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19-year-old Asbjørn lay dead for 100 minutes on a ship in the North Sea - but only the doctor gave up
- The crew saved my life
By Hanne Baltzer
20-year-old Asbjørn Morell is currently studying to become a ship's assistant at Svendborg Maritime School, and he is already looking forward to working when he graduates. The anchor tattooed on his left arm tells of a passionate desire to sail: "Working at sea lived up to all the expectations I had about sailing. A ship is a very special workplace compared to anything else I've done, which is why I'm looking forward to sailing again," he says. Personally, he knows better than anyone what camaraderie and colleagues mean: Survival.
Tak
Asbjørn is a major miracle because he survived a cardiac arrest on the North Sea, even though his heart and pulse stopped for 100 minutes and he was subsequently in a coma for 10 days. He unhesitatingly sends his thanks to his colleagues, who worked tirelessly after he collapsed at sea at 20:55 on 17 April 2020. Without their help, he would no longer exist. That's the way it is.
"I'm insanely happy to be here and eternally grateful for the guys out there. They're always in my thoughts, even though the incident as such is not in my mind. If it had happened on land, I would have died. The crew kept giving life-saving first aid even though my pulse was gone and they broke all my ribs good and proper. The doctor on the phone had said they could stop, but they kept going," says a grateful Asbjørn.
Hands save the heart
Asbjørn worked as an unskilled ship's assistant on the Danish rescue ship Esvagt Cantana with Captain Jan Ole Kristensen on the bridge. It was a normal day out on the North Sea, and the ship was, as always, ready to help in emergencies on the area's oil rigs and floating production vessels. That evening, Asbjørn was in the gym working out when he suddenly collapsed. It all happened in front of his colleague, who rushed to the lifeless body and called for help.
When the captain arrived at the gym, he could immediately see that something was wrong. He couldn't find a pulse and the defibrillator was switched on, but it didn't help Asbjørn. A suitcase with extra equipment was opened and the first mate and the rest of the deck crew started giving Asbjørn artificial respiration while the captain stood on the bridge talking to various doctors and trying to get extra help. The crew had to take turns giving him CPR and oxygen through a balloon over his nose and mouth. They tried to keep his heart warm with their bare hands and continued to do so while waiting for the rescue helicopter, which had been requested from very far away. It is known that for every minute that passes without CPR, the chance of survival is reduced by approximately 10 per cent.
The captain contacted the shipping company, who were able to inform Asbjørn's parents.
The Miracle
You might think that a ship in the middle of the North Sea is one of the worst possible places to go into cardiac arrest. But they often train in rescue operations, so the crew knew exactly what to do, because their job is to save lives. Now it was Esvagt Cantana and Asbjørn who needed extra assistance, but the weather was bad and the rescue helicopter had a long flight time. Therefore, the crew continued to provide first aid despite the doctor's message that they could stop.
After the crew had been working for an hour, something unexpected happened. A rescue helicopter in the Norwegian North Sea went into the air to help. It was able to arrive sooner than originally ordered, so while they waited for it, the resuscitation attempt of Asbjørn continued. At 21.44, the darkness over the rescue ship was finally broken by a helicopter's searchlights. At the same time, a great miracle happened down in the gym. Asbjørn's heart started beating again after a break of 100 minutes! His pulse was irregular and he was still in extreme danger.
Reunion
It was the Norwegian helicopter that flew Asbjørn to the nearest hospital in Scotland. His heart was beating, but they couldn't make contact with him. Upon arrival, Asbjørn was put into an induced coma and connected to a ventilator. Without realising it, he had been living with a serious heart defect, so after three weeks, back in Denmark, he had bypass surgery and a pacemaker inserted. His brain had not been damaged.
It was therefore a very special day when Asbjørn was able to return to his old job as ship's assistant on Esvagt Cantana on 10 November 2020.
"It was the same 12-man crew with the same great team spirit. We were very happy to see each other and it was a great day. We celebrated the reunion and I was reminded that the freedom on board is something very special. That day my parents were allowed to come out and see my workplace. It was great."
The experience hasn't made him change his fundamental outlook on life. He takes one day at a time. However, he is more thoughtful about who he spends time with today than he used to be: "I live my life and do things I want to do. I also remember to spend time with the people I care about. I'm still convinced that I'm going to use my degree, but I don't yet know where it will take me at sea. Right now I'm keeping my options open," adds Asbjørn Morell. He is ready to sail.