brother was evacuated to the main hospital on the Seychelles’ main island. He was immediately ushered into the trauma room where a team of doctors and nurses mobilised to stabilise him. His condition was critical, with severe head trauma and a compromised airway. GCS on site was five, with a small improvement upon arrival at the hospital. He was immediately intubated, sedated and ventilated, though intubation proved to be rather difficult due to his multiple face and head fractures. After an emergency craniotomy, he was placed into a coma to further stabilise.

Upon activation, Malteser AeroMedical quickly realised that there was not only one patient, but two, as the younger brother was severely traumatised. Assuring that the medical treatment of his brother was progressing well, the team took it upon itself to regularly check in with him and supporting him by offering professional help to talk about his shocking experience. In addition, Malteser AeroMedical’s experts stayed in close contact with the brother’s family in Germany, keeping them up to date on any progress.

After three gruelling weeks with little improvement of the older brother’s condition, it was decided that he was stable enough for repatriation, with Malteser AeroMedical swiftly arranging the transport in the same week. Equipped with a full ICU configuration and specialists, the team finally brought back both brothers from their oncedream destination. Thankfully, the transport remained uneventful, and the patient was brought to a specialist hospital for continuous treatment.

Although the team would have wished for a better outcome, the older brother’s condition has remained the same in the last few months whilst being managed by the specialists in Germany. A truly tragic reminder of how quickly a dream vacation can turn into a nightmare and how important it is having a global assistance provider by your side in case things go wrong.