Va augusta physician conducts swift-water rescue, saving young boy’s life | va augusta health care | veterans affairs

Dr. Vasu Lakkimsetti was eager to take up some cycling with his son on the trails around Augusta, Georgia. A geriatrician at Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Lakkimsetti purchased two new

bikes, only to watch them sit dormant as he waited for winter temperatures and his busy schedule to clear. “We bought our bicycles about six months ago, and we were never able to get time to

get out together,” Lakkimsetti said. “We finally decided we would go and wanted to leave by 8:30, but by the time we got there, it was close to 10. And then another friend who was supposed

to come got delayed, as well.” The delays, it would turn out, were fortunate. Lakkimsetti arrived just in time to save a young boy’s life. As he and his son arrived at their destination in

Columbia County, just outside Augusta, they heard frantic cries coming from a nearby swift-water creek. They ran toward the voices to learn that a 9-year-old boy had lost control of his

bike, plummeting into the water. The desperate screams came from his father. Standing waist-high in frigid water, he’d been trying to locate his son for several minutes. Lakkimsetti threw

himself into the search. After moving up and down the stream with no luck, he approached a nearby waterfall, a vantage point from which he noticed a blue shoe. “He spotted my son on the bank

so that I was able to grab my son in the water after about 10 minutes of searching,” said the father, who asked to remain anonymous to protect his son’s privacy. “You can imagine how

desperate I felt (but after) Dr. Lakkimsetti spotted my son, my heart was filled with hope.” Lakkimsetti jumped into the water to help the father, who was near exhaustion after his panicked

search in the icy cold water. Together, they pulled the boy to a nearby slab of rock. His limp body and blue lips indicated the severity of his condition. “I think he probably fell down and

then got pinned under water,” said Lakkimsetti. “So, we put him on the rock, and I started doing CPR.” While he directed the father to deliver some rescue breaths, Lakkimsetti stabilized the

boy on the inclined rock with one hand, while conducting chest compressions with the other. Eventually, the boy vomited, and color began to return to his lips. By this time, Columbia County

Fire Rescue arrived on the scene. After a brief struggle lifting the boy the 10-15 feet from the water to the rescue vehicle, emergency medical personnel were able to place him on monitors,

detect a heartbeat, and begin delivering rescue breaths via an Ambu Bag. He remained limp, however, leaving Lakkimsetti with concern as the ambulance drove off. “I was hoping he didn’t have

any major head injury or neck cervical fracture,” Lakkimsetti said. “I was just kind of praying all is fine, but I was very anxious.” After a day or so of tense waiting, Dr. Lakkimsetti

began receiving text updates from the father. The boy had begun stabilizing. Soon, he was breathing easily without a ventilator and making great progress. Ultimately, he experienced a full

recovery. “When we were in the hospital, Dr. Lakkimsetti showed a lot of concern for my son’s health. He frequently called and left messages, and on the day we were discharged, he came to

see us,” the father said. “Without any hesitation, Dr. Lakkimsetti jumped into the water and saved my son’s life. Words cannot express how grateful we are.” For his part, Dr. Lakkimsetti is

grateful for the quarterly CPR training requirements for VA Augusta Health Care System clinicians. As a staff physician who found himself rendering care “in the field,” he believes it might

have proved pivotal in saving the boy’s life. “Initially, we were all kind of like, ‘Why do we have to do it every three months?” Lakkimsetti said. “But I think it really helped. … In

sharing this story, I hope it encourages people out there to learn CPR. There can’t be anything more rewarding than being able to save someone’s life.”