My Injury

[Jason B]

Wow... You tried a double-up when you were 57...

lol...that's what I was thinking!!!

That's freaking gnarly. Wow. Hope everything heals well man.

[TeamAllen]

Sorry to see your injury, but thanks for taking the time to post up your story. There is a lot to be learned from a situation like that.
God's speed on a quick recovery!
It maid me think of a quote from an unknown author my friend has on his desk.
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ???WOO HOO what a ride!???

[Oklahoma Breakdown]

That is certainly a crazy story and well told. Because of it I will certainly have a renewed focus on rope safety that I didnt before. While it seems like a one in a million occurence...those are usually the worst kind of accident so it is good to know.
There was a reference to people wrapping the surf rope around their arm and I have a friend who does just that..I will be watching more closely in the future.

Good luck on your continued recovery. Glad to hear you havent given up on boating because of it.

[chadster2]

Sorry to see your injury, but thanks for taking the time to post up your story. There is a lot to be learned from a situation like that.
God's speed on a quick recovery!
It maid me think of a quote from an unknown author my friend has on his desk.
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ???WOO HOO what a ride!???

that's what I'm talken about.....
;however, one should pace himself. "If I would have knowen I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself when I was younger" said the 110 year old man....

just the same because of your story I will do things a bit different. Thanks.

[kana12]

Holy Cow! thats crazy and reallyu scary! Im glad you are ok! I have only had my wife gash her head open from th board a couple years ago and havent really had any real major accidents happen on the boat and i always pray i never have to go through something like this! stay positive man!

p.s. Did you type all of that story with just one hand? Thats alot of typing and it takes me like 20 min to write a small reply like this one with two hands! Sorry trying to add a little humor to lighten the situation! ha ha

[Paublo]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the kind words and encouragement. This forum has an amazing group of people associated with it. The support for each other is awsome. I think I am at the point where I have moved forward and my recovery is not my main focus. I am reminded constantly of it, but life is getting back to normal. In a couple of months when I can make a fist aroud the rope handle, I will be sure to let everyone know- that will be a milestone for me.

Tall, I can't figure it out. What is "TTIWWP"?

On the double-up thing. Yes I am an old guy, but I first started skiing before I was 8 and my family always had a boat. I have done every crazy thing possible on the water- trick skis, barefooting, etc. The older I am the more "vertically challenged", I've become. So I just push it a little more however I can. The double-up used to just throw me every which way and was always good for laughs. Last year at Powell I nailed it twice and it gave me this newfound sense of accomplishment- I could finally get air like the young guys. But I can also hurt like the old guys too, so no more of these.

Again thanks for the kind words and thoughts.

[dingleberry]

Tall, I can't figure it out. What is "TTIWWP"?

TTIWWP = this thread is worthless without pictures

[petrey10]

this is prolly the first thread I have read about injuries because i don't wanna get hurt or hurt anyone else while im pulling them.... Last year we had a girl wanna wakeboard on vacation. She was about 24yrs old and a nurse and a good friend so I said sure... well she got up right away first try no problem... except she would get up and dart straight heel side and stay out there. well she one time she went out and was determined to get back inside but she was falling and instead of just letting go and falling she held on and blew out her ACL... screaming in the water and had to have surgery... her vacation was over... i never felt so bad in my life!!

[airjorgy]

Wow....horrific accident and injury. My prayers go out to you for a full recovery. I've have seen so many rope injuries over the years that we just don't wakeboard, ski, or foil without a safety release. I have friends who have lost fingers,
toes, and broken limbs because of the ski rope. The rope is the most dangerous piece of equipment in a boat.

I don't easily endorse many products but after getting caught in a rope once, I immediately bought this one and quite frankly its the best on the market. It is very spendy at $499 (last time a checked), but it has prevented many many injuries like the one in thread. I don't work for Sky Ski or Comptech, I just know thier products very well and that they work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln2-j1L3tNY


This past weekend I was as Lake Havasu while working on a new trick, I accidently ended up putting my arm thru the handle and
instead of breaking my arm, the release did it's job and released. I got back in the boat with just minor scrapes and bruises instead of a broken forearm or worse.

Not trying to highjack this thread but wanted to make you aware
that there are products out there that can prevent this type of
accident.

Hope your recovery goes well.

Air Jorgy

[Nobody]

I take 4 teenage boys out almost every weekend. My son (16 today) wants to be able to take the boat without dad. So the requirement for this is coast guard certification and lifeguard certification. I showed him your picture today. All the boys where stunned. I explanied that this type of wound usually entails shock. Would they know how to treat it? Life Guard Training would. Now they have on-line lifeguard training. I think this is joke.

Sept. 4, 2009, I'm at the lake with my son and 2 of his friends. They all take a set and now it is my turn. After an ok run for a 57 year old, I motioned for my son to do a final double-up. I hit it wrong and went up high, but horizontal and somehow my arm went thru the handle of the rope. An instant later the rope slack is gone and I am jerked around and the handle rips down my arm with enough force and pressure to cut into the arm down to the bone.

I pop up in the water with an intense pain from my right side. Reaching over with my left hand, I can't find or feel my right arm- I thought it was severed off. A few seconds later it floats up and I see it is attached. But my bicep muscle, brachial muscle and artery are stripped from the arm. I see a stub of the artery sticking out and pumping blood into the air like crazy. At the same time I see a floating piece of my muscle and flesh in front of me and I hold that over the severed artery to control bleeding.

My well-trained son doesn't power-turn and is idling back to pick me up. A couple of blood curdling screams gets his attention and he races back and jumps into the water with a friend. It seemed like forever getting my board off, and then help me get onto the platform and laying on the sundeck as I pass out. They call 911 and I come to a little later as they are racing to the dock. One kid has a death grip on my arm over the artery and another is trying hard to keep me conscious and keeping my feet elevated. Before we even get there, there is a Air-Evac helicopter overhead guiding us in.

I spent the next 3 week in the hospital (half in ICU) and had 10 surgeries trying to repair the damage. They took a vein from my leg to replace the artery and saved my arm. There were two attempts to replace the bicep with other muscle but they both failed. One was taken from my side and the other from my calf or lower leg. The first skin graft to close up my arm also failed due to infection. I was told that I would probably never be able to raise my right arm/hand up to my face (I am left handed thankfully). After getting out of the hospital and waiting a couple of weeks until I had a little strength and the IVs and PICC line is out, I started physical therapy twice a week and am still going faithfully. I can use my arm and can bend my fingers about 90 degrees. I'm not giving up and hope to be able to make a fist with my right hand eventually.

The unexpected challenge has been dealing with blood clots after the surgeries. I've had pulmonary embolisms and even another surgery to unblock a vein in my leg and install a filter and stint. But I have my life and am so grateful for good healthcare and wonderful people who have helped me. There are so many side stories and it is not all over yet either. And I had my first trip back to the lake last Friday. I will be boarding again soon- but will be acting much more like a 58 year old should. Sorry for being so wordy and long winded, but it has felt good to share and get this out. I hope nobody else ever goes through such a freak one in a million accident. I owe my life to my son and his 2 friends. They are all 25ish, eagle scouts and knew what to do without panicking- another good reason to have an observer or more people with you. And why when you have an accident like this does everyone ask if you are going to sell your boat- of course not! They don't understand the love for the water.

This picture was probably taken a good month after getting out of the hospital when some of the staples were coming out. They thought it was looking great- ha! The red waffle looking area is the skin graft- and it is all better looking now.

[Dave S]

I don't easily endorse many products but after getting caught in a rope once, I immediately bought this one and quite frankly its the best on the market. It is very spendy at $499 (last time a checked), but it has prevented many many injuries like the one in thread. I don't work for Sky Ski or Comptech, I just know thier products very well and that they work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln2-j1L3tNY


Air Jorgy

I did not even know a product like this exists, thank you for bringing it to our attention. I wonder how that would attach to the Alpha Z Tower