At about 2am I was woken up to some revelry by the guys two flats down; I was a little upset but I got over it.
At about 3am I was woken up again by a dude roaming around drunk and calling for his ex-girlfriend to let him into her flat. This oke was making a helluva racket. I was ready to throw things at him, when I noticed a CHUBB vehicle pull up, and the guard kind of kept an eye on the guy and escorted him away. "Hooray for CHUBB" Kat exclaimed from the bed.
At about 330am I was woken up AGAIN by hooting. I looked outside and CHUBB was hooting and calling for our neighbour. I asked him what the heck he was on about and he explained that the dude had just jumped off the BP garage forecourt. Not usually a big deal except that the forecourt is about two or three stories above the parking area below. He said the guy was in a bad way, bleeding etc. I then saw my neighbour responding so I went back to bed.
In a moment I realised I had to go check the dude out since I knew first aid. Either I could allow myself to go back to sleep or I could go and examine the carnage and see what little my level 2 training could offer, so eventually I decided that even though my skills don't include "a fall from a height of seven metres", I could at the very least aid the guy if he had trouble breathing etc.
Off I went, with a few reassuring smses to my neighbour who had no idea how serious it was, if it was an attempt to win her sympathetic attention and get her outside, or whatever.
I met up with CHUBB outside, who was examining our now-newly-smashed front door. We went across to the Village Market where I found the dude lying in a heap and covered with a blanket. His dad and mom were already there, and I realised he was conscious by his colourful murmured expletives and his screaming.
I hesitated long enough for my instincts to kick in and I froze. I suddenly didn't want to see his brains on the side of the road, or to see the protruding ribs from the other side of his lungs, or the eyeball lying in his ear cavity, or anything. I had my basic kit, but his parents didn't look like they wanted a fumbling first aider to interfere with what is a really significant moment in a parent's life - there's not much one can do as a parent when your child is lying there like that. Did he jump? Did he fall? Is he paralysed? All those thoughts went through my mind but I wasn't the one being called out for in desperate panic. I wasn't the one looking helplessly into my son's eyes and lying that I knew everything was going to be okay. I was just a bystander, but I hated myself for not trying to offer any help - but what the heck can I do?
At that moment the paramedics arrived and we helped to eventually secure his neck in a cervical collar and log roll him onto his back, and onto the stretcher. The one thing I did manage to do was remind the paramedics to check his legs for injuries, which revealed a suspected broken femur. I also noted internal bleeding or bruising on his lower back. We splinted his leg, hoisted him onto the stretcher, and they took him off to hospital.
I don't believe he had medical aid and the gravest injustice was the decision they had to make about whether to pay a R30,000.00 down payment for his scans at St. Augustine's or to take him to a public clinic. I was willing to offer aid financially but it wasn't my place nor my call to do so.
I got WesFlash on the line because he works with the father, and told him to pray. That's about all we could really do.
In the end, based on the examinations, the guy must have landed feet-first, fractured his femur, then landed on his side. Bruised his lower back, strained his spine / neck, and grazed his elbow. Other than that he seemed to survive the fall, apart from the sorry hangover he'll have added to his woes come this afternoon.
Crazy times, but at least I know to get further training because I was an absolutely useless first aider. I've already asked my work to upgrade me to level 3 as a result of what happened.
Sorry Wendy; welcome to the life of The (new) Johnstons at Romax Court!
