|
I would just like to say a big Thank You to everyone involved in sorting me out. The group I was riding with
were fantastic. They were calm and collected and dealt with the situation exceptionally. Special thanks go
to Brian, Tom, Ed and Anne who carried out my first aid and organised my rescue. Thanks also to the air
ambulance, the paramedics, and montain rescue for their swift response and the manner with which they
treated me. It was an honour to be on the receiving end of such friendly and professional assistance.
Thank you to everyone in the Northern General hospital in Sheffield. Again I was treated professionally
and in an extreamly friendly manner, which made my time there strangely enjoyable. Finally I would like to
say a big Thank You to my wife, Sabine. It wasn’t easy for her to see me go through this experience but
she kept it together and dealt really well with the aftermath. It was such a comfort knowing she was there
for me.
were fantastic. They were calm and collected and dealt with the situation exceptionally. Special thanks go
to Brian, Tom, Ed and Anne who carried out my first aid and organised my rescue. Thanks also to the air
ambulance, the paramedics, and montain rescue for their swift response and the manner with which they
treated me. It was an honour to be on the receiving end of such friendly and professional assistance.
Thank you to everyone in the Northern General hospital in Sheffield. Again I was treated professionally
and in an extreamly friendly manner, which made my time there strangely enjoyable. Finally I would like to
say a big Thank You to my wife, Sabine. It wasn’t easy for her to see me go through this experience but
she kept it together and dealt really well with the aftermath. It was such a comfort knowing she was there
for me.
I was out in front on the last descent of the mountain bike ride I was guiding around the Peak District. The
descent through Nabs Wood was fast and flowing with lots of grip, I was having a great time. That was until
it all went very wrong. A left hand bend hid most of the big rock section near the end but I knew it was
there. I chose my line and started to slow down. As the corner opened up I noticed two riders pushing up
on the line I wanted. No problem, I just slowed a bit more and tightened my line. Unfortunately a rock
moved under my front wheel and snatched my bars sideways. As I was thrown forwards my rear wheel left
the ground. This gave me two choices, faceplant into pointy rocks or bail to the side for a soft landing on a
grassy bank. No contest, the grassy bank won.
By the time I hit I’d scrubbed off most of my speed and can’t have been doing more than 5mph.
Unfortunately my knee struck the top bolt of my brake lever bar clamp when I landed. It penetrated the
skin of my right leg just below my knee cap and didn’t come out. My bike stopped but I continued on for
another 6 inches. The skin below the bolt couldn’t move while the rest came with me, so my knee tore on
either side like an opening crisp packet.
descent through Nabs Wood was fast and flowing with lots of grip, I was having a great time. That was until
it all went very wrong. A left hand bend hid most of the big rock section near the end but I knew it was
there. I chose my line and started to slow down. As the corner opened up I noticed two riders pushing up
on the line I wanted. No problem, I just slowed a bit more and tightened my line. Unfortunately a rock
moved under my front wheel and snatched my bars sideways. As I was thrown forwards my rear wheel left
the ground. This gave me two choices, faceplant into pointy rocks or bail to the side for a soft landing on a
grassy bank. No contest, the grassy bank won.
By the time I hit I’d scrubbed off most of my speed and can’t have been doing more than 5mph.
Unfortunately my knee struck the top bolt of my brake lever bar clamp when I landed. It penetrated the
skin of my right leg just below my knee cap and didn’t come out. My bike stopped but I continued on for
another 6 inches. The skin below the bolt couldn’t move while the rest came with me, so my knee tore on
either side like an opening crisp packet.
| Dakine gloves, for those times when you really need grip! |
The lads pushing up asked if I was ok. “No,
it’s bad!”, came my reply. They did offer to
help but I told them my group was coming
and they would be able to sort me out.
Within seconds they arrived. “Can you get
my first aid kit?”, I asked “It’s in my back
pack”. There was no way I was letting go of
my leg to hunt for it myself. Before I knew
it Anne, Ed and Brian had sprung into
it’s bad!”, came my reply. They did offer to
help but I told them my group was coming
and they would be able to sort me out.
Within seconds they arrived. “Can you get
my first aid kit?”, I asked “It’s in my back
pack”. There was no way I was letting go of
my leg to hunt for it myself. Before I knew
it Anne, Ed and Brian had sprung into
Anne, Ed and Brian staying
calm and doing a great job
patching me up
calm and doing a great job
patching me up
I saw her face drop, “Oh f*%$”,she said. I just smiled to let her know it was ok, I knew it was bad.
Stupidly I hadn’t replenished my stock of steri-strips but Ed said he had some. While he retrieved his first
aid kit I realised the huge hole in my leg wasn’t bleeding and there was no pain. This gave me a little time
to sort something else out. “Can someone get my camera?”. “eh!!??” came the reply. “My camera, quick,
I need some photo’s of this”. Brian was the first to catch on and started recording the event with his
camera while Sabine unpacked ours.
It was a big wound and I needed an ambulance. With the first aid underway I was free to sort out my
recovery. I showed Tom where we were and the nearest place with communication before he went with
the map and half the group to get help. Fortunately it was the Visitors Centre we had started from, so I
hadn’t ruined the ride. When he left I turned back to witness a full scale kit explosion in progress. My
knee had been steri-stipped but the hunt was now on for something big enough to cover the wound.
“Put this on”. …...“It’s not big enough”…….“I can stick a few together”…….“Ok, try it”……“I’ve found this as
well”……….“But that’s not big enough either!”…..”Yes, but I’ve opened it!! Stick it on anyway!!!”……..“Ok”
…...Something else was opened and handed to Ed……..“That’s a bloody eye patch, what am I going to do
with that??!!”
Stupidly I hadn’t replenished my stock of steri-strips but Ed said he had some. While he retrieved his first
aid kit I realised the huge hole in my leg wasn’t bleeding and there was no pain. This gave me a little time
to sort something else out. “Can someone get my camera?”. “eh!!??” came the reply. “My camera, quick,
I need some photo’s of this”. Brian was the first to catch on and started recording the event with his
camera while Sabine unpacked ours.
It was a big wound and I needed an ambulance. With the first aid underway I was free to sort out my
recovery. I showed Tom where we were and the nearest place with communication before he went with
the map and half the group to get help. Fortunately it was the Visitors Centre we had started from, so I
hadn’t ruined the ride. When he left I turned back to witness a full scale kit explosion in progress. My
knee had been steri-stipped but the hunt was now on for something big enough to cover the wound.
“Put this on”. …...“It’s not big enough”…….“I can stick a few together”…….“Ok, try it”……“I’ve found this as
well”……….“But that’s not big enough either!”…..”Yes, but I’ve opened it!! Stick it on anyway!!!”……..“Ok”
…...Something else was opened and handed to Ed……..“That’s a bloody eye patch, what am I going to do
with that??!!”
The situation then took a turn for the worse when the midges found
us. I was thinking it would be easier for the emergency services to
recover me from the road rather than 200m up a very rocky track and
was sure I could make it down without causing further damage. The
midges made up my mind. “Let’s just get this thing covered and I’ll get
down to the road”.
With my knee quickly covered I tried to hop down using my bike as a
crutch and the brakes to control my speed, but it was too tiring.
Instead I dropped the saddle, sat on my bike and slowly free-wheeled
down. Thankfully I had my full-sus and the ride was surprisingly
smooth. At the road I was glad to find sunshine, a breeze, and no
midges. Just as well because there was no way I was going any further.
us. I was thinking it would be easier for the emergency services to
recover me from the road rather than 200m up a very rocky track and
was sure I could make it down without causing further damage. The
midges made up my mind. “Let’s just get this thing covered and I’ll get
down to the road”.
With my knee quickly covered I tried to hop down using my bike as a
crutch and the brakes to control my speed, but it was too tiring.
Instead I dropped the saddle, sat on my bike and slowly free-wheeled
down. Thankfully I had my full-sus and the ride was surprisingly
smooth. At the road I was glad to find sunshine, a breeze, and no
midges. Just as well because there was no way I was going any further.
| This is what the paramedics found |
| Getting loaded into the ambulance |
Brian stayed with me while Sabine
went to get our car, the rest of the
group went with her. They hadn’t
been gone long when Tom
returned. “Ok, the ambulance is
on the way but you might be
getting the choice of land or air”.
I thought it was a bit much but
after being told of my injury the
despatch decided to send the
helicopter anyway. Within
seconds we could hear the sound
| ITV filming for a programme in August |
of rotor blades and a helicopter was soon
circling above. After a spectacular landing
the ambulance arrived by road, then Edale
Mountain Rescue, who also had an ITV
camera man in tow.
There were ‘Oohs’ and ‘Aahs’ from my
group of rescuers as the paramedics
removed my bandages, I think they were
suitably impressed. Unfortunately it wasn’t
circling above. After a spectacular landing
the ambulance arrived by road, then Edale
Mountain Rescue, who also had an ITV
camera man in tow.
There were ‘Oohs’ and ‘Aahs’ from my
group of rescuers as the paramedics
removed my bandages, I think they were
suitably impressed. Unfortunately it wasn’t
| Ta, Daaa!! |
life threatening so I lost my chance of a helicopter ride. While I was being
loaded into the ambulance Sabine returned with the car to loaded up my bike.
This left Brian free to steal the limelight and give an interview to ITV (on air in
August).
loaded into the ambulance Sabine returned with the car to loaded up my bike.
This left Brian free to steal the limelight and give an interview to ITV (on air in
August).
At A&E in Sheffield I was soon being seen by a doctor. “So how did you do this?”, he asked. I told him. “So
how’s your bike?”, came the reply. Fantastic, he was a mountain biker. After inspecting my wound he
called his mate over. “Guess how he did this”. The second doctor was told and he asked, “So how’s your
bike?”. Cool, two mountain biking doctors.
how’s your bike?”, came the reply. Fantastic, he was a mountain biker. After inspecting my wound he
called his mate over. “Guess how he did this”. The second doctor was told and he asked, “So how’s your
bike?”. Cool, two mountain biking doctors.
After an X-ray the news wasn’t good. My patela was high and I could
have snapped a ligament. That would mean months off the bike and I
was due to ride Sleepless in nine weeks to raise money in memory my
good friend who had recently died from cancer. That would mean
letting his family down and all of those who had donated so far. That
hurt more than my injury, I was gutted.
I pulled myself together. If that was the case I would do all in my power
to recover and ride the next 24hr event I could. I just had to get fixed.
My wound was to big for A&E so I was sent up to surgery. Given a
choice of a general anaesthetic or being numbed from the waist down I
went for the latter, which meant a needle in my spine, not nice! I was
| Getting cleaned up in A&E |
awake through the whole procedure but didn’t want to look. Although I can deal with my injuries when full
of endorfins I don’t get off on watching other people poke around in them afterwards. I had a good laugh
with the nurses and anaethatists instead.
After the operation I got the results. It was good news. It had taken 18 stitches to sew up my leg but there
was no structural damage and I could be back on a bike within 2-4 weeks. You don’t know how relieved I
was. I would soon be riding again and Sleepless was still on.
of endorfins I don’t get off on watching other people poke around in them afterwards. I had a good laugh
with the nurses and anaethatists instead.
After the operation I got the results. It was good news. It had taken 18 stitches to sew up my leg but there
was no structural damage and I could be back on a bike within 2-4 weeks. You don’t know how relieved I
was. I would soon be riding again and Sleepless was still on.
| Frankenknee: On the left you can see the mark where the bolt entered |
| These pictures show the whole wound. To understand how big it really is check out the small graze above the stitches, it's the same one in both pictures. |
| www.flattyresmtbroutes.com |
I’d felt my knee hit, but only a bang, and
expected to be nursing some small cuts
and bruises. When I rolled out of the
accident and looked down I couldn’t
believe what I saw. There was an 8 inch
horizontal tear in my knee and the skin of
my shin was hanging away like an old sock!
Immediately I grabbed the skin above and
below the wound to hold it together. I was
still trying to get my he around what I had
just seen, surely that wasn’t my leg.
Another look confirmed it was, “oh shit, oh
shit, oh shit…….”
| I think I may need some help |
action. While they assessed the damage Sabine
turned up and was told of my injury. She came to
check how I was and forget her first aid training.
turned up and was told of my injury. She came to
check how I was and forget her first aid training.