Son saves father’s life by performing emergency procedure, CPR

Joseph Wenske knew he had to do something to save his father Ben’s life when the latter stopped breathing on March 1, so Joseph cut his dad’s throat.

The emergency cricothyrotomy allowed Joseph Wenske to perform rescue breathing on his father. However, upon continuing respiration, he noticed Ben Wenske had no pulse, so Joseph started CPR until paramedics could arrive to the northeast Gonzales County home to stabilize and transport Ben for further treatment.

Thanks to Joseph’s quick thinking, Ben not only survived, but was present to celebrate when Gonzales County Emergency Services District #1 presented Joseph with a special lifesaving award recognizing his heroics at their March 29 banquet at First United Methodist Church in Gonzales.

“Mr. Ben is here with us tonight due mostly to the fact that his son Joseph boldly and courageously stepped forward and did what had to be done, though he had only previously read about it and seen it a  time or two on TV,” said Eddie Callender Jr., GCESD #1 executive director, who introduced the Wenske family at the banquet and recounted what transpired.

Gonzales County Judge Patrick Davis then presented the award to Joseph, who received a standing ovation from the large crowd of first responders and from his grateful parents and girlfriend Hope, who were also guests of honor.

Joseph was quick to defer the credit for his valiant actions, saying they were inspired by a higher power.

“I was there, but I was just a tool that God used,” he said. “Everything worked out to the second the way it needed to work out just because it was designed to work that way. Thank you all for this award, but it was set up from above and I appreciate it.”

Amazing circumstances

On March 1, Ben Wenske was at his home near Moulton when he started having trouble breathing due to an allergic reaction to a medication, which caused his tongue and throat to swell. Somehow, Ben had the presence of mind to call his wife, Elizabeth, at her job in Lavaca County to let her know of his distress. 

Elizabeth summoned a co-worker to call 911 and then called their son, Joseph, who works as an electrician on an oil rig. Normally Joseph would have been offshore, but he happened to be at his home, 15 miles away, at that moment.

Because the 911 call originated from Lavaca County, the Lavaca County EMS was dispatched to the home, but they, in turn, contacted GCESD #1, who sent supervisor Capt. Scott Evan to the scene to assist.

It also happened that Belinda Richter, GCESD personnel director and also a supervising paramedic, was on the Moulton Highway (Farm-to-Market Road 532) headed to a dentist appointment when Evan passed her and informed her what was happening, so she followed Evan to the Wenske residence.

No time for travel

When Joseph Wenske arrived, he found his father “in severe respiratory distress,” Callendar said. “His airway was so swollen that he could not move enough air across his vocal cords to speak. Mr. Ben was able to communicate to Joseph that he could barely breathe.

“Joseph got him into his truck with the intention of moving toward medical help, but he soon realized there was no time for travel,” Callendar added. “Mr. Ben motioned to Joseph that he needed to make a way for him to breathe.”

Joseph Wenske had a small box-cutter knife in his pocket and had coincidentally changed the razor blade on it a few days prior.

“Having no previous medical training, but realizing the gravity of the situation and realizing that his father only had seconds remaining to live, he attempted right there in the truck to make an incision so that his father could get air,” Callendar said.

Needing level ground on which to work, Joseph took his father out of the truck, placed him onto the ground and performed the emergency cricothyrotomy procedure he had only witnessed — until now —on TV medical shows and in movies. At this time, his father still was not breathing and had no pulse, so Joseph performed three rounds of CPR until he was able to regain a pulse on his dad.

That’s when both the Lavaca County EMTs as well as Evan and Richter arrived. Working together, they inserted an endotracheal tube into the hole cut by Joseph to better assist Ben’s breathing. By design or by grace of God, the tube fit perfectly into the opening.

The first responders also performed other emergency procedures which stabilized the elder Wenske and reversed the allergic reaction.

Ben Wenske was then airlifted by helicopter to M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, where he was treated and eventually released. He still requires a tracheal tube and collar, but overall is in much better condition than he was that fateful day.

As for Joseph Wenske, he said there was just one thing on his mind besides getting his father precious air when he sprung into action.

“In case you're wondering, because most people do, what goes through an offshore electrician’s mind when they have to cut a hole in somebody’s throat, it is ‘man, I sure hope that jugular is off to the side,’” Joseph said.