A grateful hiker:‘Taos must be heaven’

I was forwarded an online copy of your Aug. 18 issue, which featured an article entitled, “Man Suffers Heart Attack on Devisadero Trail.” It was of particular interest to me as I am that man.

I am Tom Cook, and my wife Becky and I live in Austin, Texas. Tired of our summer heat, we reserved a lovely mountain home in Taos, which we would enjoy for three weeks in August. On Saturday, Aug. 18, I took our dog and my cell phone and struck out on the Devisadero Trail. I was fine during the

2 ½ mile walk up, but after starting down, I began to have chest discomfort. Within minutes, that discomfort became intractable pain.

Ben Thomas, a very capable mountain biker, stopped to help and encouraged me to call my wife. By some miracle, we had phone reception and she answered. She immediately called EMS and began walking to the trailhead.

To make a very long story shorter, Taos Emergency Medical Services, the Taos Volunteer Fire Department and the Río Fernando Fire Department sent at least 12 individuals. It took over an hour for them to get to me and several hours for them to get me down in a stokes basket. The team had to use chest compressions and had to shock me twice with an automated external defibrillator on the mountain.

Afternoon rain precluded the use of a helicopter. These strong individuals were taking turns maneuvering that stretcher down a wet and often treacherous path.

At Holy Cross Hospital, a ready and capable emergency room staff quickly determined that TNKase (a clot breaker) was in order, administered the medication and sent me immediately to Santa Fe’s Christus Saint Vincent Hospital where there was a catheterization lab. Another long story short, after coding again in Santa Fe, overcoming pneumonia and finally receiving a pacemaker, we were back home in Austin on Friday, six days after the hiking disaster.

My cardiologist here gives me a great prognosis, and he applauded the excellent work of the medical teams in Taos and in Santa Fe. We are forever grateful to those medical teams as well.

It occurs to me, however, that there was much more at work here than excellent medical care. The term “angels” comes to mind. Taos must be heaven as I had at least 14 of them attending to me that day. My heartfelt thanks and eternal gratitude go to

• Juan Gonzales and Nicole Sahd with the Taos EMS Department;

• Robert Coss, Gabe Romero, Mario Romero and Brian Levine with the Taos Fire Department;

• Bonnie Driskell, Russ Driskell, Sue Felser, Lorenzo Lucero, Pat Short and Shelley Loveless with the Río Fernando Fire Department;

• Mountain biker Ben Thomas – and a second Ben, another hiker/biker, who both stayed with us all the way down that trail;

• A young lady in Sierra Village Lodge and RV Park who gave Becky a ride to the trailhead;

• And our landlord David Vaughn and neighbor Steve Smith for their incredible support.

If there are others we missed, we apologize. We pray for the safety and well-being of all of you, and we hope that in some small way(s) we will be able to pay it forward!