Another reason why we do this

[mashmaster 783]

(Long true story, stay to the end) Surreal lunch today for me. It brought bake memories that had slowly faded from my memory. In September of 2016, I was on a bike ride with my loving wife  and a group of riders passed us. Moments later, there was an accident, a horrible accident. The rider in front had a blowout and crashed, next thing we see is a rider fly over the barrier on the bridge and fall 50 feet onto limestone. Most were in shock, and my co-worker got down to him to help him. I called 911, started directing traffic and someone called for someone who knew CPR. I raced down thinking the worst. (I was surprised I was the only one trained in CPR and First Aid) When I got down there, the rider was lying in a crumpled ball. Bones exposed through his skin, blood, helmet crushed, glasses crushed. He was alive somehow, in incredible pain and not making a lot of sense. My friend is holding him still and talking with him. He remains incredibly calm. It was horrible, he didn't need CPR but it was amazing he was still alive. How could this really be happening.....Paramedics finally show up after what felt like forever. I meet them at the top of the hill and help carry bags to the victim. The paramedic is shocked he is still alive (told the victim John later that he thought he was going to see a dead body). They take his BP and there is no BP. It is bad, really bad. Lung collapses and they re-inflate it as they carry him off. After what seems like forever the helicopter arrives and takes him away...... We think the worst.

My co-worker checks in with him a few days later and he is living. No way he will ride again, no way he will never walk again..... Major head injuries, no clue what happened.

Well, 2.5 years later, my co-worker and I have lunch with him today. John walks in and looks amazing. You would never know he was in an accident. He is fit, just ran 6 miles at a 9 minute pace. Hiked 56 miles in the Grand Canyon this last summer. Mentally sharp, just blows us away. He asks us to tell him what happened. We tell him and he is shocked to hear us tell him. He really has no idea what happened to him. We hear about his recovery and it is just inspiring. He shows us a picture of him standing with his xrays in front of him. His xrays look like the terminator. Rods and pins throughout his body (One rod in his femur from his knee to hip, ankle, wrists, hip, elbow). He fell so hard that it tore his aorta, so that had to be patched up as well.

He tells us how this changed his life in such a positive way. He was not in a great place when the accident happened, recently divorced after 18 years. His son was 11(same age as my son) Separated from his kids, busy working a lot. He says it has changed his perspective on life. He appreciates everything everyone has done for him. He tells us you never know when it is your day. Live life to the fullest, enjoy time with your family. If I ever complain about something being hard, I have zero excuse. John's story is just amazing... wow.

People live life for today, don't put off life until tomorrow.  So when people ask me why I am so involved in his scouting experience and would camp in the snow or canoe 50+ miles, this is why.    

[scoutldr 726]

God puts us where we are for a purpose.  

[mashmaster 783]

From him:

I wouldn’t be here without all of you. Life is short and today is all that we have control over! I am glad you didn’t do chest compressions. 😂

I couldn’t control what happened to me, but I can change how I react. 

Your perspective and memories really help put together the accident. I’m glad someone saw me go over the bridge!!

[FireStone 423]

Incredible story, thanks for sharing.

"Br Prepared" means a lot of things. You just never know exactly what it's going to mean, and it's why we teach these scouts to be knowledgeable in a variety of things, to be ready to act when others can't. Sometimes it means being ready to give first aid, carry a bag, direct traffic, or sometimes just be prepared to tell others what happened. 

I had a "Be Prepared" moment last night when I was involved in a hit-and-run car accident. While trying to follow the car that hit me I was thinking "I should have been prepared with a dash cam." And now I will be, my dash cam is going to be on my front porch in an Amazon box when I get home tonight.

[mashmaster 783]

1 hour ago, FireStone said:

Incredible story, thanks for sharing.

"Br Prepared" means a lot of things. You just never know exactly what it's going to mean, and it's why we teach these scouts to be knowledgeable in a variety of things, to be ready to act when others can't. Sometimes it means being ready to give first aid, carry a bag, direct traffic, or sometimes just be prepared to tell others what happened. 

I had a "Be Prepared" moment last night when I was involved in a hit-and-run car accident. While trying to follow the car that hit me I was thinking "I should have been prepared with a dash cam." And now I will be, my dash cam is going to be on my front porch in an Amazon box when I get home tonight.

ugh, seriously people suck