Marte Muelrath, Global Rescue Senior Specialist Paramedic Andrew Fraser (center) and Don Muelrath

When Don and Marte Muelrath decided to book a fishing trip off the coast of Northwestern Australia, they knew they were headed to a beautiful but remote environment.  After flying from the U.S. to Perth, the Muelraths boarded an aircraft that flew them to the tiny town of Exmouth, located on a narrow spit of land that juts out into the Indian Ocean.

The marine wildlife and fishing in this part of the world are outstanding and both Don and Marte were looking forward to an enjoyable trip.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be.  While en route to Australia, Marte began to experience belly pain that got progressively worse.  They arrived in Exmouth in the evening after nearly a full day of travel and Marte’s discomfort had worsened to the point where they sought a referral to the nearest clinic to have her examined by a doctor.

As soon as they arrived at the small hospital and had access to communications, Don contacted Global Rescue for help. 

“Not sure what is happening or what to do,” Don wrote. “We are about 22 hours of flight time from home. We live in Napa, California, and fly into San Francisco.”

As is often the case, local resources were limited. Marte had X-rays and an ultrasound but no MRI was available. The local physician diagnosed a potentially serious abdominal condition, but admitted that his diagnosis and ability to provide treatment were constrained by the lack of equipment.  As this was occurring, Marte’s pain continued to worsen.

After receiving contact from Don, Global Rescue Medical Operations personnel, supported by Johns Hopkins Medicine, engaged immediately with the attending physician. It was obvious that Marte required further imaging, diagnostics and treatment beyond what the small hospital could offer. 

After reviewing the records received from the hospital, Global Rescue’s medical team deployed a private, medically equipped aircraft to immediately transport Marte from Exmouth to Perth, where a medical center of excellence could provide further testing and treatment.  Senior Specialist Paramedic Andrew Fraser was also deployed from Global Rescue’s Bangkok Operations Center to ensure that the best possible care was delivered and that information was being transmitted in a timely manner.

At the hospital in Perth, Marte’s diagnosis was confirmed and she was provided with the lifesaving treatment she needed.

“Global Rescue’s paramedic was incredible,” commented Don. “His knowledge, level of attention, and ability to get things done made our unfortunate experience ‘endurable.’  He was with us daily for the eight days my wife was recovering in an Australian hospital.”

Marte was stable enough to travel after a little more than a week in the hospital.  Once she was ready to be discharged, Global Rescue’s Senior Specialist accompanied the Muelraths as they departed on the flight home. Upon arrival in Napa, California, Marte was admitted to a local hospital for further treatment.

Don, a fishing travel agent who runs Fly Fishing Adventures, noted that he is telling his clients about Global Rescue. “I’ve added the following to all our invoices for fishing trips: ‘Global Rescue has provided a very meaningful and beneficial service for us both personally as well as for many clients and we strongly recommend their evacuation services.’”

“We had heard a lot of good things about Global Rescue, but our personal experiences with you were more than we could have wished for!”