Life Flight

Heath and I went camping with his friends. We’ve been trying to plan a trip with just another couple, but every time we plan other people invite themselves. I think this last trip in May sealed the fate of the group camping trips.

H and I decided to leave a night early with our friend who lives across the street, Chad. We pulled in late Thursday evening, May 18, did the quick set up and went to sleep. The next day started off fine. Everyone started showing up late morning/lunch time. Well Chad decided to bring his four-wheeler. I was not to keen on this idea from the beginning. Lucky for us, Chad’s single. Our friends, who originally were planning the trip with, brought along the wife’s single friend. Chad constantly drools and tries to impress when she’s around. Why I have no idea, he has no chance in hell. So everyone starts drinking beer, mixed drinks, and jell-o shots. Not me, I stuck to my Dr Pepper and water. I think I’m the only one who actually ate sandwiches and food.

The four wheelers originally came out because some of the people were staying in cabins on the other side of the park. Then Chad and the girl decided to go find trails. Another couple went but they weren’t drunk, maybe a buzz. They all come and go for a couple of hours, no big deal. Then Chad and the girl go off with H. H isn’t interested in acting an ass so he comes back.

About 20 minutes later Kathy and I are discussing how nice it will be when we finally get to take that camping trip with just the two couples. We hear, “HELP! KATHY! ANYONE? HELP!” I grab Stinky and take off running for H and Kevin. Kathy takes off running towards her friend. I have no idea what is going on other than Chad is hurt and Blythe is freaking out. Heath and Kevin take off. I take Stinky back to the travel trailer and walk towards the trails. By the time I get there Kevin and Heath are bringing Chad out of the woods. To me it looks like he’s broken his nose and cut his forehead. I assumed wrong. Chad lost consciousness and sliced his head open, from his hairline to his eye.

Heath was going to drive Chad to the local hospital but Chad passed out. So they called 911. While we were waiting for the ambulance two of the girls/women we were with decided they should keep Chad conscious. Not a bad idea if you know what you are doing. They kept slapping him in the face. Kevin was trying to keep Chad’s head stable and I was hollering that you don’t slap someone with a head injury. Of course the only two people listening to me were Heath and Kevin. Heath got in to check his pulse and breathing. Kevin kept rubbing Chad’s sternum to keep him conscious while the two females stayed hysterical and kept slapping him.

The ambulance arrived and they decided that since we were out in the middle of nowhere and the local hospital wasn’t equipped for traumas, to call Life Flight and fly Chad to Hermann. Everyone flipped out. I informed them all that it didn’t mean he was going to die. Life Flight doesn’t mean death. I knew he was serious but stable by his pulse and respirations. They were using the helicopter because it was an hour and a half by ambulance and 20 minutes by helicopter.

The helicopter landed, which is always fascinating to watch, my third experience and second during an emergency. They whisked him away about 10 minutes later.

I asked Heath if I needed to start bringing an EMS jump kit with me when we go camping with his friends and he said that we will no long go camping with anyone other then Kevin and Kathy. We began to pack up to go home and we get there around midnight. I was exhausted and hungry. We ate dinner and went to sleep.

We got a call the next day Chad had 19 stitches in his forehead, 7 in his nose, and 9 on his eyelid. He was finally released back to work this week. His scar is deep. An adventure that I didn’t care for and made me realize people who can’t handle emergencies should be shot with a tranq dart.