Patient and paramedic meet again
A trail bike rider who suffered serious injuries after an accident back in October 2014 was recently reunited with the intensive care flight paramedic who treated him.
A trail bike rider who suffered serious injuries after an accident back in October 2014 was recently reunited with the intensive care flight paramedic who treated him. Ryan Carpenter, a 32-year-old man from St Albans in Victoria, Australia, crashed his motorcycle into a fallen tree near Lorne on 12 October, suffering two fractured vertebrae in his neck and painful facial injuries – the bottom part of his nose was, according to Carpenter, ‘hanging’ after the accident. He was initially treated at the scene by a road paramedic before an Ambulance Victoria helicopter arrived and winched a paramedic down to retrieve him.
At the time, Carpenter urged other motorcyclists to take safety precautions: “I’d just say to people get an EPIRB [Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon], wear the right protective gear, always ride with someone and have a registered bike. We are pretty smart about our safety but an ambulance membership is just an extra precaution.”
The Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedic in question, Ray Cornelius, added: “Whether you are motorbike riding or bushwalking, it’s important to tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back. Carrying an EPIRB or satellite phone ensures you can contact someone in an emergency. Often accidents happen in the middle of the bush where there isn’t a mobile signal and it takes a significant time for someone to get back into mobile phone coverage to get help. Those lost minutes can make a significant difference.”
Ryan was effusive in his praise for the paramedic. “He was awesome,” he said. “He got me through it, kept me calm. It was good.”