Life-Saving Effort by Navy Nurse Recognized by Washington State Ferry
Dr. Ray Jarris and Dr. Ann Jarris of MDSI were pleased to join Washington State Ferries in honoring US Navy Lt. Cmdr. Erika Schilling, for her life saving efforts aboard the MV Spokane on December 2, 2017. Dr. Ray Jarris and Dr. Ann Jarris presented Lt. Cmdr. Schilling with an Outstanding Responder to Sudden Cardiac Arrest certificate and Challenge Coin recognizing her “Awareness, Courage and Compassion.”
According to Dr. Jarris, “Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Approximately 350,000 people of all ages experience EMS-assessed out-of-hospital non-traumatic SCA each year and nine out of 10 victims die. Lt. Cmdr Schilling and the vessel crew that supported her saved a life. The Washington State Ferry System also deserves recognition for having AED’s and trained responders on every vessel.”
Lt. Cmdr. Schilling overheard another passenger’s call for immediate medical attention. A man had slumped over and appeared to be not breathing. Schilling took command of the situation, determining the man’s heart had stopped, moving him to the floor, instructing another passenger to tell the ferry crew, who arrived at the scene with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
Schilling, aided by another person with Basic Life Support skills, performed CPR. Once the ferry docked at Kingston, an emergency medical technician team transported the man to Harrison Medical Center, Bremerton. The man survived and is now doing well at home.
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/262609/life-saving-effort-navy-nurse-recognized-washington-state-ferry
https://komonews.com/news/newsradio/ferry-passenger-awarded-life-ring-award-for-saving-a-mans-life
https://komonews.com/news/local/nurse-midwife-honored-for-saving-passengers-life-aboard-ferry