Emotional meeting

Lifesaver was on the scene quickly thanks to emergency app

Ali Can (left) with lifesaver Markus Lichtenberger

(Bild: Rotes Kreuz Salzburg)

In emergencies, the first few minutes are often crucial: the faster help arrives, the higher the chances of survival. With the help of a Red Cross app and the radio station Ö3, an Upper Austrian who was on a skiing vacation in Bad Hofgastein was able to save the life of the hotel manager. 

It was just after seven o'clock and I was getting ready for a day's skiing in my hotel room in Bad Hofgastein," says Markus Lichtenberger, a volunteer paramedic at the Neuhofen an der Krems and St. Florian stations. "Suddenly I got the alert on my cell phone, accepted it and ran off immediately."

Resuscitationstarted immediately
Shortly afterwards, he was standing in the office of hotel tenant Ali Can, who had collapsed on the floor, and immediately began resuscitation. With the help of several first aiders, the rescue team that had arrived in the meantime and a defibrillator, Ali Can was brought back to life. He was flown to hospital, where he was able to leave a few days later.

App bridges the journey time
"I only survived because help arrived quickly," says the rescued man gratefully. This was made possible by the "Team Austria Lebensretter" app: people with first aid skills can register there and then accept alerts sent out by the control center.