The best made plans often don't turn out the way you expect them! ;-)
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| "The Plan" ... that became a plan for next time!! |
Since we had flown 6 fully valid tasks during the first 6 days the final day wasn't flown as a task.
There are many opinions about this rule, these are just my personal views:
- The last day is usually a Saturday and therefore a 'holiday' day when the local people can see the event. Not flying a task deprives them of involvement and the spectacle. The PWCA have rest-day rules for Superfinal that state that a rest day can't be during the last 2 days ... in effect this was a rest-day and the final day even though strictly speaking the competition had finished. The rest day rules don't apply to the individual events that form the tour but perhaps it would be reasonable if they did.
- During task days in Roldanillo we have control of the launch - who has access, who flies, who doesn't ...
The take-off on the final 'no-task' day was stuffed full of World Cup pilots wanting to get as much flying as possible before returning to the colder, darker countries they call home as well as locals, wannabe's and downright menaces.
So, instead of enjoying a fun free-flying day with friends and a relaxing prize-giving party I was all day trying to arrange emergency care and hospital treatment and waiting all evening to hear that he had been safely transferred to a 'real' hospital.
In this regard, we, as the competition local organisation failed completely ...
No-one on launch had 'authority' to request rescue. When I arrived to the accident, no-one had called for assistence assuming that there were paramedics on launch. No rescue staff were in attendance on launch because it wasn't a task day. On asking for a heli-evac (we had been promised a military Black Hawk on stand-by) I was told no helicopter was available.
After waiting for an 'ambulance' to be dispatched from Roldanillo Kenny was finally bounced for 1 hour down the mountain in the back of a 'truck' after already waiting for medical attention for over an hour lying on a barbed wire fence where he had fallen. This was a really bad situation for a guy with a fractured pelvis and dislocated femur, in agony and unable to receive any pain relief since the paramedics aren't licensed to administer it.
In spite of promises of immediate medical transfer to a 'good' hospital in Manizales I spent the next 7 hours coaxing, pleading and finally shouting and ranting with the local hospital to demonstrate a minimum level of medical knowledge and allow Kenny to be transferred to somewhere where they actually understood trauma care. The French team doctor had offered important medical advice but was basically told to be quiet - things are different in Colombia!
Money seemed once again to be the 'big issue' though was in fact no issue at all since the UK insurance company had guaranteed a minimum of 24 hours treatment ... a bigger problem was the ridiculous need for hospital paperwork before any consideration of patient care.
Finally, after far too much screaming at ambulance and hospital staff for incompetence Kenny was released to a hospital 2 hours away. After over 3 hours of driving, an ambulance driver who didn't know where he was going, a paramedic who couldn't insert a morphine injection into a cannula and a ridiculous 12 hours after the incident, he was finally admitted to the care of people who knew what they were doing.
The prognosis is now good, he is improving each day and will be allowed to travel home next week under medical supervision.
What isn't good is the total lack of experienced medical attention in Roldanillo or the attitude towards trauma care. Maybe this is different in the cities but we don't fly in cities!!
For me, this day spoilt my entire trip and harmed my deep affection for Colombia and the people.
Words are of no value ... a lot of words get spoken, a lot of assurances made but the reality repeatedly showed a totally different picture.
Roldanillo offers some of the best flying in the world but the cost of human pain isn't quite as we perceive it in Europe!
Changes need to be made in accident provision care - the organisers have been asked to investigate ways of contracting with a Colombian Healthcare provider.
If this can be provided and guaranteed I will be back to play in the Rolda-Wonderland again.
If not, inform your insurance companies in advance of your intended location in Colombia and request a contact for their 'local' representative/office so that when you arrive you can make contact. Be prepared to max. your credit card extracting cash to pay for treatment if needs be, but most of all take good care!
......and be prepared for you insurance company to request a drug test before they agree to pay for anything! ;-)
The image of Colombia in the eyes of those who want to avoid paying for your mishaps is firmly fixed on coca!
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