Every now and then i read the news paper in New Zealand.....keep up with the home front. This was front page news today.
I guess Nicholas was a bit home sick, and after coming out of the pub at 7:30 in the morning thought; "hey... thats an American tree....lets climb it /forum/images/graemlins/drinking.gif
seemed to be a good idea at the time!
Tourist critically ill after tree fall
By Sophie Hazelhurst and NZPA
Queenstown: An American tourist is in a critical condition after suffering a serious head injury yesterday when he fell 20m from a tree in Queenstown.
Nicholas Mellor Robbins (33), from Massachusetts, was returning from a night out with a friend when the pair decided to climb a 43m Redwood tree at the top of Stanley St, about 7.30am.
He had climbed to the top of the tree, and was making his way down again when a branch broke underneath him, and he fell about 20m on to his head, police said.
Within minutes of the fall, Australian doctor Alistair Norton and his partner, nurse Vanessa Charter, of Adelaide, drove past on their way to Christchurch.
Dr Norton, an anaesthetist said when they saw the man lying on the road, the couple thought he had been hit by a car.
“There was a woman there who saw it happen and she was really shaken up. I told her I was a doctor and she said ‘Good’ and drove off,” he said.
Knowing Mr Robbins was in bad shape, Dr Norton said he flagged down a passing taxi because he did not know the New Zealand emergency number 111.
“Crazy, I know. In Australia, it’s 000.”
Dr Norton said Mr Robbins had to be ventilated fast and he performed the procedure in the gutter with the help of St John Ambulance paramedics.
Dr Norton, who has worked in emergency retrieval work for five years in the Australian Outback, said there was no question of not going with his patient.
He accompanied Mr Robbins to Lakes District Hospital at Frankton, then went with him in the rescue helicopter to Dunedin Hospital.
“We didn’t even have to wait for the chopper either. It was there and waiting for us; just incredible.”
The rescue helicopter pilot had driven past the accident scene on his way to work, saw the police officer holding up a bag of fluid and knew it was serious, Dr Norton said.
“So he turned round, went straight to the airport and got the chopper ready. A real coincidence; must be that small town sort of stuff.”
I guess Nicholas was a bit home sick, and after coming out of the pub at 7:30 in the morning thought; "hey... thats an American tree....lets climb it /forum/images/graemlins/drinking.gif
seemed to be a good idea at the time!
Tourist critically ill after tree fall
By Sophie Hazelhurst and NZPA
Queenstown: An American tourist is in a critical condition after suffering a serious head injury yesterday when he fell 20m from a tree in Queenstown.
Nicholas Mellor Robbins (33), from Massachusetts, was returning from a night out with a friend when the pair decided to climb a 43m Redwood tree at the top of Stanley St, about 7.30am.
He had climbed to the top of the tree, and was making his way down again when a branch broke underneath him, and he fell about 20m on to his head, police said.
Within minutes of the fall, Australian doctor Alistair Norton and his partner, nurse Vanessa Charter, of Adelaide, drove past on their way to Christchurch.
Dr Norton, an anaesthetist said when they saw the man lying on the road, the couple thought he had been hit by a car.
“There was a woman there who saw it happen and she was really shaken up. I told her I was a doctor and she said ‘Good’ and drove off,” he said.
Knowing Mr Robbins was in bad shape, Dr Norton said he flagged down a passing taxi because he did not know the New Zealand emergency number 111.
“Crazy, I know. In Australia, it’s 000.”
Dr Norton said Mr Robbins had to be ventilated fast and he performed the procedure in the gutter with the help of St John Ambulance paramedics.
Dr Norton, who has worked in emergency retrieval work for five years in the Australian Outback, said there was no question of not going with his patient.
He accompanied Mr Robbins to Lakes District Hospital at Frankton, then went with him in the rescue helicopter to Dunedin Hospital.
“We didn’t even have to wait for the chopper either. It was there and waiting for us; just incredible.”
The rescue helicopter pilot had driven past the accident scene on his way to work, saw the police officer holding up a bag of fluid and knew it was serious, Dr Norton said.
“So he turned round, went straight to the airport and got the chopper ready. A real coincidence; must be that small town sort of stuff.”
