News

Volvo Ocean Race doctors use telemedicine to assess casualty

23-10-2008 - Doctors at the Volvo Ocean Race HQ directed medics aboard Ericsson 4 via Inmarsat when the gruelling round-the-world challenge claimed its first casualty.

But helmsman Tony Mutter had to be evacuated from the vessel when his injured knee failed to respond to treatment.

His fellow team members, Phil Jameson and Stu Bannatyne, who received pre-race medical training, contacted the race medical team for advice when he contracted an infection in his leg.

Cape Verde
They recommended that Ericsson 4 make a move away from its race heading so Mutter could be dropped off in the Cape Verde Islands on 17 October, before the yacht sailed into 1,300 nautical miles of open ocean.

Mutter was transferred to a fishing vessel and taken ashore to be met by a team physician.

Mutter explained: "It's a tough call, but given the state of the infection, an easy call.

Hot and humid
"Bearing in mind that the conditions in which we live onboard are not ideal for dealing with infections, and add to this the increasingly hot and humid conditions as we reach the Equator and the Doldrums, it was for sure the best course of action."

Having received antibiotics intravenously, Mutter was able to fly to Cape Town to join his family and wait to rejoin his crew for Leg 2.

Telemedicine is just one of the uses Inmarsat is being put to in this, the most connected race in history.

High-speed connectivity
Inmarsat and its partners Stratos and Thrane & Thrane are sponsoring the world-famous event, providing equipment and high-speed connectivity for all the yachting teams.

All eight yachts are carrying Inmarsat Fleet 33 and Inmarsat C equipment to provide a combination of services, including media reporting, safety communications, position reporting, crew communications, weather updates and logistical communications.

And FleetBroadband is taking media coverage of the race to a new level, supporting HDTV broadcasts and enabling live video and radio interviews, as well as rapid delivery of photos, emails and blogs.

Inmarsat and the Volvo Ocean Race

Official race website

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