Drama in the Zillertal

The lifesaver was only a stone’s throw away

The fire department helped to transport the vacationer away.(Bild: ZOOM.TIROL)

Fortunate circumstances helped to ensure that a Styrian vacationer (76) in Zillertal was successfully resuscitated. The emergency happened in the immediate vicinity of Andreas Schiestl, the district commander of the Red Cross. He was on the scene immediately.

Dramatic scenes unfolded shortly before 9 a.m. on Wednesday in the area of Fügen station on the Zillertalbahn. A 76-year-old vacationer from Styria suddenly collapsed on a bench. His wife and a passer-by immediately began resuscitating the 76-year-old and raised the alarm.

Alarm 30 meters from the scene of the accident
What nobody could have known or hoped for: The alarm went off just 30 meters away on the opposite side of the street at the Hotel Malerhaus. The hotel is run by the family of district rescue commander Andreas Schiestl, who also happened to be the incident commander on the day of the accident.

Large contingent of emergency services at the train station in Fügen.(Bild: ZOOM.TIROL)

"I went over immediately and took over the resuscitation," explains Schiestl. While the 36-year-old was looking after the patient, the emergency doctor for the front Zillertal and the ambulance arrived at the scene. At the same time, the emergency helicopter Heli 4 from Kaltenbach was also approaching. It was able to land safely in the adjacent field right next to the tracks.

Helicopter flew holidaymaker to hospital
Andreas Schiestl continued the resuscitation together with the emergency doctor. "We successfully resuscitated the patient in around ten minutes," said the Fügen resident happily. The helicopter then flew the 76-year-old Styrian to the hospital in Innsbruck.

It was fortunate that I was so close to the patient as the head of operations. A case like this is an exception.

Andreas Schiestl, Bezirkskommandant Rotes Kreuz Schwaz

"In a situation like that, every minute, every second counts. It was really very fortunate that I was so close to the patient as the incident commander," says the district commander. He had never experienced an emergency situation like this before. "We are very well equipped in the Zillertal, but a case like this is the exception."

Patient in intensive care
The Innsbruck hospital reported on Thursday that the patient was in intensive care. However, there was no further information on the holidaymaker's condition.