I have loved riding in northern farms, having ridden there a number of times. Today I rode the red route with my son and friends with their children. We came across a lady who while riding with her father, had collapsed and fallen. She was unconscious, and then began fitting. We called the Northern Farms phone number, and after being given various other numbers that we were told to call, we were told someone would come. We advised who ever answered the call that we needed medical assistance. For over an hour and a half, following many calls (we also called Netcare, they also said they would send assistance to Northern Farms), a farm worker came with a farm tractor and a trailer. We dragged this poor girl on the burning hot surface of the dirty farm trailer, and watched as the father tried to keep hold of his fitting daughter as the trailer bumped away. We left their bikes in the bush and rode the 10km back to the car parking area. I had the fathers back pack with their keys in, so on my return to the beginning of the trail, went to find the father and his daughter. I was directed to the entrance of the farm where we pay, to find Netcare working on the girl, giving CPR and chest compressions. She was dead! She died on the back of that dirty farm trailer. My advice is that if you intend to ride northern farms, and you even fall, maybe you will have a broken leg or worse. Be prepared, no one will be coming to get you out. I do appreciate that we all ride at our own risk, but surely Northern Farm should have a better way to deal with us. A 4x4 with some medical equipment and stretcher. This poor girl didn’t need to die.
