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Paramedic survives ordeal
Monday, 21 January 2008 - 3:19pm
Hildebrand, who has a weak leg due to polio, ended up face down on the snowy ground with his machine pinning his strong leg.
“He was stuck there for four days and three nights—almost 96 hours straight,” said Troy Linderman, director of Crowsnest Pass emergency medical services.
Hildebrand kept himself alive—albeit sick—by melting snow to drink and eating the rotting meat of the animals he had collected.
He faced constant harassment from coyotes and wolves, Linderman said, but was able to keep them away by constantly blowing a whistle he had with him.
Hildebrand made several attempts to get out from under the quad, including using an axe to pry it off, but he didn’t have enough leverage to move it off his leg.
“He had told some people where he was going, so people knew he was overdue,” Linderman said. “Several people looked for him, but they couldn’t find him.”
Last Wednesday, as Hildebrand was entering his fourth day of being trapped, he began to accept the fact he might not be found before the cold, malnourishment, or animals claimed him.
His saving grace came when two hikers from Pincher Creek found him.
After spending a night in the Crowsnest Pass hospital, he was transferred to Lethbridge, where he has undergone several operations to treat frostbite and injuries to his legs.
“It’s amazing that he’s alive. I can’t believe it,” Linderman said. “Ken’s as tough as nails.”
Despite hypothermia, frostbite, dehydration, and leg injuries, Hildebrand’s only concern after being rescued was not being able to make his next paramedic shift, Linderman said.
Hildebrand’s injuries aren’t described as life-threatening, but there is a chance the trapped leg might have to be amputated.
CROWSNEST PASS, Alta.—A paramedic used to saving the lives of others found himself having to eat rotten meat and fend off coyotes and wolves to ensure his own survival in rough Alberta bush country.
Ken Hildebrand was riding his all-terrain vehicle as he collected animal traps north of the Livingstone Gap, about 130 km southwest of Calgary, last weekend when the quad rolled after hitting a rock and trapped him underneath.
“He was stuck there for four days and three nights—almost 96 hours straight,” said Troy Linderman, director of Crowsnest Pass emergency medical services.
Hildebrand kept himself alive—albeit sick—by melting snow to drink and eating the rotting meat of the animals he had collected.
He faced constant harassment from coyotes and wolves, Linderman said, but was able to keep them away by constantly blowing a whistle he had with him.
Hildebrand made several attempts to get out from under the quad, including using an axe to pry it off, but he didn’t have enough leverage to move it off his leg.
“He had told some people where he was going, so people knew he was overdue,” Linderman said. “Several people looked for him, but they couldn’t find him.”
Last Wednesday, as Hildebrand was entering his fourth day of being trapped, he began to accept the fact he might not be found before the cold, malnourishment, or animals claimed him.
His saving grace came when two hikers from Pincher Creek found him.
After spending a night in the Crowsnest Pass hospital, he was transferred to Lethbridge, where he has undergone several operations to treat frostbite and injuries to his legs.
“It’s amazing that he’s alive. I can’t believe it,” Linderman said. “Ken’s as tough as nails.”
Despite hypothermia, frostbite, dehydration, and leg injuries, Hildebrand’s only concern after being rescued was not being able to make his next paramedic shift, Linderman said.
Hildebrand’s injuries aren’t described as life-threatening, but there is a chance the trapped leg might have to be amputated.
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Looks like he got a dose of his own medicine!
Imagine a trapper being pinned under his own vehicle and having to fend for himself while he was stuck. Sounds like his own bad karma coming back to bite him!
No one deserves that.
If the rules of karma are true - pack a heavy lunch when you head out today - perhaps your negative comments will come back to you.
To hear anyone survive something like this is truly amazing - I hope he makes a full recovery.