I don’t get around to writing up the rides these days what with three teenagers at home, but today’s calls for an update after two in the group finished their ride in a St Johns ambulance. We had our largest group for a long time when we started to roll through around Shelly the group bunched up at one point and with nowhere to go Vicky and Amanda came down. They both hit the road hard …….with their heads….. thank goodness for helmets – in this case they have saved their owners… no complaints from me about the nanny state when you see someone’s head hit the bitumen.
Vicky and Amanda are both fine, though I’m not sure if they survived the coffee at Charley Gardiners…. All bones and teeth are intact. Amanda has abrasions and both a good amount of bruising, but I do believe they will be back on their bikes soon.
Fortunately Ross was cycling today and lives close by to the accident site so was able to retrieve the bikes whilst the ambulance took the wounded.
There were a large number of groups cycling along Shelly today and lots offered help and one cyclist (female) physiotherapist checked the girls out… for injuries….of course. You could feel the heartfelt concern from the many cyclists passing…… it is sobering to know this can happen to anyone any time. I did think one bunch was going to ride into the back of the ambulance… doors flapping wide open.
In case you think an ambulance is overkill, my experience having ended up in emergency quite a few times with a somewhat competitive third child who only knows one speed (or maybe she’s just trying to be heard above the noise!), the cost of an ambulance ($780 std trip) is fully refunded; so always happy to err on the side of caution to ensure all injuries is identified… no brainer when someone hits their head of course.
I think I’ll need to start writing up the rides regularly so it isn’t only when things go awry that you hear how we went.
Keep vigilant and keep safe.
Oh and yes the bikes do seem to be unharmed.
Good news that the girls/ladies are relatively unscathed. Learning to roll through is never easy when you are new to it (my first crash a few years ago was a roll going badly awry on Burke Drive with the old non-SPR 6:00 am Narrows ride. That was an ambulance ride to Fremantle. Not so many stopped that day.)
Well done to those who looked after them so thoroughly. Hope to see everyone back riding soon after a little time out to settle the nerves.
Get well soon to all involved. I fully agree on erring on the side of caution. Firstly, serious potentially crippling head and spine injury may not always be obvious. Secondly, the trauma of being involved in an incident such as this, even as a spectator, may not also be immediately evident. Pls seek help if ur unwell from this.
I’m wondering if we have a first aid qualified person on each ride? Does being a doctor count? NB: I am neither.
Good rides to all. 🙂
Good to hear that nobody was seriously hurt. I’ve only been on one transitional ride to date and hope to ride on many more to come. OldFriend, I am a qualified mines rescue medic/captain and I’d be more than happy to render assistance, but I’m sure we’d all agree that it would be better not to have the bingle in the first place. After all, I don’t carry a medics bag on road rides. I would definitely agree that an abulance is appropriate where there is the risk of head or spinal injuries.
Firstly and most importantly I hope Vicky and Amanda are OK and heal quickly. It sounds like it was a great team effort to get the guys the attention they needed so quickly and warming that the wider cycling community seemed concerned.
I seriously thought I would be reading about an incident in Main One this week after the ride I had ridden on the 24th of September. We have many rides and groups, so as the law of averages go, we will have incidents but we should take as much care as possible when riding with others. Read the South Perth Rouleurs Ride Etiquette and have good communication within the group passing potential hazards down the line. When on the front you may think it’s just a hole but it is the responsibility of the front riders to make everyone aware.
If a person needs to be made aware of a riding style that is not conducive to group riding they need to be informed by one of the more experienced riders (politely) so they can make a change and we all can enjoy the ride.
Ride safe and have fun!
First Sid courses are the best money you will ever spend, hopefully you will be lucky enough to never have to use the training given. But should you have to 1. You will know what to do and 2. You will know how to react.
Eg: I’m in Vietnam on holidays (my fathers 60th bday- he lives here) his brother that’s a diabetic type 1, is here to celebrate with him/ us. He is over weight has had multiple heart atacks and heart bypass surgerys. He has had a couple of very minor strokes in the past and has a stent in his heart. He gas also just recovered from kemo for prostate cancer.
The other night he had what looked like a minor stroke. In a group of about 20 I was the only one that reacted positively to the situation. There where family members frozen, some crying and others just generally panicking.
1 thing that first aid training teaches you is to be calm, evaluate the situation, react and continually give positive reinforcement, and remove others that are negative or panicking or violent.
Everything worked out well, thank god, and my father asked if I had been in this kind of situation before as I reacted very well. He even said that I was better than the doctors that attended to my uncle. I told him that all it was, was training first aid being the main one, bit also emergency response (I work in the oil and gas industry and it mandatory training)
My point here is you never know when or if you will need it, at home/ work/ or just out and about. I highly recommend doing the training and repeating it every 2 years. You may never use it, but then again you may.
Sorry should say First Aid Course – damn iPhone auto correct.
Hope those caught up in the bingle are healing well. Evil when these things happen but couldn’t agree more with jason about taking a first aid course.
Most work places offer them as a means of meeting HSSE targets and they’re great for boosting confidence. Nothing worse than standing by the roadside, seeing someone hurt, wanting to help and not knowing how to. Cycling could be deemed a reasonably “dangerous” sport, so the least we can all do is be prepared and skilled enough in first aid basics to help a fellow rider in the event of an accident.
It would be tax deductible too