Fiona- Hello friends.
Have I got a treat for
you today. I want
you to meet a woman
who is a true hero.
She lives the life
that our best heroines
live - as a matter of
fact, if I were
funded, I would jump
on a plane and fly to
the Wild Coast
where Nickey
lives and write her story.
Nickey, will you start by
telling us a little bit about where you live and about you?
Nickey - I am known as either Nickey or
Monique. I am originally from
Johannesburg, South Africa where I worked
as a nurse and then joined as emergency
service technician (ALS). My hubby is the
Traffic Police Chief here. We both
worked in Johannesburg and Soweto for
many years. Due to security reasons, I keep
my writing separate from my work and
therefore use a pseudonym.
I am presently working and living in the Transkei, Wild Coast.
The Wild Coast used to be the former Transkei. The homeland
was previously governed separate from South Africa. It is a
unique and often volatile area. Here I have my own company.
I train students and also work as EMT and NSRI (National Sea
Rescue Institute) sea and shore crew member.
are going to be taking us through some of the ways that this
differs from land rescue. Can you start at the beginning? Where
are you when the call for help goes out?
Nickey - We are all volunteers. This is the largest stretch of coast
line, app 200km. Usually, when we get a call it is at the most
inappropriate time - that is always the case. People either
contact the base station using radio or a mobile often from the
beach area. I am sure by now you know we are infamous for
our shark attacks.
Fiona - Yipes! Have you responded to a shark attack?
Nickey - Yes, twice. On Saturday, it was pretty vicious and again
Nickey - Yes, twice. On Saturday, it was pretty vicious and again
fatal. Even if we were at scene at that very moment we could
not have done anything. He was in waist-deep water when the
shark grabbed him in front of his wife and friends. A tourist
from Austria. Apparently, the shark actually lifted him out of
the water. He kept fighting as it dragged him into deeper waters.
Fiona - And the victims die from blood loss? From an artery being
severed? Or shock?
Nickey - Blood loss. In this case he was amputated from waist
down. Usually the shark returns. It was not a single bite wound.
Fiona - ARGH! In my mind, they tasted you and let go because
humans aren't their regular food. If it were to happen to one of
our characters, what could someone who saw it happen do to
prevent the death?
Nickey - If at all possible, stop the bleeding and treat for shock.
Over here, the sharks return and finish the job. I swam here
often until the first call. The reality of it is very brutal, and it
changed my perception completely.
Fiona - Amputation
from the waist down
can't be saved. That
is gruesome. How do
you handle things
like that? Some
people are
always okay with it,
some just shove it
down, others grow
thick skin - what is the case for you?
Nickey - I manage it very well. My husband and I worked together
in Johannesburg and Soweto for a long time so the violence is
nothing new.We are a classic case of a cop married to a medic,
so we both discuss things. I tend to go over
events in my mind, now that I am older, and question my
judgement. I also talk with the lifesavers and other medics
because they are often very alone in what they feel.
We do not receive support in that area, so we discuss things
informally. My hubby and I meet with the crews and just talk
(debrief). It is getting harder. I find that child victims are the
toughest.
Fiona - Are children a large part of those you rescue? What types
of accidents befall them?
Nickey - Yes. Rogue waves are a big problem and motor vehicle
collisions. We do not have barriers next to our roads, and it is a
regular thing for a vehicle to roll down the embankment and end
up in the river (Umzimvubu).
Fiona - So what do you do when you get that call - is the water
deep enough that these are usually recovery rather than rescue
calls?
Nickey - We have wet-suits and gear. Part of the ritual is getting
dressed in motion.
We treat everything predominantly as a rescue until we are sure
of the actual situation. It is very difficult when the community
contact us for help because they do not provide adequate
information. Even on scene, they are sometimes so confused
that they will refuse to say how many people were in the
vehicle or on the boat.
Fiona - So you don't know if you've accounted for everyone? That's
Fiona - So you don't know if you've accounted for everyone? That's
difficult.
Nickey - Yes, you have to look for clues. Sometimes there are
childrens' clothing but no child. We are also dealing with people
who are not very trusting of authority, so you have to keep a
kind and authoritative posture, not show your urgency and
continue to search.The most important thing is to
compartmentalize what you feel. Put it away and focus on your
team and the information you have. Situational awareness is
everything.
 |
| Launching site |
Nickey - If possible, the vessel will stop right in front of our place,
and I get in from where we do a launch from the Umzimvubu
into the sea. That is a very tricky skill; only a handful of skippers
can master.
Fiona - Is the water treacherous there. What requires the skill?
Nickey - When you are in the vessel you keep an eye open for the
waves to assist the skipper. Also, you look out for any
debris. Unfortunately, people usually do not wear clothing that
are very visible, so it is amazingly difficult to actually find a
person or even a yacht.
One of the many reasons for the stormy seas are the sudden
drop of the continental shelf which not only powers the waves
but can cause the opposite, a sudden drop or hole in the ocean.
When you are out there it is an exquisite experience. When
steering the vessel the skipper often faces into the wave with
just the right amount of power otherwise it becomes airborne,
and you end up flying off the crest with a tremendous force.
In the boat, you feel every movement in your back and bones.
It is exhilarating. You smell and taste salt in your bone marrow.
The rougher the ocean, the scarier and stronger the adrenaline
rush. When in rough seas, it is surprisingly difficult to see a
person in the ocean or even a capsized boat. This is even more
true if they are not wearing reflective life jackets, or if the hull
of the boat is white or blue.
Our calls are very diverse. It could be anything really; our unit
was involved in the rescue of the passengers of the Oceanos in
1991. Part of our training includes being airlifted from a boat by
a helicopter, or placing a patient in the rescue basket or harness
for airlift, retrieving a patient from the water, providing
emergency medical treatment and collecting a patient from
another vessel if the conditions are not favorable for a helicopter
rescue. We regularly have to tow a defective vessel to safety.
The helicopter we use as training is a BK 117 Army 'copter'. We
don't jump from it anymore unless we really have to and then
only if it is lower than 8 meters
Fiona - Why have you stopped
jumping? What injuries were
the rescuers sustaining?
Nickey - The jumping causes an
immense amount of sudden
stress on your spine if you're
posture is incorrect. It can be
very dangerous and is
unpredictable. Think of the
same concept that happens
during concussion, the last
thing you need is a team
member with a serious head or
neck injury, disorientation,
paralysis and so forth.
Fiona - Yes - that's what I would suppose. So once you're in the
water, would you ascend by harness?
Nickey - Yes, the harness is the same type of material as a seat-
belt and fits around your shoulders and between your legs.
You cross your arms in front of you. The cable of the helicopter
must touch the vessel or even the water first so that there is a
static release. Otherwise it can give you a nasty jolt.
Fiona - A very cool detail! How does the turbulence of the ocean
water impact your patient care on the way to an emergency
room?
Nickey - It is an experience because it is wet and noisy, and oh yes
very slippery. It is very difficult to put up a line (IV) and even
listening to the lungs and heart (taking vitals) is challenging.
Fiona - I hadn't thought of that - yes!
Nickey - We take our vitals manually, with a BP cuff and stet.
I use other senses, for example feeling the patients skin,
pulse, that tells me a lot about the rhythm of the heart and its
strength. I look at the pupil size, and count the respirations.
Fiona - Are there other issues that we might not have thought to
include in our plot lines?
Nickey - When you move into a wave crest, the vessel becomes
airborne so do you and the patient. It takes balance,
coordination, and a sense of humor to do this. One of the
biggest problems is hypothermia.
In June and July, we have the
In June and July, we have the
sardine run. It is winter and the water temp is about 15 degrees
C. (59F) We have schools of sardines with dolphin pods of up
to 20,000 dolphins hunting, also whales and sharks.
 |
| Pacific Sardine (Sardinops sagax) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
This is the time
when divers come
down as well as film
crew. Free diving -
no cages. You have
to watch out for the
sea life.
It is incredible to
actually see a
whale up close, but
you should never be closer than 100 m.
They are wild.
Fiona - Holy moly! How hard would it be to get, say a shark victim
with and leg amputation to a hospital?
Nickey - It all depends on resource availability. If we can get a
helicopter, then it might be anything up to an hour. We stabilise
as best as possible on sea, before coming in through the ways.
Then if there is an ambulance, which is rare, we will stay with
the patient for the 15 minute drive to the clinic. Our clinic is not
an ER or hospital, so I will get out and carry on working with
the sisters over there.
Fiona - No kidding - kuddos! for even trying. How long is the
average trip to land/hospital? What is the survival rate if rescued
at sea?
Nickey - You must take into account that this is a very rural area.
So even with a shark attack victim, it can still take up to 15
minutes, and that is only after we have reached land.
Fiona - Before I forget - and I am cringing as I type this - can you
tell me about your favorite scar?
Nickey - Oh, no sharks A small stab wound on my left shin.
Fiona - And with all of that going on, you write prolifically across
genre. Tell me about your writing, is it an escape from your
everyday heroism or do you use your work to inform your
writing?
Nickey - My writing used to be my outlet, but as I became more
involved, I started to write academically. That is actually a
coping mechanism. I have recently started to write from my
own experiences and feelings. It is very honest and
vulnerable...it is a new experience.
Of everything I had written, the teaching manual to Sangomas
on how to recognize emergencies and refer them for appropriate
assistance means the most. I think that it is possible to prevent a
lot of the pain and hurt if we start at the source. So I teach
Sangomas how to interpret actual signs and symptoms. It is a
very interesting journey.
Fiona - I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar with Sangomas - can you tell
me a little and what their situation is?
 |
| Sangoma in fur and leather (Photo credit: K. Kendall) |
Nickey - They are Traditional
Healers, they visit the Transkei to
perform rituals and help the sick
in the community using herbs and
muti.
Fiona - (information about muti)
Nickey - The sea is of great
significance to them because it is
the place of their ancestors.
Sometimes muti is herbs, but it
can be a concoction of anything.
You will get a better idea if you
surf muti killings.
Fiona - I just Googled muti-killings and am horrified.
I had no idea. We'll have to leave that discussion
for another article.
for another article.
Thank you so much Nickey for visiting with us today. I am so looking forward to your coming back to tell us more about your efforts to teach medicine to the healers in your area. You are, as I said at the beginning of this article, an incredible heroine.
Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.
