ATV Florida Forum

Chopper responds to ATV crash in the Big Cypress

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/feb/27/chopper-responds-atv-crash-everglades/

Chopper responds to ATV crash in Everglades
By RYAN MILLS (Contact)
7:50 p.m., Friday, February 27, 2009


     NAPLES — An evening of off-roading in the Everglades turned scary Thursday night when a rider crashed his all-terrain vehicle after dark, lost consciousness, and then had to wait for a Collier County Sheriff’s Office helicopter to locate him.

A group of eight ATV riders was riding in the Big Cypress National Preserve when one of them crashed around 8:15 p.m.

“He was doing about 30 mph when he fell off his ATV,” said Ed Henderson, a pilot with the Sheriff’s Office’s Aviation Unit who responded to the scene.

The rider’s friends called the Sheriff’s Office, and dispatch supervisor Daniel Ott relayed GPS coordinates from the caller’s cell phone to Henderson and pilot Sean Arthur who were aboard the agency’s helicopter. Intake operators Jude Sannicandro and Aprile Lack, and dispatcher John Schnell assisted Ott.

Henderson said they initially thought the group was about 20 miles north of U.S. 41 East, but it turned out it was only about 10 miles.

“We were already flying anyway,” Henderson said. “We were out on a patrol in the south blocks on a different call. It would have taken a deputy getting on a four-wheeler and riding in there 10 miles.”

“As far as time was concerned it was much, much faster for us to run out there and take care of it,” Henderson said.

The pilots landed the helicopter in a clearing, and then checked on the rider, the Sheriff’s Office reported. It turned out, he had the wind knocked out of him after flipping the ATV. He refused medical treatment. The Sheriff’s Office did not record the injured man’s name because he was not transported to the hospital.

Lt. Mark Cherney of the Aviation Unit said normally a medical helicopter would not have been dispatched to the call.

“But because we were in the general area, dispatch sent us to find the location,” he said. “We assessed the patient.”

We were at camp last night and heard/saw the chopper. It was south and west of us.

Stupidity strikes yet again. The speed limit is 15mph in the Big Cypress. Here's another news story that will be used against us to close the Big Cypress to ATV use. No group is worse at policing ourselves than ATV riders. We're our own worst enemy.

I agree. However, that pilot's remarks are irresponsible. “He was doing about 30 mph when he fell off his ATV,” said Ed Henderson, a pilot with the Sheriff’s Office’s Aviation Unit who responded to the scene. How does he know that?

Mhmmm

I know...I know.....

I wasn't going to go. Everyone backed out and I was feeling really sick on Friday anyway. Then, my brother said he really wanted to go. So, late Friday night, he loaded up the bikes and bought groceries. He picked me up at my house at 5:00 am Saturday and I slept all the way to Monroe Station. Woke up, rode to camp and mowed the yard, etc. Spent Saturday night and rode back to the truck at 8 Sunday morning. Didn't do any riding. Just to the camp and back out.

Paid for it today too. I am beat.

I will make sure you get the invite for the next full weekend. We've got a long trip planned from the Jet Port all the way to Turner River and then back to my camp. About 110 miles total over three days. Should be fun. Loking at mid April. I will keep you in the loop.