In case we needed any reminder that this is a pretty harsh place, we all got a bit of a scare the other day. I was out working in a lab with my coworker Tim at about 4:30 in the morning. All of the sudden we hear this loud alarm go off. We look around because we're freaked out that it was something we did. Then this scary voice comes on and says "Attention. There is a medical emergency at DA. There is a medical emergency at DA." DA is one of the entranceways to the main station. We ran outside to see what we could see, but we were about a mile out, so we could only see some vehicles off in the distance. We figured we had better just go about our business.
We walked to another building where our coworker Sean, a grad student from Madison, was supposed to be finishing up some stuff. He wasn't there, and his work hadn't been done. We cursed him out under our breath and got started finishing the work. Slowly, as we talked about it, it began to dawn on us that the medical emergency could have been Sean. He was in that area of the station. He hadn't shown up where he was supposed to. And he didn't have a radio to let anyone know if there was a problem.
Eventually, someone called and let us know that it was indeed Sean. We hopped on a snowmobile and raced to the station to find out what had happened. He had been out riding a snowmobile, and he hit a deep rut in the ice. He lost control, and somehow his leg got caught and pulled up into the treads of the snowmobile. It was so far wedged in that he couldn't get it out. It was the middle of the night, and he didn't have a radio, so he just laid there in the snow for at least ten minutes, until someone happened upon him and called in the alarm.
Basically, Sean was incredibly lucky. He was hopped up on morphine when we got to see him, but he didn't break his leg, and he hadn't cut himself. If he had torn up his leg and spent ten minutes in the snow before anyone found him, he would have been in some serious trouble. Now he's just got a nasty bruise and is walking around on crutches, all the better for impressing the women when he gets back to New Zealand.
All's well that ends well, but it freaked us all out at least a little bit. We're so far away from anything here, that when something goes wrong, it has the potential to go really wrong. Under the best case scenario, it takes about 24 hours to get to a real hospital in New Zealand. A driller on my experiment was seriously injured a few years ago and it took them that long before they could operate on him in Christchurch. Everything ended up well with him too, and he's actually back down here this season working again. Some of these guys are truly crazy.
In the meantime, I'll say a prayer and knock on some wood just in case. Oh, and I'll be careful too.
I just found out that an article I wrote from down here is going to be in next week's issue of the Economist. It's called "Snow Place Like Home" and it's on the new station dedication. Check it out if you get the chance...
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2 comments:
Your a legend, famous in fact! I thought I'd keep you up to date with how things are going in the UK, well since you were sick in my lounge, if only it was through drinking too much, like most Brits do!!
We Chelsea are on the mend, finally since The God Jose left, climbing up the table to 3rd and only 4 points behind the leader, the scummy club from the North of England! I'm talking football here, that's soccer for all you Americans out there!! We've made a few good signingings in the transfer window! Anelka from Bolton for 15 million, he will bang the goals in for us! England have an Italian manager, Unf##king believable, we can't even produce a person capable of managing the National football side, that we've had to steal one of your fellow Countryman (who by the way is under investigation for tax dodging) All Italians are shady, just like you!! He is being paid about 5 million pounds a year, which with the exchange being so good for us is probably about 20 millions dollar right now, all Americans should move to uk earn a s##t load then go back rich! Although your probably become pale like most of the people here!!
Anyway, look after yourself and don't get frost bite, or at least not anywhere you might need something, the odd finger won't make to much difference!!
Love Wattsy
Long live the AC!
I'm surprised my mother didn't leave you any comments about being safe after this blog you left! You know how she is with that hole and all!
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