Chris' Status
Chris is doing really well. He came home from the hospital two weeks ago and will be going back to school this week. He ended up with a couple of broken ribs, four pelvic fractures (not shattered which would have been horrific) and some burns. His body never actually touched the electrical lines but the electricity did arc and touch him on the way down to the guardrail....therefore the damage was much less than it could have been. He will have no lasting damage....a lucky boy. He will be back kiteboarding in a couple of months with more local instruction re: weather and local conditions. For what it is worth he launched north of the causeway because he saw several other kiters out in the water and also had helped someone teach a lesson there this summer. He will not make the same mistake again.....and he will tell others to avoid that spot. He keeps going over it and can't believe that he ignored the proximity of the powerlines...as someone else has said there is no margin for error. He tried to depower the kite and could not (gust was 45mph) and then the next thing he remembers is waking up in the ambulance. He never lost consciousness though......and is unsure why he never unhooked the kite. He is a strong athletic kid but it may still have been impossible or things happened too quickly....who knows. Also...we made him wait until he was 16, he had to earn the money and buy his own equipment and took several lessons including attending two summer camp programs up in Michigan this summer. He did nothing but fly the kites all summer to get used to the feeling....he is not reckless or we would not have supported him picking up the sport (and would certainly not be continuing to support him in his decision to get back on the water as soon as he can.....). Thank you to everyone who gave him their support. He will sign on under his own signature and be reading all of the info on the forum...lots of great safety tips.......Chris' mom
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10-22-2007, 04:02 AM
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