Had deer all around us but to no avail. If you read my mobile hunt you'd see I Was having a ball. I did have a run in with a twig and pulled some bark from my eye. I figure I'd take care of it later.
We climb down from the tree, Jared texts he's walking the creek bank to the bridge cuz it's so thick. I'm stubborn and tough it out like the ole man should traipsing thrum the thickest of thick.
We're hunting about 2 miles from Latrobe downstream along the Loyalhanna. Parked near a bridge that sees maybe 20 cars an hour. Folks litter here of course. Deer carcasses, old tv's, bottles......
As I near the truck, I hear Jared on his phone, telling his boss he's sorry. He had to miss work tonight. I ask why he can't work? You see, he got to the truck several minutes ahead of stubborn me.
He says dad we gotta go to the ER I'm bleeding and may have broke my leg?
A gruesome picture to follow my posts....
He walked a hundred yds to the truck screaming for me and calling on his cell. I never heard due to the noise of the thick vegetation. I took a look at his pants leg it was ripped and some blood in the area. Ok ER we go.......
I put him in a wheelchair, take him to the check in window and he tells me he's passing out. They rush him go triage. The nurse guy pulls off his boot...... Blood runs out. The cut we saw was secondary. The real damage was hidden by his tall rubber boots and new underarmor pants.
They cut off the pant leg to expose an incredible cut right to the knee cap cover. 50 4x gauze pads later they rush him Into a room, where they have to apply several stitches to stop the bleeding, so they can clean the wound.
He's still up there with MJ, I come home to eat and change clothes. He NEARLY CUT HIS FEMORAL ARTERY, and right now I'd have been making arrangements of a different sorts. He never would have made the last hundred yards.
So there I was looking at his bone structure in his knee..... Wondering why I didn't use my training as an NBEF guy that taught field emergency care, and didn't bother to check out his wound...
They were cleaning the triage room while Jared was being prepped for X-rays. I'm telling you there was THAT much damage and blood.
You just never know.
What if it happened in the hills? Or down in the deep valleys we hunt.... What if it happened at 5C....... Or an unknown area......
Don't know how Im gonna feel tomorrow...
Rut Nut's Link
Good reminder to take a few seconds and assess the situation.
While tracking a deer earlier in the week I came across a broken bottle (in the daylight) and thought that could be an accident waiting to happen.
2 weeks ago I got the Quick Clot clotting gauze at Cabelas. Slipped it right into the small first aid kit I now carry in my fanny pack. Probably would have come in handy for you guys!
Prayers for a speedy recovery sent out from Pike Co!
Mike
Rut Nut's Link
You did good Dale, getting Jared to the hospital quickly was the right thing to do. Good luck in his recovery.
And I get mad when I ruin a new pair of hunting or work boots on trash. Even cut a wool sock a couple of years ago, but missed the foot.
Of course his well being is sooooo much more important. Anyhow he's home today, a bit distraught cuz he's going to miss some work, some hunting, but he'll be in a blind before seasons end. I'm going to look up some newer medical kits today.
And we want to hunt this tract, so looks like the pirogue is going into service. We talked about using it for yesterday's hunt.
Again thanks for your thoughts.....
Just hope everyone will be better prepared than I was. Every cut, bruise, nick should be examined.
Thanks Again
I'm going to spend considerable time alone in the mountains beginning in a week or so, and this reiterates the need for diligent conscious awareness, proper mindset, supplies and plans should thing go awry. Stuff happens, but we don't always need to die because of it.
I have a fully stocked first aid kit and a surgical/suture kit, but this reminded me, I need to get some clotting powder this week, razor blades, a few more sutures, and take stock again.
Lucky it turned out the way it did.
I hope that the recovery is quick so that he can get back out in the wood.
Don't beat yourself up for losing your cool. I would freak out too if my boy was injured like that. Let me suggest something for you to help you get over the guilt you seem to be feeling. When your son is back up and moving, Both of you take a redcross first aid class together as a refresher. Not a bad thing to do anyway.
Years ago was on a hike with 4 guys. One guy collapsed. 2 of us started CPR and the other one called for help. It was like a blurr until the ambulance arrived. Thank God there was 3 of us. Not sure I would have responded as well if I had been alone. (had a happy ending ;-)
Think I will look into a first aid refresher course!
Pat
