Case Study: Saving Lives in the Himalayas
At 5,000 metres above sea level, a group of mountain climbers fell ill with altitude sickness. They called on AP Companies to help them.
Deep in the heart of Nepal’s stunning landscapes, a group of adventurers embarked on a journey that pushed their limits. Last October, ten brave travellers – all insured by a large travel insurance company that is a client of AP Companies – embarked on an extraordinary adventure. Their journey included a trek to the Everest Base Camp, a challenging ascent of Kala Patthar, and a daring attempt to conquer Island Peak – a towering giant that reaches 6,189 metres into the sky.
Their adventure was filled with breathtaking sights, but as they ventured higher into the Himalayas, a sudden health crisis struck. At 4,900 metres, near the village of Lobuche, one of the group members developed severe symptoms: a splitting headache, nausea, dizziness, a dry cough, chest discomfort, and breathing difficulty.
Quickly, they reached out for help, and AP Companies’ coordination centre sprang into action. Guided by an experienced doctor, they assessed the situation and realised that the likely diagnosis was altitude sickness – a very serious condition. With great care, they made the tough decision to stop their climb, putting the traveller’s safety first.
Arranging a rescue
AP Companies’ medical team responded swiftly, offering important advice to the group’s helpers, including travel agency staff trained in first aid. At the same time, our operations team got in touch with local rescue services and arranged a complex evacuation to hospital that had specialists who knew how to treat high-altitude illnesses.
The critical descent to the Namche Bazar base camp began immediately, with the sick traveller accompanied by a specially trained team, including porters and Sherpas. Throughout the tough journey, which took nearly a whole day, AP Companies’ doctor stayed in constant contact with the insured member, monitoring her condition and giving guidance as new symptoms appeared, such fever and trembling.
A second case of altitude sickness
But the adventure was far from over. As the first emergency descent was underway, another climber in the group began experiencing the same symptoms, but at a higher altitude – 5,200 metres! This was an emergency, and he needed to be evacuated quickly.
Bad weather complicated their rescue plan, disrupting their carefully made evacuation plans. But through unwavering communication between AP Companies’ coordination centre and local rescue services, they managed to quickly adjust the evacuation plan, taking into account the unpredictable weather and the challenging climbing route.
Working closely with an air ambulance company, AP Companies found the best spot for the injured travellers to be picked up, considering all the tricky details of the climbing route. The travellers were airlifted by helicopter, taking a two-stage route from Namche Bazar (3,440 metres) to Lukla (2,800 metres), which was the nearest airport – and from there, on to Kathmandu.
At the same time, the coordination centre arranged for an ambulance to be ready to take the travellers to the Kathmandu’s ERA International Hospital, where they could get critical medical care.
More than just altitude
When they arrived at the hospital, it was clear that, along with altitude sickness, the climbers also had different degrees of pneumonia. This explained the seriousness of their condition, and why they had symptoms that were unusual for mountain sickness, like high fever.
Thanks to the skilled doctors and the quick transfer organised by AP Companies and local rescue partners in Nepal, the travellers began to recover relatively quickly. In a matter of days, their symptoms improved they felt much better, so that they could leave the hospital. They continued their journey in Nepal, without climbing any more mountains, but still enjoying the beautiful sights and the culture of the region.
This story of teamwork, a wide network, and a strong commitment to high standards led to a happy outcome for everyone involved. The travellers received life-saving medical care and were quickly taken to the hospital, the insurance company had happy clients and saved money because of the quick recovery facilitated by the efficient evacuation. Our coordinators were thrilled to make a big difference, and the management of the hospital and rescue service were glad to be a part of this case, this kind of cases can be very challenging in the area where there are many climbers without insurance.