3 day baja trip

[Dirtdiver 2]

My son and I are leaving in the morning for a two night trip to be back in time for dinner on Xmas eve.

Tecate>Laguna Hanson>Ojos>goat trail>mikes (camp by the creek)> hard way to Meling ranch>out to the coast> North along the coast to Coyote cals (spend the night)> Urapan> Ojos> Tecate.

Our plan is to cross the border at 0830 tomorrow.

Steve

[TrophyHunter 15]

Have fun and post up when you get home. Look forward to the RR.

[Riggerdan 147]

Sounds like a good trip Steve

Have fun down there.

Happy & Merry everything

Lets a get a local ride in soon

[Dirtdiver 2]

Thanks guys. I have a bad ending to this trip.

We camped 10 miles short of Mike's on night one. Things were going great. The next morning my son was in front, went over a rise and had a collision with a guy coming the other way in his lane. They both (my son and the other guy) tried to dodge to my son's side of the road. For some reason the other guy was in a group of two riders leaving Mike's and riding abreast. My son went under the other rider and was ridden over. I have a swell of feelings to the other guy that run the full spectrum.

A long story short my son is in ICU back here in SD. He almost lost his leg.

I am glad it was not worse and I hope this will not be life changing for my 21 y/o son. We really enjoy our time riding together but this falls into the category of sh*t happens and it fell against us this time.

If nothing else please, please take moment to look at your riding style and re-affirm to yourself that remote trails are not a closed course.

Steve

[kkug 146]

Steve sorry to hear about this . As always if you need anything from SDAR post up here or in a different thread.

[Dirtdiver 2]

Steve sorry to hear about this . As always if you need anything from SDAR post up here or in a different thread.

Thanks Ken. I think I have got it under control, it did occur to me to ask for help while the situation developed in Baja. As it turned out I pretty quickly arranged for rides back to the border. The whole thing was just awful to see my son in so much pain.

[Goofy Footer 539]

I camped near you and your son at the 2011? adv noob rally. Wow - I wish him a very speedy and full recovery! I was just involved in a much less severe head on in Big Bear while riding on my side if the trail too. Things can escalate quickly. Please keep us posted on his status and if you need any assistance in collecting extra gear etc that might have been left down their while evacuating.

When the time is more appropriate, if I may ask, what steps did you take to get him back into a US hospital safely? I work in healthcare now and often think about how I'd get myself or another rider back to the US in an emergency down there. Anything you'd be willing to share on the public forum or in a pm would help me plan better and would be greatly appreciates. I know you have lots of experience riding down there.

I've been debating a PLB as I sometimes ride solo. I'm now strongly researching them. I have some medic gear I should carry more often. I'll start a separate thread about that.

I wish you and your son nothing but a speedy recovery and a healthy new year.

[Vacman 0]

Wow, terribly sorry to hear this. my life was changed when I was hit head on by another bike (on the street) who crossed over the double yellow coming too hot into a blind corner he couldn't see though. I now have radial nerve palsy in my left arm and everything I did as a left-handed person had to be relearned as a righty. That was 12 years ago and I am still recovering from it. I am not sure of the extent of his injuries, but if your son needs anything at all from some videos to watch to a sympathetic ear, just say the word.

When people wonder why I don't ride 10/10ths on the road or the dirt anymore, or get concerned when people ride stacked up like they're jockeying for the lead in super cross, I point to incidents like this. You just never know what's around that next blind corner. It's never my riding I worry about, it's the other guy.

Give your son our best, and hang in there Dad!

[Dirtdiver 2]

Thanks guys.

The accident happened two miles short of Mike's the other participants stayed with Dave while I went to mike's for some help. The mechanic there, David, had truck. We applied ice and David could take us to Valle Trinidad but not beyond. When we got to town I texted my friend in Murrieta who was willing to come down, but that would take some time. I went to the tire/emchanic shop at the far end of town and got the owner to drive us to Tecate for a fee. Everything moved pretty quickly. What I did not know was that my son's leg injury involved the crushing and clotting of the major artery to his left leg. So, we was getting limited blood flow to%2

[Dirtdiver 2]

[Dirtdiver 2]

We were getting limited blood flow to his leg but I didn't recognize it. It almost cost him his leg.

My wife got us at Tecate border and took us to the chula vista emergency room. We farted around for 2-3 hours while we went through the process. Eventually my wife (who is a nurse practitioner) insisted that she was worried about "compartment syndrome" and asked for the ER doctor. The ER doctor checked a few things and then jumped into fast action mode calling for a ambulance to take my son to the Trauma center at UCSD.

My wife has been huge in this ordeal.

The surgeon at the trauma center pointed towards the 14 hours (since the accident) and talked about amputation and prosthetics. As it turned out the major artery needed to be cut out and replaced but there was enough tributaries to provide blood flow, saving the leg. They also sliced his leg to allow the swollen tissue to expand and not choke off the blood flow to the lower leg. So, that is where we are at this point. He is headed for surgery #2 later today to see how things are and remove dead tissue. We are hoping that they know what they are doing and that things go well. Believe me, I have found religion in the last two days. haha

steve

[TrophyHunter 15]

Steve - I feel for ya. I watched my son fly like a helicopter off of a bike - rotating horizontally - for about 40 feet before he hit a tree. He hyperextended his knee and blew his shoulder out. Unconscious for a bit, too.

Glad your son's in good care now and things have calmed a bit. Great that your wife is on top of it.

Best wishes and fast healing.

[Vacman 0]

Wow that pic is insane. Glad he is doing so well so far. Quick thinking to get him to the border.

[paulmbowers 236]

If there is a good side to this- the artery (Femoral?) was not severed- my nightmare injury for me or any of my buddies. Difficult to stop the bleeding once it starts to flow and can be fatal.

Glad this was not worse and he's stabilized...

[Jcolombotos 0]

OMG Glad he's going to be ok !

Speady recovery !

[Dirtdiver 2]

Thanks everyone. I am not a big social part of the club but I keep an interest in the Baja section and every once in a while do the desert dash or the mystery ride of Ken's. But believe me when I was running through my options I had some thought of a call of support from SDAR!

Head on collisions are always my fear in baja since people are so few and everyone enjoys a fast ride. I know that the first rider is most at risk and I wished I would have taken the lead.

Steve

[Dirtdiver 2]

An interesting side note.

I was trying to walk my son across the border and having a tough time. The mexican driver had dropped us at the OXXO near the border crossing. I locked the bikes together and supported my son to the pedestrian entrance. He could hop along if I supported his weight. We had our valuables in two big backpacks. The Mexican side border guard tried to stop us and call for an ambulance. He told me if I kept trying to leave the country with an injured person I would be arrested. He wanted to get an ambulance to take my son to a Mexican hospital and then arrange things from there. I was saying to myself, "F - you, we have come 200 miles in 7 hours there is nothing stopping me from getting through that gate!". So we hopped our way to the US which was a long, long way with such a load and injury.

----------

The medical people here at UCSD consistently tell me of trouble in Mexican hospitals. Either infections or bungled procedures or ransom to get your patient released to the US. This may be overblown like a lot of Mexican rumors but that is what they are telling me.

They convinced me that I a glad I made a good effort to get back to the US vs trying to get local treatment down there.

[kkug 146]

Steve that picture will always remind me to try to think to ride carefully.

[kkug 146]

P.M. sent

[mtnmanseth 0]

So we hopped our way to the US which was a long, long way with such a load and injury.

They convinced me that I a glad I made a good effort to get back to the US vs trying to get local treatment down there.

I'm confused; didn't the Mexican border guys stop you from "hopping" into the US via pedestrian entrance? So then how did you get through? What do you mean by "...a long, long way with such a load and injury"? More details, if you get a moment, please.

Following this thread with great interest (for the same reason as everyone else who has been/will be in Baja)... but, mainly, SO VERY THANKFUL that you were able to get your son back to US medical care, nice work Dad!

[Bagstr 287]

Steve , Our hearts are with you and your family.

I hope this is not too off base, and it is addressed to everyone. What is the consensus about the that Medical Evacuation Insurance that was available a few years back? Is that still available The lady running it made a presentation to the Red Hot Rider club three or four years back. She had agreements with local army/ police etc, for speedy transport from Baja. It was like $50 or there abouts.

Dave

[Dirtdiver 2]

So we hopped our way to the US which was a long, long way with such a load and injury.

They convinced me that I a glad I made a good effort to get back to the US vs trying to get local treatment down there.

I'm confused; didn't the Mexican border guys stop you from "hopping" into the US via pedestrian entrance? So then how did you get through? What do you mean by "...a long, long way with such a load and injury"? More details, if you get a moment, please.

Following this thread with great interest (for the same reason as everyone else who has been/will be in Baja)... but, mainly, SO VERY THANKFUL that you were able to get your son back to US medical care, nice work Dad!

The border guy, tried to stop us and threatened to arrest me. I pushed by him as he jabbered into his radio. He kept threatening - I just kept going. Another patron got on the other side of my son and helped us move forward. The pedestrian entrance at Tecate looks like it would be close but is about 100-200 yds long by the time you get through the turns and turnstiles. With my son's bad leg, me trying to carry him, him in pain, our 20 pound back packs - it was hard. There was no way for me to shout ahead for help from the US side because there was a one way turnstile at the very end which would keep me from going back. When we got up to the counter I laid my son on the floor and presented our documents.

As we were driving north and I was trying to figure out the best course of action I decided to walk across the border because (1) I did not know that my son's leg was time critical. I figured it was broken but an hour here or there would not matter. I was wrong. (2) my wife can't lift the trailer onto the truck and I wanted my bikes on the US side. She could not bring the truck and trailer south. (3) I did not know how long the border wait was and did not know the criteria for the medical line. My son's leg was swollen but did not look that bad. I did not want to get in a 3 hour border wait. (4) I had no idea that the walk to the CBP was so long.

[Dirtdiver 2]

In hind site.

- I would have left my bikes at mike's for later pick up. It would have saved me an hour and I think they would have ben safe at Mike's.

- I would have kept the ride's I arranged from the various Mexican guys. That worked pretty well and did not cost me much time.

- I would have walked across the border like I did. It was hard but as quick as anything else I could think of.

- I would have called 911 at the border vs having my wife to pick us up.

- I would have gone to a trauma center vs an ER.

With internal injuries it is hard to know the extent of the injuries and the right level of response.

[Dirtdiver 2]

Steve , Our hearts are with you and your family.

I hope this is not too off base, and it is addressed to everyone. What is the consensus about the that Medical Evacuation Insurance that was available a few years back? Is that still available The lady running it made a presentation to the Red Hot Rider club three or four years back. She had agreements with local army/ police etc, for speedy transport from Baja. It was like $50 or there abouts.

Dave

Thanks Dave. Pre arranged air evacuation would be a huge risk mitigator. Imagine a spinal injury where time is everything??

[DesmoStucky 0]

Sorry to hear about this Steve. Rest up.