Broken bone in the back country.

Dragonalain

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Well we have been riding for 5 year out in the mountains and each put on around 1200 miles a season. We have never had any incidents until this weekend....
Around 330 pm a guy in our group fell off his machine while meeting another machine and we think he bumped his elbow on the a arm. We kind of laughed until he stood up we knew something was wrong.
We cruised up to him and started checking the situation out after cutting all his base layers off we realized that his elbow was really f**ked up and he need medical attention.
A fellow snowmobile stop and asked if we needed any help and offered his sat phone to call a chopper since ours was at home.... He had all the local numbers and call for us but it turned out that it was foggy and late in the day for them to leave for broken arm. So now we have one option fix him up as best we can and double him out 6 miles to the bolder cabin Then down the Groomed trail.

Since we cut his gear off he started to get cold shivering and going into shock. Thankfully I had a few extra shirts I could give up. We duct taped his shirt back on and taped my extra clothing on and buddy pulls out his bivy sack that my wife bought for him for Xmas we put that on like a dress.


I also carry a assortment of pain killers, tums, cold and sinus, and asthma medication.
I had a few oxys from when I got my wisdom teeth ripped out. they are equivalent to 3.5 T3s I gave the guy 2 of them and we started doubling out. He never complained once and there was few hills I was boosting around 6#.
When we got to the cabin he was looking pretty good.



We made it about 1/2 way down the trail and asked if I had any more Oxys. He had the last one. Now he's had 3 Oxys which is more than 10 T3s and we continued down.
Made it to the hospital had him checked in turns out his elbow socket is broken in 2 places and his arm in 1 needing surgery. Doc said good choice on the pain pills otherwise it would have been a long ride down.
This is the first year I carried medical supplies. I read some post on here about what ppl carry and realized I'm not prepared for anything. I sent the link to my wife and I got it all in my stocking for Xmas
The lesson we all learnt this weekend is be prepared for a emergency hope it never happens but it could and it did to us.

To all the sledders out there Ride safe and ride prepared.

Thanks to the guy who offered us help and guided us back to the cabin where there were no tracks / bumps.

I'm not sure how to post the link to the other forum of what ppl carry but it's a good forum to read.


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lilduke

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Glad he made it out alright. Back country is a bad place to break a bone. Broke my arm dirt biking in the woods this summer... No fun. Winter time even worse for sure.
 

fredw

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Few years back, a buddy crossed courts boarder with another buddy's oxy-codine meds, he was unable to prove to them that they where his meds and spent a few nights in Libby slammer till it was resoved, you might want to watch yourself with them meds and no prescription :D


but good on you for helping him out
 

Dragonalain

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Few years back, a buddy crossed courts boarder with another buddy's oxy-codine meds, he was unable to prove to them that they where his meds and spent a few nights in Libby slammer till it was resoved, you might want to watch yourself with them meds and no prescription :D


but good on you for helping him out

Lol that would be interesting a night in the clink over some pills. I usually keep them in a random container would be pretty hard to find but u never know.


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kimrick

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That was a brutal ride down from Boulder on the trail for a person with no injuries as there was over 300 sleds up that day.
Even after a grooming in the afternoon.
That gentleman was a real tropper and I guess the Oxy worked well.
Glad all turned out and wishing him a speedy recovery.
 

snowhound63

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I know how fast things can go wrong too. 5 years ago my 14 year old son and I were riding on frisbee and he broke his femur that made for an interesting afternoon for sure.
 

frock

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I know how fast things can go wrong too. 5 years ago my 14 year old son and I were riding on frisbee and he broke his femur that made for an interesting afternoon for sure.

This could be a real bad one if the break is bad enough. I don't think I would risk sledding out with this, a jagged bone could cut the femoral artery and a person would bleed out in minutes. Stabilize and chopper ride out.
 

eclipse1966

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that is exactly what happened to the previous owner that I bought some property from. She fell down 2 steps and the jagged bone cut the artery. Apparently she lasted less than 5 min.

This could be a real bad one if the break is bad enough. I don't think I would risk sledding out with this, a jagged bone could cut the femoral artery and a person would bleed out in minutes. Stabilize and chopper ride out.
 
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