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I am a ski instructor currently in Colorado and have worked all over the rockies. I have had many of my clients injure themselves severely while up on a high snow topped mountain. The only gloves that I carry in my first aid kit are made from neoprene.
I am a ski instructor currently in Colorado and have worked all over the rockies. I have had many of my clients injure themselves severely while up on a high snow topped mountain. The only gloves that I carry in my first aid kit are made from neoprene...
When I first started giving lessons in 1998 I had already been instructed on how to handle most injuries. Anything from the neck down that was broken or fractured on someone I was training was standard procedure.
First: Stabilize the victim and try to keep them calm, warm and try not to move them.
Second: Radio in for the EMS crew with the Snowmobile to come and get us.
Third: Check for bleeding of any kind. If the cut was major or minor it didn't matter. I have to stop the bleeding before the EMS crew gets to us.
Well my first winter giving a woman and her daughter instructions the unexpected happened. First the mom wrecked falling flat on her face in front of me and then her daughter wrecked some distance off. I went to help the mom first and her nose had been broken and blood was gushing everywhere. Her daughter could see the blood from fifty feet away and started screaming.
I immediately opened my fanny pack which contained my first aid supplies; the standard gauze, tape, latex gloves, and alcohol swabs etc.
I pulled off my gloves and tore open the single pack of latex gloves. They seemed a bit crusty, panicking I slid the first one over my right hand. It broke into 3 pieces like a popped balloon.
This isn't going to work I thought, so I grabbed as much gauze as I could and pressed it up against the mothers nose.
She let out such a loud scream I could hear the Echoes.
I radioed down to EMS who had already heard the wail of a scream. We were only on the bunny hill for Gods sake. They told me to have her sit up Indian cross leg and to pinch the top of her nose to limit the blood flow.
As I calmed the woman down, I heard screaming from behind me. It was her daughter!
I quickly got to my feet and skied over to her. My stomach dropped and I felt faint. This little girl no older than 8 years old had broken her hip bone. The site was so awful; her left leg had completely turned backwards so that her knee cap was on the wrong side.
I freaked out...Just then I could see the EMS snowmobile charging up the hill to get us. THANK GOD!!!
I waved them over to the little girl first. They immediately put her on a stretcher and zipped her down the hill.
It was what seemed like an hour before they returned to get the mother (was actually only 20 minutes). I had to hudlle next to her for warmth and let her bleed all over my hands.
I finally ended my horrific day inside of the EMS Shack at the bottom of the hill. The girl had been air lifted via helicopter to the local hospital and the mom was taken in a SUV by her husband to the same hospital.
I found out that day from one of the medics that was wearing a Dark Blue Latex looking glove. I asked him why my glove just snapped into pieces.
He said that the only Latex Glove that is reliable in the snow in made from neoprene not Latex.
He said ."It's a glove that Microflex makes called the Neo-Pro ER The synthetic polymer can withstand the hottest hot, the coldest cold, oil, gas, and of course blood."
I asked him for some of his and he gave me a handfull. I've had allot of incidents since then, but my gloves have always held up.
Good luck this Winter, and stay safe!
Chris Gomez,
Ski Instructor. |
