Rare Factors Delay GA Ambulance for Lightning Strike Call

The emergency response to an Alabama teenager struck by lightning while swimming off Tybee Island on June 12 was delayed due to an "extraordinarily rare set of circumstances," said Chuck Kearns, CEO of Chatham Emergency Services.

The 15-year-old girl, Maiah Mitchell, died from the lightning strike.

Chatham Emergency Services provides emergency ambulance services to Chatham County and stations one vehicle near the Tybee fire department, located mid-island near city hall. When that ambulance is dispatched, another cover unit is sent to the island, said Kearns.

At the time of the fatal incident, the designated ambulance was transporting another individual and the cover ambulance was en route to the island, according to Kearns. A police report noted heavy traffic along Tybee Road, the only route on and off the island.

In addition, Kearns said he believes that transport may have been further delayed due to a helicopter request made in response to the extended wait time.

"When asked for an estimated time of arrival, a dispatcher gave an incorrect answer, leading first responders to believe they would have a much longer response time than occurred," Kearns said in a statement.

According to an initial Tybee Island Police Department (TIPD) statement, the police received a 9-1-1 call at approximately 2:37 p.m. about the incident. The caller had stated that lifeguards were already on the scene. TIPD and fire department personnel were subsequently dispatched to assist as well.

The statement said that the victim was undergoing CPR from fire and lifeguard personnel. After learning that there would be an extended wait time for emergency medical personnel to arrive, TIPD requested a helicopter to transport the victim to an area hospital and first responders loaded the victim into a fire department vehicle for transport to a helicopter pad at the Tybee lighthouse.

The ambulance met the fire pickup truck carrying Mitchell on the way to the helipad. After waiting briefly for the helicopter, Chatham Emergency Services' personnel decided to transport Mitchell to the hospital via ambulance.

Kearns said, "Countywide protocol would not have been to call a helicopter. (They) usually will not transport a patient when continuous CPR is being administered."

As for the response time, Kearns noted the average response to Tybee emergency calls over the last two years is less than seven minutes. He also pointed out that Tybee's 9-1-1 calls are first dispatched to the island's own call center before Chatham Emergency Services is informed.

"We don't have a computerized link with their 911 computer, so there's always a delay in getting the calls," said Kearns, who added that Tybee Road traffic is often problematic.

The Savannah Morning News has requested Chatham Emergency Services response times from City of Tybee officials.

"Although we deal with life and death situations daily, we feel tremendous heartache when a young person leaves the world too soon," reads a Chatham EMS statement to local media outlets, "Our hearts are heavy, especially those of the two paramedics and two EMTs who worked feverously with Tybee's First Responders to save her life."

At a recent city council meeting, Tybee Mayor Shirley Sessions broached the idea of expanding ambulance services to the island.

"On a really busy weekend, it's possible we may need more than one ambulance," Sessions said during the July 8 city council meeting.

Kearns said Chatham Emergency Services doubles up on the number of ambulances for holiday weekends and big events.

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