Incident Report #25 2000

A 19 year-old-woman slipped and pitched forward sustaining head and neck injuries. Because of the potential seriousness of her injuries, she was airlifted to West Cumberland hospital. X-rays later showed only bruising. Some of our casualties are trussed like oven-ready-chickens, and end up having little wrong with them. This may seem like overkill, but is much safer than if we leave a serious injury unsupported. Spinal and neck injuries are often difficult to diagnose on the hill, but if not treated carefully, could lead to paralysis or even death. We often praise self-reliance, but in cases like this specialist equipment is essential.