Our Mexican Vacation--The Day of the Death

Beth and I went on the fifth day of our vacation-- well we went snorkeling.  I put on the fins, the mask and put the the snorkel in my mouth and jumped from the boat.  The water was a pleasant, not cold.  I cleared a little water from the snorkel and replaced it.  Face in the water I paddled to the nearby coral reef.  I saw two or three divers at the reef watching a few fish.

I began to feel light-headed.  I swam back to the boat and asked Alberto, Hector's nephew, for help.  He could not pull me in.  Beth came to me.  I lost consciousness.  Help came, and Beth, Hector, Alberto and two other men pushed and pulled me into the boat.

In the boat Beth found me without detectable pulse or respiration.  I was purple-blue.  She started chest compressions.  After a few minutes she was joined by another woman competent in CPR.

Alberto drove the boat back to the Zihuatanejo Pier while the women continued breaths and compressions.  On the trip back I regained slow ineffective breathing.  An ambulance was waiting.  I was taken to Mediciel Hospitalizacio at 6 Morelos Avenue.  There I awoke to find them infusing saline and dopamine.  I asked Beth repeatedly to tell me what happened.

After air transport to the Real San Jose Hospital's ICU in  Zapopan, Guadalajara, two days later I was flown back to my home ICU, the Kern at Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Oregon.  Now ten days after snorkeling I am home.  I am doing OK.  Well, as you see, more than OK!