1 post tagged “4th of july”

July 4th I went to a roof top party for the fire works last night. I was really excited because it is always great to be on a roof and see 2-3 different fireworks going off during he night.

As the night progressed I started to see some of the partiers becoming more and more drunk. People started to take more risk by running around the roof and falling down. Each time one of them would go near and edge people would worry. Epically me.

When I worked in West Virgina as the Director of a raft companies Ropes Course. I saw (and held) a man as he died. He was a friend of one of the guides. A young man from Australia that traveled with this female guide. He was hanging out with some of the Kayak'ers that came to train for the next season of rodeos (kayaking that is).

The road we where based on was a small country road that saw traffic but only when we started in the morning and ended at night. It was late in the day and all our trip were over. We all were gathering in the lounge when we saw this young man get out of a Winnebago of the kayak'ers.

As he crossed the road a car hit him at 65 MPH. His body was bucked over the front and planted in the windshield. He was then launched and flipped seven time in the air. I still have nightmares of this.

I was one of four people to enter the scene. I took the head position and cradled this dying mans head in hands. He was gasping and his face was caved in. Bubbles were coming out of every opening. I don't know how long I was on the head. I do remember that someone (an EMT) replaced me. Then I walked around dumb founded and in shock.

I tell this story because last night the drunk ones where almost falling off the roof. I was so scared I would have to go through that again. I left before the big fireworks at the Diamond happened. I sat on my deck and watched it with a beer and all by myself.