Scorched at air show

Weekend temperatures had people in crowd 'dropping like popcorn'

Dr. Keith Lara spent Monday recovering from treating an epidemic of heat-related illness at the weekend Mountain Madness Air Show.

"We were getting multiple calls every hour," Lara said.

Lara, the director of emergency medicine at Kalispell Regional Medical Center, and emergency specialist Dr. Leonard "Bud" Desmul headed the medical team at the air shows, which drew a crowd of 40,000 people.

Lara said the medical team treated 20 to 30 people each day.

On Saturday, the temperature at Glacier Park International Airport reached 91 degrees. It got even hotter on Sunday, reaching 93 degrees. Sunday's high was reached just after 4 p.m. - when the Blue Angels were performing and after many spectators had spent six or seven hours in the sun.

"Someone said it was 120 degrees on the flight line," Lara said.

Flight nurse Patty Harmon and Johnnie Logan, nursing supervisor at the medical center, rounded out the volunteer team assisted by emergency medical personnel.

Two paramedics as well as sheriffs' deputies on bicycles kept an eye out for heat-related problems and other illnesses as the air soared from hot to scorching during the all-day air shows.

Lara said air-show personnel were vigilant in flagging down paramedics or deputies for people showing signs of dehydration or heat stroke.

The physicians were directed by radio to patients' locations in the crowd. Lara used a four-wheeler to reach and move sick people.

"Between 1 and 3 p.m., people were dropping like popcorn," Lara said.

The medical team went through a case of intravenous fluid treating heat illnesses in a hangar converted into an emergency medical clinic. Most people were not transported to the hospital.

"We predicted we would have two criticals each day," Lara said.

Their forecast became prophetic as four people were taken to the hospital by waiting ambulances from Kalispell and Olney. Lara said all those patients were "shocky."

"We couldn't get these people well out there," he said.

The serious situations included a heart problem, gastrointestinal bleeding, a pregnancy-related dehydration and a critical electrolyte disorder.

Less critical sick people came in with everything from asthma and cuts to a variety of heat-induced symptoms.

Overheated patients were treated to cooling fans and misting in the hangar.

"We hosed them down," Lara said with a laugh.

Those who could drink were given Gatorade. Other patients were rehydrated through intravenous lines.

Assessing the emergency response, Lara called it "absolutely wonderful." He was relieved the team didn't need to roll out its full disaster plans.

"We had some near disasters when some private planes started their props with people still out there," Lara said.

The team put in 12 to 14 hours each day between setting up and shutting down the medical support operation.

"I'm exhausted," he said.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.