Is the guy who SNAPPED both his wrists at Helderberg okay?

[martinza]

On Saturday, coming down the last section of the flow trail at Helderberg, a guy took an awful fall and it looked like he broke both his wrists/arms.

He was with a group of experienced enduro riders, who had no problems with the black trails higher up.

I have not stopped thinking about him this weekend, and I really just want to know if he's okay. Please tell the oke we're feeling for him, and hoping for a speedy recovery.

Needless to say, I was shocked, and don't feel like going really fast on my bike...

[Robbie Stewart]

Been there, done that. It sucks. 

The inability to feed, clothe, bathe yourself. Be grateful if the only thing you can do in that situation is to wipe your arse.

It gets better. It took me a good couple of months but my hands are perfect now 6 years later.

Whoever this guy is, if you're reading this, stay in the fight in your head. The battle is won or lost in your mind first. Don't give in to the darkness. I feel bleak for you, but things do get better again.

Yesterday I managed my first run down the Enduro line at Contermans into Black Rhino 2 after snapping my ankle in 3 places last September. It was bliss. 

I pray you recover well and don't get flipped out by all this. And if this means anything, watch those pain meds. I got hooked back in 2016 and it was HELL to get out of that deep hole.

My last bit of advice . . .  be grateful to whoever is helping you get through this. Resist the temptation to let your emotion and frustration boil over. They're loving you, even though at times you may not want them to. 

It really does get better. Strongs. 

(I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed by this seeing as I've been there and I know the struggle first hand - no pun intended)

[Mamil]

Interesting to me how this sport that offers such a sense of freedom and expansiveness and, in the bkink of an eye, can lay us flat and dependent on others for the most basic of things.

I am eternally grateful to the excellent staff at the knysna private hospital - 2 of whom propped me up over the toilet 'cos I could not have any weight bearing and couldn't bend at the waist and gave me an enema to counteract the constipation caused by the oh so needed painkillers.

A lesson in humility - 2 women taking my full weight, a dribble of my own stink running down the inside of my naked leg, gut in a spasms of pain. Good people who took care of me and allowed me to pick up my dignity at the front desk when I checked out.

Hope the rider gets well taken care of - without getting to "shoo wow" about it - experiences like that are great teachers.

[Grapgat37]

I’m all good under the circumstances. Had a great team effort from ambulance and rescue teams to get me down the mountain. Thanks to Dr Hardcastle , a fellow MTB guy I might add I’m all patched up. He had his work cut out for him but he’s happy with the results. It was a stupid pedal strike at exactly the wrong time so yes it is in just the blink of an eye and everything goes pear shaped. Thanks for the concern and ride on.

[Knersboy]

3 hours ago, Grapgat37 said:

I’m all good under the circumstances. Had a great team effort from ambulance and rescue teams to get me down the mountain. Thanks to Dr Hardcastle , a fellow MTB guy I might add I’m all patched up. He had his work cut out for him but he’s happy with the results. It was a stupid pedal strike at exactly the wrong time so yes it is in just the blink of an eye and everything goes pear shaped. Thanks for the concern and ride on.

Good luck with the healing, wrists take so long. I go to the ortho today for my last X-ray, fractured my right scaphoid on 2 October! Been off the bike since.

Did the double wrist break when I was 16, enough said……

[Grapgat37]

My one wrist was worse as it was fixed before so the old stuff made it a bit of a challenge for the doctor. He believes it’s all good so then I’m happy 

[Alouette3]

All the best with the recovery. Do the exercises the OT's give you religiously and you should get range and strength back fairly quickly. Also done the double break and it makes life entertaining!

[BaGearA]

2 hours ago, Knersboy said:

Good luck with the healing, wrists take so long. I go to the ortho today for my last X-ray, fractured my right scaphoid on 2 October! Been off the bike since.

Did the double wrist break when I was 16, enough said……

Broke my scaphoid last year April , only truly fealt healed beginning November

[nox1111]

If I deduce correctly - @Grapgat37 you went down close to the two jumps at the end of the whoop section? Moerdyk, the speed you carry at the end there... that crash must have happened incredibly quickly!

I'm glad you are OK - even if only sort-of. At that pace it could have been worse.

Are you the gent that's been nabbing the 'local legend' status' on Helderberg over the last few weeks? Someone mentioned your name in a conversation, and i thought I'd spotted it before.

 

[Jewbacca]

Just hope you're not Duran. Falling at That speed without a shirt on would be horrendous....

[MudLark]

17 hours ago, martinza said:

Needless to say, I was shocked, and don't feel like going really fast on my bike...

There's no shame in riding within your skill and capability limits. As long as you let the faster guys through/past. 

[Steady Spin]

Reading this freaks me out properly. 

Having double breaks will really complicate things in life. Eating a burger and wiping comes to me. 

Speedy recovery my friend. Hope you heal up fast. 

[PhilipV]

9 hours ago, Grapgat37 said:

I’m all good under the circumstances. Had a great team effort from ambulance and rescue teams to get me down the mountain. Thanks to Dr Hardcastle , a fellow MTB guy I might add I’m all patched up. He had his work cut out for him but he’s happy with the results. It was a stupid pedal strike at exactly the wrong time so yes it is in just the blink of an eye and everything goes pear shaped. Thanks for the concern and ride on.

Etter. Glad you are back home safely. I've also had to be shipped off Helderberg with a broken wrist when I was a laaitie. Scaphoid.

 

Out of curiosity, Who got you off the mountain? And how did they do it? 

I've been involved in a Wilderness Search and Rescue combined with Metro ambulance service to get a guy with a broken femur out of Eden. 

I believe that we should all have the Wilderness Search and Rescue number on our phones. (021) 937-0300

Well that is for the Western Cape at least. 

 

 

 

[Grapgat37]

On 1/23/2022 at 5:19 PM, Robbie Stewart said:

Been there, done that. It sucks. 

The inability to feed, clothe, bathe yourself. Be grateful if the only thing you can do in that situation is to wipe your arse.

It gets better. It took me a good couple of months but my hands are perfect now 6 years later.

Whoever this guy is, if you're reading this, stay in the fight in your head. The battle is won or lost in your mind first. Don't give in to the darkness. I feel bleak for you, but things do get better again.

Yesterday I managed my first run down the Enduro line at Contermans into Black Rhino 2 after snapping my ankle in 3 places last September. It was bliss. 

I pray you recover well and don't get flipped out by all this. And if this means anything, watch those pain meds. I got hooked back in 2016 and it was HELL to get out of that deep hole.

My last bit of advice . . .  be grateful to whoever is helping you get through this. Resist the temptation to let your emotion and frustration boil over. They're loving you, even though at times you may not want them to. 

It really does get better. Strongs. 

(I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed by this seeing as I've been there and I know the struggle first hand - no pun intended)

Hi, luckily this wasn’t my first or worst rodeo. I know what’s lying ahead. I have a God looking after me and yes sometimes you mess up and pay the price. Another month or so and I’ll be on Zwift again 

[Grapgat37]

On 1/24/2022 at 9:13 AM, nox1111 said:

If I deduce correctly - @Grapgat37 you went down close to the two jumps at the end of the whoop section? Moerdyk, the speed you carry at the end there... that crash must have happened incredibly quickly!

I'm glad you are OK - even if only sort-of. At that pace it could have been worse.

Are you the gent that's been nabbing the 'local legend' status' on Helderberg over the last few weeks? Someone mentioned your name in a conversation, and i thought I'd spotted it before.

 

I was around the corner from Let’s flow already on my way to Highway 61. The speed you seen at the end I think was more from let’s flow as you have to slow down for that sharp right hander. As I said it was a pedal strike at exactly the wrong time. 

[Grapgat37]

On 1/24/2022 at 12:19 PM, PhilipV said:

Etter. Glad you are back home safely. I've also had to be shipped off Helderberg with a broken wrist when I was a laaitie. Scaphoid.

 

Out of curiosity, Who got you off the mountain? And how did they do it? 

I've been involved in a Wilderness Search and Rescue combined with Metro ambulance service to get a guy with a broken femur out of Eden. 

I believe that we should all have the Wilderness Search and Rescue number on our phones. (021) 937-0300

Well that is for the Western Cape at least. 

 

 

 

In all honesty that was a bit of a mess. My buddies had to phone around to get someone. The eventuality phone HCW that got the guys to get to me. Sad thing is that all of us are Winelands members and no one answered that line