MY DOG, A CRY FOR HELP AND THE PARAMEDICS

By Al Gallo

Tuesday, 15 May 2007

I had finished my computer work by midmorning, two months ago, when I walked to the back verandah. My pushbike needed a repair, so I lifted it on to a table to look at the best way to fix it. As I enjoyed the sound of birdcalls from the tall surrounding trees, Rosie, my kelpie-cattle dog began to bark at me in a demanding kind of way.

Rosie often barks or growls to communicate her excitement before going out for a walk, or just to announce that meal time is getting close, so that is to be expected. However, I’m aware of my diminished sense of hearing, something my wife Jo keeps reminding me about by saying that she had told me something I had never heard. Naturally, I pay attention when Rosie barks loudly and there’s nothing unusual I can see. After all, she’s never been exposed to long years of industrial noise as I have…

I called her, patted her and watched her movements. She sat about three metres away from me with her ears sharply pointing up and looking towards my neighbour and mate Kevin Glendon’s house. At that moment I realized someone was calling for help from exactly that direction. I put my tools down and rushed towards Kevin’s place. When I approached the house I yelled out: “Kev, are you there?” and I heard a distressed voice: “It’s me, Ray, over the back!”

I went under the clothesline and into the back verandah, where I found Kev’s wife Ray lying on the floor. Ray had obviously fallen down the steps out of the back door. Following procedures learnt during several first-aid training courses in the past, I quickly assessed the situation, asked Ray not to move and assured her I’d call an ambulance and everything was going to work fine. I rang 000 and after I tried to contact Kev, who had just left the local supermarket.

As soon as Kev arrived I explained to him what the situation was and walked towards the front gate. As I reached the gate I could already see the ambulance turning into the street. I waved the driver in and walked back to the house to offer any needed help. What happened next was a demonstration of a high degree of technical expertise and personal communication by locally based Paramedic Richard Robson Petch, who thoroughly assessed the case and called his colleague Darrell on the radio. Darrell arrived driving a modern ambulance and helped Richard to stabilize the patient prior to her being taken to hospital. I had the opportunity to help both of them to place Ray on the stretcher in a delicate and carefully calculated movement.

Richard is a well-known and respected member of our community as well as his wife Vanessa, present Treasurer of the Mount Garnet Progress Association.

Ray suffered from a fracture and was operated in the Cairns Hospital where she remained for a few weeks until she returned home to complete her recovery. Both Ray and Kevin greatly appreciate the attention and care received from the Paramedics and medical personnel at the hospital.