A young Bilkenter was struck by lightning while climbing Mount Kaçkar over the summer. On July 22nd Onur Çelik, an international relations second year student, was part of a group of 10 DOST members who set out to reach the summit of the mountain. When the rain started coming down in torrents, 7 members of the group decided to quit but Onur Çelik and two friends continued climbing towards the peak. At an altitude of 3700 metres, 37 metres from the summit, Onur took out his camera to take a picture of the scenic view and was suddenly hit by lightning which caused his heart to stop as well as inflicting serious burns on his right side. His friends, Bilkent students Murat Akar, third year Archeology and History of Art, and Erinç Yener, second year Banking and Finance, gave Onur emergency first aid and, through CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) succeeded in re-establishing his heartbeat. Onur Çelik was then flown by military helicopter to Erzurum for emergency treatment.
Onur says, "I saw a flash of lightning and the next thing I remember is my friends bending over me, telling me not to panic. I owe my life to my friends." Onur's two friends, Murat Akar and Erinç Yener, were trained by Dr. Tuna Şengöz and Dr. Eda Sakbaş from the Health Center. Thanks to their dedication and that of Onur’s friends, a life was saved and Onur Çelik will be back at school this year.
The Health Center organizes 15 to 20 hours of CPR training for groups of 10-15 people. For more information please call ext. 1666 or 5057.
Feyza Barutçu (IR/IV)