‘Would have died on the plane’: Man miraculously survives airport cardiac arrest

A tourist who went into cardiac arrest in the bathroom at Brisbane Airport shortly after disembarking an international flight has miraculously survived. LISTEN TO THE TRIPLE-O CALL.

It was not long after James Rousell touched down in Brisbane when he collapsed in a men’s toilet cubicle at the airport.

The 54-year-old had flown to Brisbane to see his parents and went into cardiac arrest shortly after disembarking from China Airlines flight CI53 from Taipei on October 8.

He had suffered a Pulmonary Embolism – a blood clot that shifted and blocked his heart valve.

Qantas employee Trevor Rankin found him in the bathroom neat Gate 84 and made the triple-0 call.

The modest employee simply later stated he was simply “in the right place at the right time”.

“If his flight hadn’t come in 15 minutes early he would have died on the plane. And if it wasn’t for everybody here, he would have died,” he said.

James "Jim" Rousell suffered a heart attack in the bathroom at the Brisbane Airport.

A team of Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting service (ARFF) officers, including officer in Charge Mike Cole rushed to the scene.

“We advised Air Traffic Control that we were going to a possible cardiac arrest,” ARFF officer in charge Mike Cole said.

“They gave us a clear route via taxiways to the International Terminal, they held up aircraft so we could do that, and that’s how we got here so quickly.

ARFF officers performed CPR on Mr Rousell for 25 minutes, maintaining his oxygen supply until a team of Queensland Ambulance paramedics, including high acuity, critical care, advanced care and a senior operations manager, arrived.

“25 minutes is a long time to be doing CPR,” Mr Cole said.

“There were three of us that attended and we changed up probably every two minutes because it takes so much out of you.”

L to R Mike Cole, Bill Lanser, Andrew Kose. Picture: Supplied.

Queensland Ambulance Service High Acuity Response Unit paramedic Julie Hughes said by the time she arrived on scene, Mr Rousell had no heartbeat.

“He was not breathing,” she said.

“His conscious level was fluctuating but when I arrived, he was in complete cardiac arrest and unconscious.”

Mr Rousell was without a steady pulse for a total of 70 minutes.

His incredible tale of survival is credited to the seamless joint response by Brisbane Airport staff, aviation rescue fire fighters, paramedics, and emergency doctors.

James ‘Jim’ Rousell and paramedics, firies and RBWH. Picture: Supplied

From accurate early identification of symptoms, quick-thinking CPR, to the high-level clinical care -all played a critical role in the chain of survival.

“He got a clot busting drug, he was put on our machine which is a cardiac compression device which means we can extricate and transport him with high quality CPR and then transition into ED and get that continuous resuscitation,” Ms Hughes said.

“He was critical and it was touch and go.

“If it wasn’t firstly for the airport fireys who did a superb job starting his CPR, followed by the paramedics and the ambulance service who gave him clot busting drugs and continued that to get him to us, he wouldn’t have survived.

James Rousell’s parents, Bill Lanser and Carole Elliott.

Mr Rousell was rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) and placed in a coma for three days.

He has no recollection of the event, his last memory was going to the bathroom after getting off the plane.

Emergency physician at the RBWH Dr Louise Cullen who treated Mr Rousell the night he arrived to the emergency department, said his recovery was “remarkable”.

“It doesn’t happen often at all,” she said.

After leaving hospital Mr Rousell tested his luck and bought a lottery ticket.

“I didn’t win a thing, so all my luck is used up,” he said.

James Rousell’s mother, Carole Elliott hugs first responders who saved her son’s life. Picture: Supplied.

 Mr Rousell on Monday returned to Brisbane Airport for an emotional reunion with the team of emergency service staff who saved his life.

 “Thank you doesn’t cover it,” he said.

“They’ve given me back my life, they’ve given me back my dreams, and my aspirations.

“They’ve given my kids back their father, they’ve given my parents back their son and they gave my sisters back a brother.

“How do you say thank you? Thank you just doesn’t cover it.”

THE HARROWING TRIPLE-0 CALL

OPERATOR: Ambulance. What’s the town or suburb of the emergency?

CALLER: Brisbane International Airport. Gate 84 on arrivals.

OPERATOR: Tell me exactly what happened.

CALLER: I just had one of the airport staff bring to my attention, I’ve got a gentleman 54 years of age, he’s very pale, he’s currently in one of the men’s cubicles, he’s not breathing properly, he’s breathing quite heavily, have you got any chest pain, what are you feeling mate, can’t breathe?

CALLER: He’s really struggling to breathe, we need the fireys ASAP, I’m on the phone to the ambo’s please.

OPERATOR: Is he clammy or having cold sweats?

CALLER: Yeah, he is very cold to touch. Do you suffer from asthma or any other medical conditions?

CALLER: DBT? He’s a known DBT sufferer.

OPERATOR: I’m organising help for you now.

CALLER: Just try and breathe. He’s really struggling to talk. His first name’s Jim, he’s got two son’s here as well.

OPERATOR: If there is a defibrillator available, send someone to get it now in case we need it later.

CALLER: Yep, got one right here.

OPERATOR: Alright great, so reassure him that help is being arranged, and just let him rest in the most comfortable position and wait for help to arrive.

OPERATOR: I want you to watch him very closely, if he does become less awake and vomits, quickly lay him on his side.

CALLER: Yep.