An Accident at Eskdale: Karen McDonald talks about her partner's rescue
On 6 November 2016, my partner Andrew and I were biking at Eskdale Mountain Bike Park. I was a little behind Andrew, and as I rounded a corner I saw him lying face down on the ground. He was unconscious and struggling to breathe, but I administered first aid and after a minute or two he regained consciousness. He had a large dent in his forehead, where his helmet had impacted the ground, and he was very confused, with no memory of the last few days. There was very little phone coverage where we were, so I spent the next (very scary) 10 minutes running up and down the track trying to get reception and to get information through to the ambulance services. Because of the gravity of Andrew’s injuries and our location, helicopter rescue was the only option. After a short wait of around 30 minutes it arrived.
The crew and paramedic did an amazing job, winching Andrew up through a very small clearing in mature pines, but what really stuck in my mind was the paramedic (Ross Munro) reassuring me that Andrew being on his feet at this time was a really good sign. I had been faltering a little at that point, and it was the very thing I needed to hear to keep me going. I don’t think he realises how much his perceptiveness and those words meant to me.
Andrew had suffered a head injury, along with bruises and grazes on his torso, and a major haematoma to his knee. The head injury was the toughest part though, as Andrew suffered extreme tiredness, loss of concentration, mood issues, and vertigo. He was advised by his doctor to stay off his bike for at least two months and not do anything that could risk further injury to his head. Almost three months later we are biking together again, although it may be a while before he’s back on Bike Park trails.
We cannot thank the crew and the paramedics enough for their care and professionalism on the day, and although we live in Wellington, we are proud to support this amazing service. One lesson we have learnt from the experience is that we now take our PLB with us whenever we ride, as we may lose cell phone coverage.
