DIVER DAVY FUNDRAISING TO HONOUR MEXICAN MEDICS Iain Ferguson A former deep sea diver who came close to death after catching Covid while working in Mexico is planning a number of challenges leading up to conquering the Grey Corries mountain range in a wheelchair to raise money for the people who helped him while he was in hospital. Davy Duncan, aged 60, was a saturation diver who in February 2021 took up a job in Mexico. He passed all the tests needed to travel and join his ship and a strict fitness test be-
16
fore he started work. However, just a week after boarding the ship and the day after his 59th birthday, he tested positive, was isolated on board and flown off to be treated. Unfortunately, he went downhill rapidly, suffering multiple organ failure and was put in an induced coma so he could be moved to a hospital in Villahermosa. At this point medical staff did not expect him to live and after surviving his first night was given a life expectancy of only five days. His partner, Helen Smith from
Fort William, flew to Mexico to be by his side and stayed there for the two months, supporting him day-to-day in the hope that by some miracle she would be able to bring him home. Language was a huge problem as very few people spoke English and as the area was well off the tourist trail it was not considered safe for visitors, she was told. Despite all this, Helen found people were only too willing to help, with the hotel receptionist - the only person with fluent
| decemBER 2022
Lochaber Life December 2022.indd 16
08/11/2022 09:23:57
