A 63-year-old Civil Guard agent, known as Berto, died this Sunday during the evacuation of the MV Hondius cruise ship at the Port of Granadilla, Tenerife, affected by a hantavirus outbreak. The incident occurred in the armed institute's advanced command tent, where the agent, who was in the reserves but assigned to the Santa Cruz Command, suffered a heart attack. Despite the presence of medical resources, SUC teams were unable to revive him.
Emergency logistics and health protocols in the operation 🚑
The evacuation operation of the MV Hondius, with over 800 passengers, required a notable technical deployment. Triage tents were set up with forced ventilation systems and HEPA filters to contain hantavirus, a pathogen transmitted by rodents that causes respiratory failure. Rapid response teams used level 4 biological protection suits and chemical decontamination devices. Coordination between State Ports, 112 Canarias, and Foreign Health was managed through a TETRA communications network, although the healthcare pressure was extreme.
Hantavirus doesn't forgive, but bureaucracy forgives even less 😤
The worst part is that the agent died at the command post, surrounded by more doctors than at a cardiology conference. While healthcare workers rushed around in astronaut suits, Berto collapsed on a pile of evacuation reports. Someone suggested that if, instead of so many protocols, there had been a defibrillator at hand and less paperwork, perhaps the outcome would have been different. But of course, in emergencies, the first thing is to fill out the incident report form.