a very big adventure, AKA Tom nearly dies
well, just a quick post to let everyone know Tom is ok. for those who we havent been in contact with, this is both surprising and welcome, since he fell 25 metres down a rocky waterfall, snapping his left leg, and getting airlifted out of the bush to hospital on Saturday afternoon.
long story short: Tom and Clwedd went cycling/hiking at Alligator Falls, 20-ish mins drive out of town, they cycled 6-7kms up the track, then hiked up the 300mtr hill, no tracks, just an exposed waterfall/creek. On the way back down Tom slipped, tumbling and falling down with the flow, and broke his leg (and not his head - miracle #1) as he went. Clwedd only saw him go over the edge, and rushed down after him (hero #1), to find him in a bloddy mess below, with the bone sticking out of his calf. somehow Tom had some mobile reception (miracle #2) and they were able to call emergency for a helicopter rescue (2 hours later, bring in heroes #2 , 3 & 4), and in a short while both were at the hospital, Tom having surgery (numerous and wonderful A&E, orthopaedic and anethetesic heroes) to put a steel rod in his leg, Clwedd with a hairline fracture to his heel, having bounded large cravasses in single leaps to get to Tom.
the airlift medic who winched Tom out said to me that he should be dead, they couldnt believe how far he fell without cracking his head or breaking his spine, so, we’re pretty relieved he’s not.
Tom is happy in his little bed in surgury ward 3, doped up on morphine, YLD and YLM arrive tomorrow morning to keep bedside vigil and help hold us together, so I’m going to bed now to finally get some sleep.
thanks for all the visits, help, calls and support, it’s much appreciated, and we’ll talk to you all soon. I’ll download photos when I go in and get the cord for the camera, so those not in TSV and able to visit can be “bed-side” too.
aroha nui to our big tomandzoe whanau
January 23rd, 2006 at 1:46 pm
Thank god he’s not dead and he’ll be back to tell us all the story (as only Tom can). Kath found this morning that he is a local identity and has now published 4 papers, not three.
http://townsvillebulletin.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,17904774%255E14787,00.html
I had a look back in the galleries at the Alligator Falls photos. That’s one high cliff, Tomo. It’s really, really high.
Get well soon Tomo, Kath, my mum and dad all wish you the best too. Cheers to hero Clewdd too, and hope your heel is all better soon.
January 23rd, 2006 at 4:08 pm
good on ya clewdd i hope you heel heals soon too. And zoe make sure you get a prescription of painkillers too because once the morphine wears off there’s a whole lot of winging and moaning you’ll be putting up with. I’m glad that everyone is in one piece though, that is particularly dominant in my book!
January 23rd, 2006 at 4:41 pm
All the best, and get well soon Tom, please post visiting hours.
Cheers
January 23rd, 2006 at 9:42 pm
thanks for well wishes, visits are cool, Jac, I think it’s 3pm - 5pm or something officially for the general visitors, though the nurses are really lovely and don’t turn anyone away, ever.
best thing to do is call Tom on his mobile, or send a text message and see that he is awake and up to visits - no more surgery now though, so he should be less doped up.
he’s in Surgery Ward 3, or just ask for Thomas Rayner at the enquiries desk at the main entrance.
January 24th, 2006 at 5:23 pm
Much love from Sydney!
January 24th, 2006 at 6:34 pm
my comment is awaiting moderation. am I on a bad list or did I say something that needs carefull perusal. I can go the mundane get well soon mate
January 24th, 2006 at 6:46 pm
Tom,
I can only imagine how much pain you were in. People like you make my job so interesting. Glad to hear you are ok.
Get Better,
Braden & the Hamiltons (2005 Pool Champions)
January 24th, 2006 at 6:50 pm
Hope you make a complete recovery before next Boxing Day. If I remember crutches didn’t help Zoe too much!
Take care Tom you are too precious to lose.
love Liz
January 25th, 2006 at 4:38 am
Very glad to see that your dominating spirit endures. Hope you mend is a quick one.
Andy
January 25th, 2006 at 8:01 am
That photo is going straight to the Domination page!
Hope you’re going alright, talk soon.
January 26th, 2006 at 10:11 am
hey lock,
The series of waterfalls is actually much higher. Tom fell to the top of the one in the first picture in the gallery. If he hadn’t stopped where he did, well, we wouldn’t be having ‘this’ conversation.
January 26th, 2006 at 11:59 am
Tom & Clwedd,
Glad you are both ok. Can’t stop thinking about how much the whole thing would have sucked for you both and how happy things worked out (only short-term set-backs).
Hopefully I’ll see you both tomorrow.
And Lock- falling down a giant cliff is _not_ dominant. It’s rather subordinate. But yes, being alive after it is the dominant feat
xxxxxxx
January 26th, 2006 at 9:14 pm
John, Rob and I had some joy recieving emails and reading these comments tonight - we left the hospital at 6.30pm - a record after a week of 7am arrivials and leaving after 8.30pm at the earliest and post-midnights on bad nights.. it was nice to see the day from outside the hospital windows…
anyway, thanks for the visits and calls and comments, we might be bringing Tom home tomorrow, or maybe the next day.. we’ll keep all informed, and as a PS - as we were checking comments I see that I wrote Rollingstone falls, which most of you figured out (or ignored) of course it was Alligator Falls, for those playing at home, marking the spot on their maps (yes, in The Shrine, Dunks).
January 27th, 2006 at 12:27 am
Tom, sorry I have not responded I have been out of reach of a computer the last few days. That looks like a nasty one. I hope you get better soon and you are back on deck ASAP. I will call soon.
January 28th, 2006 at 5:03 pm
Hi friends,
Scheisse!!!!!
what the hell have you (tom) done!! I am so under schock. I
can not leave you a bit alone and you fall from rocks down.
What a schock! I am soo happy you are not dead, you crazy
extrem sportsman. Hope you don´t have to much pain, their
are great drugs in the hospital, hope you get some.
January 30th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
how good is kikinese!!
January 31st, 2006 at 7:23 am
i love it, “leave you a bit alone and you fall from rocks down”.
hooray for Kiki!
March 23rd, 2006 at 7:46 am
Shit Tom, glad you`re ok.
What did they do to your face??? or was it always like that….
March 24th, 2006 at 1:08 pm
Rog you are very much on the ball, I congratulate you on your wit and perspicacity
March 25th, 2006 at 10:12 am
Yes, you really are a sagacious bastard.
July 31st, 2006 at 11:18 pm
Thanks Tom for openning my eyes of self pitty. I now know that it will be ok. Going back to school will be all that I need for my year of Domination as opposed to the month of August being the month of domination. Thanks for the kind words, heal up soon and when (oh it WILL happen at some point) I get down to the bottom of the world let’s take the bikes out for a spin!
On yere bike!!!
B
PS I am linking you to my blog and I posted your email as well as fixed the comment issue!