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Everest Mountain Expedition
My mouth has completely dried up. I arrived yesterday late afternoon, after
a tiring four hour ascent over the steep ice wall of the Nordcol. I wanted
to melt some snow on my gas burner to cook tea, that would relieve burning
thirst. However both the lighters mal-functioned at this altitude. With the
help of my heat pillows, it succeeded to thaw a scoop of ice for that much
needed cup of water. The sun climbs over the Everest remainder..."
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 Emil Frohner
- Author "Der alte Mann und der Berg" (the old man and the mountain). |
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Warmup Cushions Contribute To Saving The
Life Of Cave Diver in the Aggtelek National Park
The Director for Disaster Control, Edelény, Hungary, sent a statement
thanking Warmup for their support, and describing the success of the Warmup
cushions in the cave rescue. He is convinced that the instant heat and ease of
transportation offered by the Warmup cushions contributed considerably to the
fact that the life of the diver could be saved.
The cushions helped prevent further lowering of the divers body temperature,
whilst he remained trapped in temperatures of just 10 degrees centigrade. Due to
the extreme location no power or warm air methods could be used. The cushions
were easy to transport and gave an almost instant heat of 50 C when operated.
The inexperienced diver was diving in the Rakoczi Barlang Esztramos hills cave,
Aggtelek National Park North-East Hungary. Zsolt Szilagyi dived in the cave
Rakoczi but got into difficulty. A rope hanging from the roof above the sump led
down to the bottom at minus 20 meters. A lead sink weight held it in place.
Divers attach their own life line to this main line at -12 meters and enter a
hole called "gate" leading to the underwater part of the cave named the "Devil’s
Beer garden". The water here is in very poor visibility with much mud and
floating particles.
Zsolt was the last person and was coiling up his lifeline, did not realize that
he was pulling it some distance up through the gate. As he reached the main
rope, he detached his own line but the main rope immediately disappeared in the
muddy water, pulled down by the lead weight. The diver lost his orientation and
could not find the way back
For nearly two hours his diving companions searched in vain, feeling sure that
he had ran out of air and died, they alerted the rescue services. Who would
accordingly recover the dead mans body.
Unbelievably nearly out of air Zsolty had discovered a small air pocket, about
one by two meters, connected to the main chamber by a one centimetre crack. In
the calm prior to the rescue, his voice was heard shouting for help. Using the
crack they were able to communicate, but due to the low visibility (visible
distance only ten centimetres) and the extreme complexity of the cave complex,
it took a team of over 230, over 140 dives before he was located.
He was discovered exhausted and hypothermic after over sixty hours of rescue
work. He was then ‘WarmedUp’ and given special liquids and foods before finally
being brought out of the complex.
A translation of the original letter follows:
Department of civil defense,
Kazincbarcika
On: PBS Pernauer GmbH
Dear Mr. Rebhandl
I would like to express my gratitude for your assistance in the rescue
operation in the 'Rákóczi' cave complex in the 'Bódvarákó Estramos Zsolt
Szilágyi' mountains.
When the diver discovered that the guidance rope used in caves has torn, it
was apparent that the water turbulence has also obscured the way back to the
entrance of the cave.
Short before his oxygen ran out, he has found a pocket of air under one of
the chamber's roof masses, where he was able to hold himself above the water
and continue breathing.
More than 100-head catastrophe rescue team was formed, consisting of
Hungarian, Czech and Slovak rescue divers. They found the stricken diver by
means of tapping signals. The diver remained in a 2x1 meter air hole, while
the drilling through these rocks took several days; the rescue operation
it-self lasted 118 hours.
During this time, the rescue divers have been supplying the stricken diver
with drinking water and food through a gorge and through the cave pond
system. The temperature in the cave was 10°C; for survival, it was
extraordinarily important to protect the diver against life-threatening
hypothermia. The warming of the diver could not be achieved with an electric
or gas-powered apparatus.
The only method feasible in this situation was to use your WARM UP pillows.
When activated, the crystallization warming to 55°C protected the diver
sufficiently to prevent peripheral heat loss and thus aided in maintenance
of central core temperature required for survival. Amongst other factors,
the possibility of transporting the WARM UP pillows cold (not activated);
activated only when placed on the areas of the divers body, played a crucial
role in the efficiency and success of this rescue mission.
We would like to thank you Mr. Rebhandl once again for your assistance in
this rescue operation, making WARMUP pillow pockets available to us on our
request immediately and free of charge.
With kind regards
Tamás Virag
Lieutenant colonel civil protection
Office leader
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Horse Veterinarian
Patient : Arab race horse, female, robust attitude, used to be
continuously kept in fenced area.
Overnight the horse had jumped over a couple of fences and ran freely in a
large open area. The outside temperature at night was between -15 to -18
degrees celsius. At approximately 5.00 am in the morning the horse was
involved in a heavy collision with a passenger car. The accident was so
serious that the car was completely destroyed.
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The horse suffered heavy injuries to nearly all body regions, several tear
wounds in the chest, neck and the head, a complete disconnection of the
upper lip, deep wounds below the carpal. Also other cuts on the hip etc.
The horse returned back by own strength in to the stable (immediately after
it was transported into the hospital, travel time was approximately 30
minutes). During the investigation in the hospital the following conditions
were present: low-grade bleedings from numerous areas on the body and very
extensive and deep wounds. Indication of shock and exhaustion, cold body
surface, trembling, weak pulse, lowering the head, legs broadly apart, short
windedness and racing heart action.
The medical emergency steps (infusion of large quantities of electrolytic
solution, medical shock therapy) were introduced immediately.
In addition the “WARM UP® Horse Cover” with activated heat cushions was
used. The cover is simple to adapt. After approximately half an hour the
horse's recovery was visible. The respiration became slower, it was becoming
normal, the body surface warmed up rapidly.
Soon after the first emergency treatment the horse was operated on under
narcosis. Healthy recovery was possible in a satisfying way after three
weeks of hospitalisation and the horse was released. At the time of
admission the interior temperature of the hospital was only zero degrees
celsius due to the failure of the heating systems. The heating cushions
assisted greatly in that condition and were also easily and quickly
re-activated in the boiling water.
We use the horse cover regularly after full narcosis and during the process
of post narcosis recovery. Horses usually have problems with temperature
dropping, as a result of the affects of narcosis.
This is the reason, why the “WARM UP® Horse Cover” and heating cushions are
recommended for use in addition to medical procedures for treating horses.
Dr. Martin Rockenschaub
Veterinary clinic for horses
A-4780 Schaerding
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