Man recovers after ‘death’ in icy pond

Press, 2 April 1985, Page 20

Man recovers after ‘death’ in icy pond

NZPA-AAP London An Irishman is recovering in spite of being declared clinically dead after an attempt to rescue his dog from a frozen pond. Peter James, aged 24, was trapped for more than 20 minutes under ice before being rescued by firemen, “The Times" reported. He was walking his aog in a suburban park in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, when the dog fell through ice on a pond. When he tried to rescue it he too fell through. Mr James was rescued and taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Doctors then diagnosed an acute state of hypothermia which is sometimes deliberately induced for certain delicate surgery to reduce the metabolic rate. A heart surgeon familiar with the method was called to the emergency room and made a final rescusitation attempt, hoping to raise body temperature from about 10 degrees to the normal 37 degrees. He succeeded in restoring heartbeat after six minutes. Many patients have survived after being diagnosed clinically dead but it is thought to be the first occasion that a person has been revived after accidentally “freezing”.