Today when I was leaving a village called Makuma, I was given an empty propane tank so that we could get it filled and take it back out to the jungle. We do this all the time. I loaded it up, later flew to Shell and didn't think anything about it.
Later, as one of my co-workers was helping unload my airplane, (our newest Ecuadorian pilot) he lifted out the propane tank, and then dropped it saying something bit him. Making a long story short, he was bitten by a tarantula type spider and had a very serious reaction. He is in ICU at the moment in the local mission hospital. The doctors are unable to give him any medicine because of the type of venom the spider has. Instead, they are just watching his vital signs and progress. It appears that Fernando will be fine with time, although he is in a lot of pain, and in a general state of discomfort. Please pray with us that his recovery will be quick.
I often write about the patients we fly and help, and it is weird that something so serious happened to one of our own, in our own hangar. Praise God it didn't happen to me while I was in the jungle loading that propane tank! If it would have happened to me (or anyone) out in the bush, I would have been unable to fly, and would have had to be flown out myself. Fernando quickly went to hospital after receiving the bite, which was a God thing. I'll let you know more tomorrow about his progress.
No comments:
Post a Comment