A helicopter from the 18th Army Corps left Tan Son Nhat Airport at midnight on 5/9, carrying an emergency medical team from Military Hospital 175 to Song Tu Tay Island to retrieve the fisherman. The patient lost consciousness after three consecutive dives, each lasting over two hours at depths exceeding 40 meters.

Despite multiple recompression treatments, the fisherman remained in a deep coma, pulseless, with paralyzed legs, while receiving emergency care at the Song Tu Tay Island clinic. After about seven minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, his pulse returned, but he responded poorly to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and organ dysfunction progressed. Doctors conducting an online consultation determined his condition to be critical, with a high risk of death if not immediately transported to the mainland by helicopter.

The patient receives medical assistance to ensure safe transport by helicopter. Photo: *Hospital*

According to Captain, Doctor Nguyen Canh Chung, head of the air ambulance team at Military Hospital 175, upon reaching the patient, the team intubated him, administered resuscitation measures for shock, and maintained his vital signs to ensure safe transport. After over 12 hours of flying through the night, the helicopter landed at Military Hospital 175 on the morning of 6/9. The patient was immediately transferred to the emergency department for specialized treatment.

Major General, Doctor Tran Quoc Viet, director of Military Hospital 175, stated that the hospital is always prepared to mobilize all resources for the timely treatment of soldiers and fishermen on the front lines of the islands.

Le Phuong