Over the years, I have received numerous phone calls and e-mails asking about this program, the clinic & chamber, the certifications, the instructor, and how I got involved with Cornerstone Medical Services and the Central American lobster divers.

Here it is...I hope this provides you with a little background and understanding of myself and this program.  This really is a "labor of love" for me.

In 1998, while on a diving vacation on the Honduran Bay Island of Guanaja I was confronted with a life threatening situation involving a local lobster diver.  

I had told the resort Dive Master when we arrived earlier in the week, that I would be willing to help if there was an emergency.  This is a normal practice for me when I travel to remote locations.  And since I've been a professional firefighter / medic for almost 3 decades it is pretty much normal business.  

On the Wednesday of our trip I had taken a day off diving to fly to La Cieba with one of our group.  This was an all day trip and we arrived back on the island at about 5:00 pm.  While waiting for the taxi boat to pick us up, I was spending time talking to the pilot of the 42 passenger Shorts 360.  I'm a licensed pilot and we always compare things like avionics (radio) and flight experiences.

Well, the taxi boat arrived and we were taken back to the resort.  As we pulled up to the dock, another member of our group was waiting and frantically explained about an accident with a diver.  He simply said, "We have a bent diver!"  I immediately though it was one of our group.  

As I exited the boat and entered the Dive Shack on the dock of the resort, I saw the diver.  This diver was brought to the resort because it was the closest place with oxygen.  He was a 33 year old lobster diver who was badly hit with Type II Decompression Sickness.  He had complete paralysis from the chest down.  Immediate recompression was required or he would not survive the night.  It was bad!

After assessing the patient and beginning medical treatment, I tried to arrange air transport to the island of Roatan where I knew there was a working chamber.  That's where I ran into some big problems!  Seems life is pretty cheap if you are a lobster diver.  Well, I was a Chief  Fire Officer and I didn't take "No" for an answer if someone's life is on the line.  I pretty much hijacked the airliner that had just brought me back to the island.  The bill was $800.00 USD and we didn't even get cabin service.

The problem in Honduras, at that time,  was that you were not allowed to fly without special clearance at night.  The sun was really setting fast and the pilot was frantic as we pulled up in the taxi boat with our patient.

We got off the ground and this guy flew the plane about 150-200 feet off the deck...I'm not kidding!  By the time we got to Roatan, it was dark.  The airport on the island had no navigation equipment or lighting at that time, so we shot the approach and landing with only our landing lights.  This pilot was very good!

I opened the cargo side door, hoping to see an ambulance waiting.  No ambulance, just a dozen soldiers and security people with their M-16s locked and loaded.  These were not happy people.

I managed to convince them to take us to the Clinic in a military utility truck they had.  We loaded up the backboard with the diver on it, I climbed in back with him, and away we went.

When we arrived at the Chamber, Dr. Rafael Diaz was waiting.  I began explaining to him what happened and ran down the entire history, vitals, and recommended a treatment...just like any good field medic does to the doctors in the ER.  He listened as I rambled on and then very nicely asked, "Who are you?"  Of course, that was the cold slap in the face that I needed and I introduced, and qualified, myself.

I was asked to assist in the initial treatment of this diver as a tender on a US Navy Table 6 with an extension at 60'.

Once I was out of the chamber, I asked these two doctors why nothing was available for such an emergency.  They simply said that they would love to have those resources, but they unfortunately didn't.

Well, as a Shift Commander and the Division Chief in charge of Emergency Medical Services and Special Operations for our Fire Department, I had some connections.  I told the doctors that I would get them an ambulance and other equipment and supplies that they needed.

They were very gracious and thanked me.  It wasn't until sometime later that I realized that they didn't believe me.  You see, so many Americans get caught up in the moment and make promises that they never keep.  These doctors thought I was just another "gringo" with his empty promises.

Weren't they surprised when I e-mailed to let them know that I had gotten them an ambulance, a brand new defibrillator (the first on the island), tens of thousands of dollars in donated EMS equipment and supplies; including a Doppler stethoscope and pulse oximetry unit.

After that, Dr. Lopez and Dr. Diaz asked if I would come to the island to teach the first EMT class on the island and to help setup an Emergency Medical Service.  The rest is history.  I have been going back ever since.

I'm retired from the fire service now but during that time, I would use all my vacation and holiday time to get off shift from the Fire Department to conduct these classes.  My guys were great in allowing me the latitude for the off time.

All of the tuition money, after the class expenses, is used to buy equipment for the chamber and clinic.  All of my time, and travel costs, are donated by me.  The owners of Anthony's Key Resort are gracious enough to allow me to stay at AKR for my extended stays.  After all these years I am simply considered one of the family.

The new clinic, built in 2003, was done so solely by the owners of Anthony's Key Resort.  We provide many vital medical services to, not only the tourists, but also the local community.  Our clinic has grown from a small 20 x 20 foot room housing one treatment bed and the hyperbaric chamber, to a state of the art medical facility.

The new Cornerstone Medical Clinic now has two treatment rooms, a dedicated fully equipped emergency room, an x-ray room, an ultrasound room, a complete laboratory, a full pharmacy, a dedicated office for the 3 staff physicians, a rest and physical therapy area for the Miskito divers, and an area for routine respiratory treatments. And, of course, we have our Hyperbaric Chamber at the center of it all.

We have also added an exterior oxygen storage and mixed-gas blending room and just recently installed a pressure blender capable of mixing any Nitrox, Heliox, or Tri-Mix blend we need. This now gives us the capability to conduct treatments on deep mixed-gas, such as, the modified US Navy Table 6A and the Comex Tables.

Rumor has it that we will again be expanding...

It is because of the concern for community service of the owners of AKR and the support from the tuition monies paid for the Diver Medical Technician Programs that all of this is possible.

Thanks to all of you for your support.