I had called Roy in the morning (reception is better! At the telephone co-op, they told me that they tuned up the antenna) to ask him to check again for the battery - and there he saw it and got it charging.
I dropped the crew off at AGS and they set to work on the various tasks while I attended to the paperwork.
I was so glad Bob came in with us. When I returned from my errands, I found him and Josh taking care of the New Boat's various fluid needs. Then when I returned from the search for stainless steel rings for the ends of the v-lines and groceries for the summer salmon salad, I found them hunkered over the ranger that wintered in the container van. Josh remarked that Bob is teaching him some of what he knows about getting things working. We were almost done and ready to go home.
I wandered off to begin to get ready for the next step when Jake found me and said Josh had been hurt! Oh no! We ran up the hill and found him lying in a puddle of gas in front of the ranger, still in the container van, holding his hand close to his chest, blood on his sweatshirt. The big trailer they use for moving the drift boats around was still blocking the door of the van. Guy on the beach gang moved the truck and trailer, I brought our truck in and we helped Josh into the cab and headed for the Camai Clinic.
He smelled like gas.
I got out first to be sure the clinic was open and came back for Josh. He was walking ahead and it was as if he was running down hill and his legs couldn't keep up. I couldn't get to him in time and down he went. It was terrible to watch him crumble in front of me. He said it was like the low blood pressure effect when you stand up too fast. I ran into the clinic - leaving Josh lying on the ground outside the clinic - to get help and they brought out a wheelchair. That little clinic is great - the people are personable, helpful, interactive, competent humans. Their focus is on healing. Josh has been a frequent customer (ahem) - and they have always started attending to the medical need before they roll out the financial process. I really appreciate their capacity, their ability, and their priorities. I don't know all that much about clinics in remote locations, but I think our little Camai clinic is hard to beat.
3 hours, multiple shots from two syringes of lidocaine, and 18 stitches later (he had a severe gash across the palm of his right hand, from the base of his little finger over to the space between his thumb and index finger), we returned to AGS to complete the process with the ranger. 
A five gallon gas can had been balanced on one of the fenders of the ranger. Josh tried back the ranger up slightly to make sure it would go, and in the process, the gas can tipped over. He stepped on the clutch to stop the machine and reached over to right the gas can. In doing so, he slightly released the clutch and the vehicle lurched backwards, pitching him forwards off the ranger. He tried to roll with the fall and his hand went to the backward-moving track which tried to pull it further inward and cutting it. Bob was there but could not reach the off switch. I'm so glad he was there. The ranger was still trying to move backwards and Bob knew to kill the engine by pulling off the wire to the coil. I don't know anyone else in the group that would have known what to do.
Josh will be out of commission for 10 days (meaning no gripping or extending with that hand or he could pop it open again). 10 days from now is July 3. The traditional peak of the season is July 4. Gulp. Josh's bright side comment is that this will force him to strengthen his left side, important for his dancing practice. Trina is coming in tomorrow, so she'll be able to cover for him in picking. David will be in on Saturday. I started the season thinking we were over-crewed. Maybe not.
When we returned to AGS after the stitches were completed and medications dispensed, Brad said he could still help us get the ranger up onto the flatbed. I believe that it is more dangerous for men than for women to drive the ranger without a seat (which the tote on the back precludes) because men have that higher center of gravity so they are more likely to pitch over when the ground under them moves than are women with a lower center of gravity.
So I drove it onto a pallet and Brad lifted the pallet up to the level of the flatbed and I drove it off the pallet onto the flatbed. We tied it down well and headed down the beach. It skidded around a little, but stayed put well enough. That's Bob there in front of the flatbed.
We'll have to reconfigure the crews for tomorrow - depending on whether Josh feels up to joining us in the skiffs for the running set.
1 comment:
That's a crazy story and a wild stitch job. Praise God it wasn't worse. Although, it looks bad.
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