# Death of Putu Eddy



## longqi (May 19, 2016)

Death in Paradise​
_Destiny?? It you are lying in bed and a meteorite hits you in the head and kills you that is possibly destiny depending on how the evidence was presented 
However; if you die when others had both the ability and opportunity to save you is that destiny?

_
_ I was informed of Eddys death by others on facebook and ever since then reliable facts have been hard to get. 3 reports in separate news media gave 3 different stories all with major differences 
Only 1 or possibly 2 independent witnesses exists and they seem to be strangely quiet considering what happened 

Bali Reptile Rescue is very reluctant to say anything and appear to be relying on saying cultural differences, sadness, and destiny are why they have not commented much. 
Unfortunately for them, because of Eddys stature internationally, keeping quiet and hoping it all goes away, is not an option in this case 
Brief Synopsis 
This information came from three separate sources and is as accurate as I have been able to find. Any errors will be 
corrected if new information comes to hand

_
_ While on tour with Bali Reptile Rescue members Shinta Eddy Arius and Susie plus at least one tourist, probably English, Eddy received a call from local police/pecalang, about a snake nest with eggs near a local village. 
This is a common occurrence during tours and by no means out of the ordinary 
In attempting to catch the snake Eddy received a grazing bite to the top of first finger 
No pressure bandage was used and the victim walked back over a hill to the vehicle and drove to Pekutatan clinic. 
No ante venon was available there so the doctor called an ambulance and placed a tourniquet above the elbow on the bitten limb. Ambulance transported Eddy to Negara Hospital, which has ante venon and is a fully equipped modern facility 
Doctor inspected Eddy then removed the tourniquet before ante venon was ready to be used. Removal of the tourniquet immediately caused the heart to flush fresh blood into the affected limb, which resulted in all remaining venom being flushed through the system as well Eddy went downhill fast and died about 2 hours later without being given full life support

Analysis 
Facts At least 5 people were present when the bite occurred 
4 of those people were fully trained in modern snake bite protocols 
Victim was bitten on end of finger in a grazing bite 
No pressure bandage was available for unexplained reasons 
Victim walked a considerable distance back to the vehicle 
Victim drove to clinic even though another driver was present 
No ante venon was available at clinic 
Doctor put tourniquet above elbow 
Victim transported to hospital by ambulance 
Doctor at hospital removed tourniquet before ante venom was ready to be used 
Victim worsened and died about 2hours later 
Members of the group included 4 trained reptile rescue staff who knew all the protocols for cobra bite 
Protocols clearly state…. Keep Calm… As little movement as possible… Immobilise bitten limb.. Pressure bandage.. 
Hospital and talk with doctor 
Also clearly state… Never use traditional medicine and never use tourniquets. 
Yet at least 2 members of that group definitely believe that if the victim had a knife with him he would have been ok?? 

Why those protocols were not followed is the important question and needs to be addressed 
I trained those staff to the best of my ability and knowledge. My words are in the protocols which are freely available from the rescue facebook pages and on over 5,000 posters we used for training and gave away. So if the fault lies in the training then it comes back back directly to me, and I can accept that so long as it never happens again. 

All of those staff had been involved in training local people about snake bite and how to use pressure bandages correctly. Staff knew more about venom and its effects than anybody in the local area, yet, when a bite occurred did not use that knowledge 
This death must call into question one unalterable fact Do we have the right or the ability to set up conservation groups in foreign places, if, whenever an incident occurs, all our training is forgotten? 
In this case the victim should have easily survived that bite without any major problems 
If the rescue owner had insisted that protocols be used would they have been listened to? 
If a pressure bandage had been available would that have changed everything or would similar errors have occurred? If pressure bandage was not available why wasn’t a tshirt or similar torn into strips and used instead? 
If the victim had stopped the car and purchased a pressure bandage on the way to hospital would that have helped? 
If the others in rescue party had told the doctor at the first clinic not to use a tourniquet and why not, would that have helped? 
If a rescue party member had accompanied the victim to the second hospital would they have told the doctor not to remove the tourniquet? 
When the victim showed bad effects would that person have told the doctors to get ready to apply heart lung support?

Why pressure bandages were not available can only be answered by the tour and rescue owner 
Why the victim was permitted to walk a considerable distance and then drive a car can only be answered by the rescue owner Why doctors were not requested not to use tourniquets, and then not to remove the tourniquet, is possibly more to do with blind obedience to official staff. That part of the equation is possibly insurmountable. 
Why doctors were not told to use artificial heart lung support when the victim started showing signs of distress is beyond my comprehension because it is a well equipped hospital 
Why a knife could even be suggested by the rescue staff shows that regardless of their training they simply don’t believe in modern methods of treating snake bite and will revert to traditional methods in any emergency 

Even if all those rescue staff panicked why didn’t they call other people who could have given correct advice? 

It is beyond doubt that doctors made mistakes, which is unacceptable It is beyond doubt that others made mistakes, which is also unacceptable 
But saying things are unacceptable doesn’t fix anything. 
What is needed is new training methods that obliterate reliance on traditional methods. How can you remove thought processes that say one thing but actually believe in another? 
Doctors know the human body and know what happens when a tourniquet is used and then removed. They understand the methodology of using pressure bandages. 
But when under pressure to act they remember that their grandfathers uncles sister survived cobra bite by using a tourniquet. 
Rescue staff knew and understood neurotoxic venom and all of them trained other people in bite protocols. Yet when an emergency happened all those protocols were ignored, and traditional methods were used. 
Which also means that the thousands of other local people they have trained will probably act in a similar fashion.

_
_ That is the biggest problem facing any foreign conservation group and answers must be found to fix it so that needless deaths are avoided in future._​


- - - Updated - - -

Ive put this in here just in case anybody is planning a tour with BRR
Until now nobody at BRR will comment about this
They refuse to even state that in future correct protocols will be followed
To mee that is 100% unacceptable


So if you do go make sure there are at least two of you and both completely knowledgeable about bite protocols


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## pinefamily (May 19, 2016)

I want to like your post, Longqi, but it doesn't seem right, given the sad subject.
My condolences, and you raise some good points.


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## Snapped (May 20, 2016)

That's really sad Lonqi, I know how much work you and others put into BRR. And very foolish mistakes along the way and finally the Doctor who made the ultimate one, what a waste of a precious life.


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## Waterrat (May 20, 2016)

With the loss of Eddy and Peter's departure, the BRR is living on borrowed time. As if Eddy's tragic death wasn't enough, the two "ladies" pushed Peter out. It's a disgrace. 

I enjoyed herping Bali twice with the crew but that's the end of it.

Michael


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## Bluetongue1 (May 20, 2016)

It is hard to imagine the sense of frustration and disappointment you must be feeling on top of your loss. So many years of care, thoughtfulness and effort... seemingly to no fruitful outcome. The litany of errors of ignoring the right advice beggars belief and makes one wonder if it is at all possible to change the habits of a lifetime. You certainly could not have done any more than you did Peter. And that makes we wonder about the younger generation. The amount of educating of school kids you were involved with. These young ones are a relatively ‘clean slate’ you may well have gotten through to. Unfortunately it is the nature of the beast that you will never know of your successes there. 

It also makes wonder what may be learned by the others involved in this costly lesson. There is a possibility that they may recognise their short-comings and change, given that they have seen the results and paid the ultimate price of ignoring the training they have been given. One can only hope...


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