Crew 275 Sol Summary Report 04Mar2023
Sol: 20
Summary Title: Safety first!
Author’s name: Jeremy Rabineau, Commander.
Mission Status: Nominal.
Sol Activity Summary:
During a common sport session with the rest of the crew, one of the crewmembers got injured at the shoulder at approximately 23:30. Once we were able to slightly calm them down and have a look at the injury, we immediately understood that the situation was serious and decided to not move them until the emergency services would be there.
We called Mission Support approximately 15 minutes after the event. Sergii was very reactive and arrived at the Hab with an additional first-aid kit. Since he was also the only one to have a proper cellular connection, he contacted 911. He also prepared the arrival of the emergency services by placing light signals on the road, so that the ambulance could understand which road to follow up to the Hab. While waiting for the ambulance, we made sure that all the formalities related to health insurances were correctly done, to avoid any additional bad surprises. The sheriff arrived approximately one hour after the call to 911, soon followed by the ambulance. We proceeded with banding the arm to immobilize it, while we helped the victim stand up and reach the ambulance. The Health & Safety Officer accompanied her in the ambulance, leaving at approximately 2:00.
In the meantime, Sergii had parked the CrewCar in front of the Hab and informed us that it was available for us to use should we need it. He also helped us to reach the insurance company of the victim, using his personal phone. They arrived at the Sevier Valley Hospital (Richfield) after more than two hours of driving and were then able to give us information about the situation. At approximately 5:30, the results of the X-ray scanner confirmed that the collarbone (clavicula) of the victim was broken and that they would need to see an orthopedic surgeon. The Commander and the Crew Scientist took the CrewCar in direction of the Sevier Valley Hospital to repatriate the victim and the Health & Safety Officer to the MDRS. During this time, the responsibility of the 3 remaining crewmembers and the station was given to the Crew Engineer / Executive Officer. The CrewCar arrived at the hospital at approximately 9:00.
We ensured with the staff of the hospital that the victim could safely be brought back to the MDRS. They gave us the contact of an orthopedic surgeon located in Richfield, mentioning the fact that it would certainly be possible to have an appointment there as early as on Monday (Sol 22) and to proceed with surgery on Tuesday (Sol 23). This still requires confirmation, until we can contact the surgeon on Monday and have an appointment. In the meantime, the victim is taking painkillers.
The 4 crewmembers left the Sevier Valley Hospital at approximately 10:00, taking turns driving. At their arrival in Hanksville, they filled the tank of the CrewCar and they were back at the MDRS at approximately 14:30.
Overall, the simulation had to be broken during approximately 15 hours. We discussed the event and its consequences as a crew and took the decision to continue the simulation as much as possible, while making sure that the injured crewmember will have the necessary medical support. We would like to very sincerely thank Sergii for his perfect reaction and support at all times.
The rest of the day was dedicated to getting some rest, as most of the crewmembers did not have the opportunity to sleep at all because of this event.
Look Ahead Plan:
All the EVAs including the injured crewmember have to be cancelled until the end of the simulation. The optimistic plan is to see the surgeon as early as on Monday (Sol 22), so that they can potentially have surgery on Tuesday (Sol 23). We will know more about this plan when we can call the surgeon, whose contact has been given by the Sevier Valley hospital, on Monday (Sol 22). We will make sure to keep close contact with Mission Support, to communicate all the information that may be relevant to the health of this crewmember as well as to the continuation of the simulation. So far, and with your approval, we plan to use the CrewCar to proceed with the transport of the injured crewmember.
In the meantime, we will have to change the batteries of the atmospheric instruments, since they cannot last for more than 48 hours in cold weather. We are planning a very short EVA dedicated to these operations tomorrow (Sol 21), with only two crewmembers.
A media visit is planned for next Tuesday (Sol 23) with a crew from France Televisions. We will keep you updated as soon as we have more information regarding their planned arrival and departure.
Anomalies in work: None.
Weather: Cloudy, low -3°C/26°F, high 9°C/48°F.
Crew Physical Status: One crewmember injured (broken collarbone / clavicula), awaiting appointment with a surgeon early next week (Sol 22) in Richfield.
EVA: EVA # 16 was cancelled, because four crewmembers were away from the MDRS at the moment the EVA should have happened.
Reports to be filed: Sol Summary, EVA Report, EVA Request, Operations Report, Journalist Report, GreenHab Report, HSO Report.
Support Requested: None.