Hiker resuscitated after 6-hour cardiac arrest
British mountaineer lost in Catalan Pyrenees survives severe hypothermia after groundbreaking technique in Vall d’Hebron hospital
A British mountaineer has been resuscitated in Catalonia after suffering severe hypothermia and a 6-hour cardiac arrest, one of the longest ever recorded according to health professionals.
"It’s an exceptional case in the world," said Eduardo Argudo, a doctor at Barcelona’s Vall d’Hebron hospital, where a ground-breaking technique helped reintroduce oxygen in the patient’s blood long after the heart stopped beating.
"It feels incredible that I survived it and I’m just really lucky to be here and be able to go on with my life. I’m just happy," said the 34-year old hiker, named Audrey.
On November 3, Audrey and her husband got lost near the Vall the Núria, an extremely popular mountain resort in the Catalan Pyrenees. Emergency services found the couple two hours after they called 112, with worsening weather conditions and Audrey already unconscious.