Chris Peterson wrote:
Wanted to offer a little insight into what happened - after Jim collapsed at the event, lack of oxygen to his brain ended all but basic brain stem function. (and it was not for lack of trying - fellow autocrossers and EMS did a hell of a job) Because of his neuro status, not a lot of effort was put into finding out exactly what caused him to collapse in the first place. We do know it was NOT heat stroke, nor a heart attack. Nor did any scans show a brain bleed. The consensus of the cardiac doctors is that he had a clot that later cleared. His heart was strong, he was able to breathe, but the damage to his brain shut off the function that told the airway to stay open.
There were people surrounding Jim as he left us and there were more people in the waiting area. Afterwards, we all went to nearby Mexican restaurant and raised our margaritas in salute to Jim. I know many of you are doing the same.
Chris, Thanks for posting more information. Jim collapsed and everything from then on happened so fast. 911 was called within 10’s of seconds. This has been cycling through my head over and over. The questions have been; what happened, what could I have done better, and what should the club be prepared to do? The answer that you have provided us is that with the skills at hand and the knowledge that we collectively had, we did everything that we could and all reacted properly. Your note provides some closure for those of us who where there and is much appreciated. It really was a nightmare!
A toast to good memories of Jim is really the best thing to do now.
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