“On the wrong track”
Dr. Axel Mann looks back

Axel Mann, former head of medical services at Air Zermatt, spent 38 years devoting his knowledge and skills to the helicopter company. Throughout this time, the doctor collected dozens of exciting, funny and sad stories, some of which we’d love to share with you. An insight into the eventful and highly varied everyday life of the rescue crew.

17. February 2023

Sina Furrer

We took a look back at Axel Mann’s life, and want to recount some of his most formative experiences. Many of these moments not only influenced Axel’s career path as a specialist in anesthesia/intensive care, but also revolutionized operations at Air Zermatt itself.

“To err is human,” as we say, and this applies equally to Air Zermatt. We also make mistakes. Axel Mann experienced this firsthand a few years ago when he was called to an operation below the Gornergrat. A middle-aged man had fallen on the slope and was showing the typical signs of a stroke.

“Based on the initial assessment by the patroller, the patient was paralyzed down one side and unable to speak. Typical for a stroke.” Axel Mann confirmed the initial diagnosis after arriving by helicopter, and it was decided to fly the man directly to the Inselspital in Bern.

the unfortunate confusion

While on route the crew was informed that the emergency room in Bern had no more capacity, so they headed for Sion instead. Once the patient had been handed over to the medical team, the day continued as usual: “As we dealt with other accidents on and off the slopes, the stroke victim had already moved toward the back of our minds.”

Until, that is, a call from the cantonal police came in towards the evening: “The police officer was enquiring about a missing person – a disabled, deaf-mute man who had been on the slopes that day.” All of a sudden, Axel realized: “We’d made a mistake. The patient hadn’t had a stroke, but because of his disability, and because he was deaf-mute, he simply couldn’t communicate after his fall.”

“Sport is good for us all, and makes us feel good. Having a disability should not change that.”

In the meantime, a CT scan had been done at the hospital in Sion to rule out a brain injury, and a sample of cerebrospinal fluid taken to rule out a bacterial infection.

Unusually for him, the patient had been out without his carer that day: “Unfortunately, he wasn’t identifiable to us as having a disability. And that's why this misunderstanding happened.” Once the crew had become aware of the mishap, Axel found it important to be understanding of the situation.

And while advises everyone with a disability to make sure they are clearly identifiable as such, he strongly believes that everyone should be able to enjoy activities such as skiing as much as possible: “Sport is good for us all, and makes us feel good. Having a disability should not change that.”