US sailors thought they were safer in SA
Six weeks ago, American sailor Patrick Childress joked that he was much better off in lockeddown SA than his native country, which has the most infections of Covid-19.
But Childress is now on a ventilator in Groote Schuur Hospital’s intensive care unit after falling ill with the respiratory illness on his 40ft yacht at a Cape Town marina.
Childress and his wife, Rebecca, have been circumnavigating the world for years aboard their vessel, Brick House. They document their adventures via a popular cruising vlog that has an international following among the blue-water sailing community.
The couple had been enjoying an extended South African visit and spoke to the Sunday Times in April, shortly before they became infected.
“Your president is doing a very good job with this coronavirus pandemic and we are safer here than we would back in our own country, or most others for that matter,” he said.
The couple aborted a planned three-week road-trip when the lockdown took effect and returned to the Hout Bay Marina, where they spent most of their time repairing Brick House.
“We are doing maintenance projects we never would have made time for before,” he said.
Rebecca confirmed their stay had become lockdown hell when both fell ill.
In a message posted on the GoFundMe website — they are trying to raise funds to cover medical expenses — Rebecca said: “So Patrick’s eyes are not opening yet, but they are moving under his eyelids. Still frowning. They have him lightly sedated now because they don’t feel he is quite ready to come off the ventilator.
“He is taking breaths, trying to breath in his own on the ventilator, so they have it on a setting that lets him do the breathing when the machine receives the signal that he is taking a breath. And breathes for him when he doesn’t take the breath.”
In earlier posts on their website Rebecca said she had no idea how they were infected.
“Neither of us ever had a fever or any aches or pains. We had no idea how we got it ... we were always careful, but I guess not careful enough. We felt we had gotten off easy. But neither of us have any comorbidities ... and we aren’t that old.
“So no problem right? Wrong!”
The couple visited a nearby hospital after Patrick developed breathing difficulties. His blood pressure was extremely high.
“The doctor said that if we had even waited a few more hours, he likely would have stopped breathing.”
He was admitted to Groote Schuur, where he is slowly recovering, though it is still unclear whether he will make a full recovery.
“The doctor said that if we had even waited a few more hours, he likely would have stopped breathing
Rebecca Childress Around the world sailor