Have I saved a life?

I think I can say I have! It was a long time ago back in 1991, I was a young man backpacking through South East Asia on a fantastic adventure. I was meeting and travelling with people from all over the world exploring places that seemed miles away from the the modern world in which I grew up.

I had met this English girl and we were travelling overland as much as possible at the time through Thailand. She had talked about trekking into the mountains in northern Thailand and visiting some hill tribes.

I thought this was sounded pretty exciting and I was keen though it did feel way out of my comfort zone if were were going to attempt it on our own. Luckily she felt the same and we joined a tourist group of about 10 others with a local guide in Chiang Mai.

We travelled in the back of a small pickup truck into what felt like the middle of nowhere and then started hiking with our own packs heading for an overnight stay in an Akha Village.

I am struggling to remember all the details but I do remember plenty of hills to walk up in some hot weather conditions. There was a lot of banter and chat amongst the group and as we walked up one hill, some guy says if he falls over, it would be because be was an alcoholic not because of the hill. Another guy says if he falls over its because he's a diabetic. We were all struggling on this hot day and I did not think too much about it.

Until the next morning that is. When we went to breakfast (after arriving at the Akha Village the afternoon before) someone starts telling me that one of our group is unresponsive in his bed and they could not wake him. A few of us and the tour guide go to check it out. He has a pulse but the first thing I ask, "Is this the guy who took the offer up last night to try opium and said he was a diabetic on yesterdays hike?"

Someone answer "yes" and our tour guide with very little English decides to leave the hut. My heart sinks and I start to get nervous.

Somehow it was decided I would have to do something, I am not sure why. Maybe because we were both English speakers, and others thought we must know each other.

I try not to panic and empty this guy's backpack. God know how he made it this far all by himself. I saw him drop his camera in the mud the day before and his bag was full of junk, lolly wrappers, a music Walkman and a heap cassettes tapes. The total opposite of what I had brought with me, but there was this black box which looked like it had diabetic stuff in it.

Of course, back then with no mobile phones, no instructions and no one with any diabetic experience another person in the group just said, "to jab him with it (the needle inside that box) and let's get going".

I was not so sure as I had no idea what I was doing. I ask the others to get some water and food while I tried to work out how the thing he had with him worked.

Was it the opium or was it the hike?!

A thousand things were going through my head. The others come back with water and some sugar from the breakfast table. I said, "Let's try some water first. This needle thing seems extreme".

I lift him upright and pour some sugary water into his mouth. Seconds later he throws it all back up and more. Things are not looking good. After a deep breath we try again but with less this time, then we lie him back down.

I start grabbing and thinking the needle gadget thing is now the only option but with his eyes still closed I hear him mumble. I lean closer with one eye peeled for any more projectile vomit and I can just make out what he is trying to say:

"Whatever you do, don't give me the needle". I swear and curse under my breath because I just about to do just that.

Half an hour later and with more sugar and water in him, the guy is back on his feet. The guide showed up and we were back on our way like nothing had happened.

The only two photos I still have from that day in the Akha Village I've shared here in this post.

So to wrap up, I am not sure I actually saved a life or it was just more of a case that I didn't kill someone? Though I could have (killed him) after all the stress (with a real lack of information) this guy put me through!