Corey Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 First run of the day, I came over a mild crest on an easy blue run and there's a skier laying in the middle of the run a ways ahead. People are just going around without a glance. I stop and ask if he's ok. No response. Oh sh**! He's breathing normally. I flag down someone going by to get ski patrol. The guy is an 18-ish skier and he's drifting in and out of consciousness. When he's awake, he has very slurred speech but knows what's going on and that his head and neck hurt a lot. Ski patrol got there after what felt like forever. When we parted ways he couldn't feel his fingers nor could he move or feel anything below the waist. There were no jumps/bumps/etc anywhere near us, just a skid mark leading from a minor impact to his final resting spot. There was enough traffic that most of the marks were gone by the time I was looking for such things. Two things come to mind: 1. How long was he there before I got there? I saw 10+ people pass him before I got there. Damn it people, what if that was your friend/brother/kid? 2. How fragile we are. That one bugged me the rest of the day. Judging from the well-worn garb and equipment, this guy spent a lot of time on the snow and was probably a good skier. No X games stuff here, probably just a bad edge catch. Connor, here's hoping you come out of this one well! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckmann AG Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 Good on you for taking charge. The phrase 'There but for the grace of God...' runs through my head on most weekends, watching the countless near misses and crises narrowly averted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowrider Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 Good for you Corey for posting this. It is also important for you not to dwell on this in silence. Sharing and talking about it is a healthy response. Never nice to see or hear of others mishaps. It is also important to be aware of our surroundings and those around us at all times . A lady the other day made a comment I find interesting. As we go about day to day life thinking we are immortal it's important to remember non of us are getting out of here alive ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted March 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 Non-skiing/boarding friends and coworkers I've mentioned this to have mostly reacted by saying that that's why they don't ski. Sigh. Cue the Braveheart quote: "Every man dies, not every man really lives." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 First run of the day, I came over a mild crest on an easy blue run and there's a skier laying in the middle of the run a ways ahead. People are just going around without a glance. I stop and ask if he's ok. No response. Oh sh**! If you see someone crash, you usually think "ouch" and carry on. If you see someone lying in the middle of the run and didn't see them crash, and they're not moving, then the first thing you should do is stop and check. What's wrong with people? Good for you for helping him out, and I hope he's OK ... it doesn't sound good :-( Non-skiing/boarding friends and coworkers I've mentioned this to have mostly reacted by saying that that's why they don't ski. Sigh. I had a friend in my early 20's who was paralyzed after he tripped and fell down the stairs. If your number's up, your number's up. Might as well have fun in the meantime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utahcarver Posted March 9, 2016 Report Share Posted March 9, 2016 Many, many years ago when I first moved to Utah to learn how to ski, one of the first things I overheard in conversation was that the worst fall was a slow, twisting fall. To be sure, I've seen countless examples of this type of fall and I can attest that the statement is true. The meaning of 'the worst' is based upon the idea that it takes a long time to heal. Last week, at my local ski area, there was an accident in which an 18 year-old skier died in a collision with a tree. I don't know the details (nor care to) but, I think the times they are a changing again. Slamming into bark is a hazard of our sport on certain days. To echo the points above I can only add to them by saying, keep riding, keep your head up and your eyes are your most important weapon and guard. Save the sunglasses for the sun deck Goggles are for wind and chaff of all kinds in the on-coming airstream. Second, are your ears. Turn the tunes down and be aware of the sounds coming off of your board/skis. It doesn't take a scientist to know it's icy or time to go full throttle on certain snow conditions. Sorry, the grand-pa in me comes out when I read this kind of stuff. Good job, Corey. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted March 9, 2016 Report Share Posted March 9, 2016 Corey, good on you for getting help for that kid. VERY disappointing to hear that many people rode past without checking on him. After losing a friend who was road biking last summer, I find myself looking at the risks of our activities with new eyes. I do still feel that alpine boarding is safer than other things we might do. At least everyone's going the same direction (more or less), your chances of encountering a motorized vehicle (snowcats/snowmobiles) are small, and compared to say MTB, you're less likely to hit a stationary object. But there's no way to take all the risks out of anything... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.oldsnowboards.com Posted March 9, 2016 Report Share Posted March 9, 2016 Thanks for stopping Corey. It is important to pay attention to our surroundings and fellow humans. Be kind, be safe. It is a tricky thing , the risk / reward threshold is very personal. Few can foresee the results of their actions as well as those who have been through something similar. It is one reason the young are so "Brave". Good or bad , it is only through personal experience that most of us learn the most significant lessons. Those that have learned early to learn from elders and trust those that are near to us can benefit from their life experiences. Stop and REALLY listen to those who have little to benefit in helping you, except to see you excel in life. Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopestar Posted March 9, 2016 Report Share Posted March 9, 2016 Nothing worse than being that guy or gal, laying there broken and afraid. We should all be so brave to stop and help. Great job Corey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breeseomatic Posted March 10, 2016 Report Share Posted March 10, 2016 Non-skiing/boarding friends and coworkers I've mentioned this to have mostly reacted by saying that that's why they don't ski. Sigh. Cue the Braveheart quote: "Every man dies, not every man really lives." Corey, That's why I don't get off my couch... On a serious note, if you didn't go boarding, who would have stopped for Connor? Reading your post gave me a sick feeling that people in general don't want to help out another person in need, however your actions makes me a little bit proud to say I loosely associate with the few with a heart. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.oldsnowboards.com Posted March 10, 2016 Report Share Posted March 10, 2016 Well said!! I agree , in a world of "me, me, me" many simply do not have a second to offer a fellow human in need. Let's just pretend they were so focused on the fun that they simply thought he was taking a break from all the fun. On the other hand I think that the general membership here at BOL are not only more technical than the majority but also have a big heart. I know this from my own personal experiences with BOL member coming out of the woodwork to help me when I was hurt. I am a proud member of such a great group of humans that just happen to love alpine snowboarding!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softbootsurfer Posted March 10, 2016 Report Share Posted March 10, 2016 Wat to Go Corey...Thank You Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted March 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2016 I didn't mean for this to be about me, but thank you for the kind words. I haven't heard anything in the local news, but this is a 'small' story compared to the US election or whatever. (Picture me rolling my eyes at the media while saying that) I forgot to mention: There was a 10-ish year old boy that stopped early on, I sent him down with the request for ski patrol. He did a quick loop up the chair and came right back to help. Pretty cool. Others stopped too over time, including a doctor. The first ski patroller on scene looked a bit overwhelmed at the start too. I remember his radio call well: "John, bring the sled to run 4 in a hurry. Bring the oxygen. Actually, bring everything we've got!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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