Yosemite National Park (CA)
Visitor’s Life Saved Through Rangers Prompt Action
On November 10th, rangers Jason Ramsdell and Aaron Smith received a report of a 61-year-old male with chest pains approximately two miles down the Saddlebag Lake trail just outside the park. The Mono County Sheriff’s Department requested assistance from the park. Ramsdell and Smith responded on foot, found that the man was experiencing severe chest pain radiating down his left arm and was pale and sweaty, and accordingly began implementing advanced life support measures. The man had a history of heart disease and told a friend on scene that he thought he was dying. Ramsdell and Smith treated him according to chest pain protocol and set up a landing zone for a life flight helicopter. Their quick action saved the man’s life, as he was later diagnosed with a near 100% blockage of a coronary artery and underwent angioplasty that same evening.