Collapsed Guest on the Beach at Bentota
You are on beach patrol at a hotel in Bentota at 16:40 when a guest, a man about 55, collapses near the sun loungers. He does not respond when you shout and tap his shoulders. He is not breathing normally; you hear occasional gasping. A bystander says the guest was complaining of chest pain before collapsing. The hotel doctor is 10 minutes away and an ambulance is estimated at 15 minutes. An AED is at the pool deck about 200 m away. About 20 guests have gathered and one is filming on a phone. You are first-aid trained and carry gloves and a pocket mask. The beach is public, and the guest's family is not present. You have a radio and a mobile phone.
1. Describe your basic life support sequence in the first few minutes.
Read the worked answer
Check the scene is safe and put on gloves. Shout and tap; he is unresponsive. Open the airway, look for normal breathing for no more than 10 seconds; occasional gasping is not normal breathing. Call the emergency number and ask the hotel to send the AED and the doctor. Start CPR immediately: 30 chest compressions at the centre of the chest, depth about 5–6 cm, rate 100–120 per minute, then 2 rescue breaths with the pocket mask. If you are unwilling or unable to give breaths, do continuous compressions. Do not stop to search for a pulse; you are not required to. Because the collapse was witnessed and likely cardiac, early compressions and AED are the priority.
2. How should you use the AED and manage the bystanders?
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Send two specific people for the AED and the doctor; do not shout into the crowd. Ask another bystander to keep the crowd back and to stop filming if possible, but do not argue. When the AED arrives, switch it on and follow the voice prompts, bare and dry the chest, attach pads and do not touch the guest during analysis or shock. Resume CPR immediately after the shock or if no shock is advised. If the guest starts breathing normally, place him in the recovery position and keep monitoring. The AED is safe to use on a public beach; do not delay because the family is absent. Keep the guest's dignity by asking bystanders to move away and by not discussing his condition.
3. What should you hand over to the medical team, and what should you document?
Read the worked answer
When the doctor or ambulance arrives, give a clear handover: what happened, time of collapse, whether he was breathing, when CPR started, number of shocks and the AED recording. Keep the AED pads and record. Document the incident factually and do not discuss the guest's condition with the crowd or on social media. As a trained first aider, act within your training and do not claim to be a doctor. Implied consent applies because he is unconscious; if he had a valid do-not-resuscitate order you would need to follow local protocol, but you do not have one. Note the bystanders' actions and any risk to yourself.