Bud Branch

A few years ago, I broke my leg while mountain biking near Garcia Park.  My biking partner went for help (downhill), while I waited.  And waited.

After a while, I was right happy to hear a couple of ATVs coming down the trail – it was two brothers, who helped make me comfortable and warm – one stayed with me while the other rode UP to trail to cell coverage, and activated EMS.  I was eventually evacuated to SF, and never knew much about my rescuers, until yesterday!  Tim Hasson and I were gigging at Sol Food in Seco:

During a break, a diner introduced himself and asked “Did you break your leg up in Garcia Park?”.  It was Bill Bansberg – one of the brothers!!

He said they had always wondered how things turned out – it was great to close the loop with them!

Here is my original post from 5 years ago:

Dear blog followers –
A friend offered a friendly ride on a borrowed mtn bike last week – the brakes failed on downhill, I bailed off and tumbled, and cleanly broke my right femur. It didn’t penetrate the skin, nor (most importantly) cut my femeral artery. Pure luck.

2:25PM We were by ourselves, out of cell coverage, 14 miles from the bottom. My bike partner bundled me up and headed downhill for help. 10 minutes later, two brothers on ATVs came down from above. One gave me his coat and stayed with me, the other went back uphill to find cell coverage and activate EMS. 3:10 The other brother returned, reporting that EMS was on the way. It took a couple more hours to get me IV-d, medicated, and transported two miles down the trail, where a medivac chopper could land in a meadow and fly me out.

I was in the ER in Santa Fe by 6:00PM – they did surgery ASAP: aligned the bones, drilled out the core, and installed an internal continuous rod, screwed everything together and stapled me up! I was in my room by 3AM.

Four days in hospital (St Vincent Med Center), now five days at home, healing nicely. Thanks for your interest – here are a few pics:

Selfie, 2 minutes in…

Clean femur break

Evacuation helicopter

Helicopter nurse

ER angel

Immediately post surgery

All repaired!

Julie showing us how to use a walker

Three days post surgery