Comments by "Stephen Villano" (@spvillano) on "Waterline Stories" channel.

  1. Wait, the RTO isn't glued to their radio set? When did they change that? Miss one net call, see how much time you're on the carpet for answering some seriously pissed off senior officers! Of course, I was Army. Put me in charge of a vessel, I'd be a hazard to navigation at the dock.
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  2. My very first military EMS patient was an advanced hypothermia patient. Conventional wisdom at the time was, he'd have zero memory of when his body was locked rigid in a continuous shiver. He remembered me, what I did, an argument with some senior NCO's that I won, a MacGuyverism to warm him during nonstandard emergency transport and more. As I learned when he thanked me at a unit Christmas party some years later. Kind of embarrassing, as I was just doing my job. But, good to see he was not only OK, but still serving and his family had grown. Had only mild hypothermia once, had severe hypoxia a few times, once to tunnel vision and gray out before I recognized what was going on and mitigated it. Neither was pleasant, to put it mildly. The last hypoxia event being due to a form of CHF, due to a thyroid crisis - during the first big peak of COVID. Uttered by me to the ED doctor, "Oh, thank God it's only CHF! Wait, did I just utter those words?" Doctor gave a great belly laugh, hard won, "Yeah, but I understand". A few days later, I rebounded due to new treatment, despite one endocrinologist considering iodine to shut down my thyroid. Driving the poor nursing staff to distraction. I am, by nature, a rather energetic person, so idleness isn't really in my nature.
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  3. When you work in a hazardous environment, it's just the norm to do whatever you have to do to pull someone out of the shit. After all, the next time, it just might be you. Hence, it's not a big deal, it's literally business as usual. Although, if it was preventable, all manner of hell gets raised over the excessive risk imposed. And well, I'd be moving heaven and earth to help out too. Might be an old army dude, but long ago I learned, although we are mostly water, water vs human, water normally wins, so help a brotha out. And the most infamous and common last words heard on radio typically are, "aw shit" and I'm damned tired of hearing those final words.
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  4.  @lukebrooks3240  and as was explained, takes a substantial amount of time and repeated readings to assess a contact's course and speed. Although, tossing water slugs out tends to announce your presence to the ocean at large too. Plus the high speed evolutions and gyrations like a stripper at the jiggle joint on payday. All, for a dog and pony show for some executives. I'm sure some Admiral was pleased with the return on investment. Total goat screw from start to finish. Don't belong on the boat, don't board the damned boat and let the crew do their jobs.
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  5. And in EMS, the now current saying, based upon that entire practice and former ordeal, "Nobody is dead until they're warm and oxygenated". Ironically, my very first military EMS patient was an advanced hypothermia patient. At a stage where consciousness is largely considered absent. Dude remembered me and my efforts, some involving some MacGuyverisms. Shocked the shit out of me and well, embarrassed me, "Just doing my job, man". Got a medal for it too, never wore the fucking thing. Didn't wear medals awarded for just doing my damned duty. Besides, in peacetime, it's doubleplus ungood to wear more medals than one's commander has. ;)
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  6. Hypothermic response is the more likely. The lower body temperature triggering the closest we can achieve to hibernation, lowering O2 requirements and well, allowing rescue. One big difference between humans and chimps is we rescue one another, even at significant risk, they usually don't.
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  7. I've always assumed a recovery procedure. My difference is, I want and expect to recover living people. At times, that outlook is all that it takes to make that modest difference.
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  8. You'd love the film "Last Breath". Saturation diver loses connection with bell and umbilical, exhausts emergency tank and suit, still is recovered alive. Having gone through a malfunction in breathing supply that induced both tunnel vision and full gray out before I recognized and was able to recover, yeah, it resonates. Eventually, I do want to explore scuba. Already have the first emergency lesson down pat, shit yourself afterwards, not now, you're busy trying to survive.
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  9. Oops, was thinking of a different video when commenting.
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  10. Insurance companies, well, the phrase due diligence and due care come to mind... As in lack of. Then desperately defending. Oh, my aching foot, from the self-inflicted gunshot, however can it get cared for?!
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  11.  @bluewaters3100  well, at those depths, helium is both a frenemy and a friend. But yeah, totally imperfect perfection, which is how one recovers from a nascent disaster.
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