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John M
climber
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how about buying a cheap van, and a hospital bed on craigslist. That way you can sell the van and the bed once you are in maine. You can get a cheap hospital bed on craigslist for about 300 dollars used.
your up front costs might be 2 or 3 thousand, but you could recoup most of that when you sell everything.
I think this would work.
http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/cto/4810476950.html
You would have to make sure a bed would fit. Most hospital beds have a standard size of 84 inches in length, from what I could find on the internet. You could cut the lgts off if they are too tall.
this bed has 9 volt electric motor with battery back up. So you wouldn't have to figure out how to run it in the van. Just need battery charger.
http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/for/4771609820.html
Edit: this is just a suggestion. I don't know if a bed would fit.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Damn, that's terrible. All the best, eat well heal fast and be with friends.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, all... hopes and prayers, that something works out...
thanks for sharing and getting this info out...
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emac
climber
New Hampshire
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Great suggestion John M! Lots of cogs spinning, and all suggestions are good ones to toss into the mix.
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Wen
Trad climber
Bend, OR
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Has anyone called Angel Flight? I don't know if they take patients in critical condition, but would be worth a phone call, the organization is amazing for people with ongoing medical conditions that need to get to treatment. Here's their link:
http://www.angelflighteast.org/
Good luck getting back so you can start the next phase of healing, Jim.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Looks like funding is coming along nicely. How much does it cost to charter a Twin Otter these days? Will he need a medical staff and kit? Unless the charter has some type of insurance issue with medical patients I would think hiring a paramedic and chartering a flight might be a lot less than the $18000 mentioned above.
I would look into that.
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WBraun
climber
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Angel Flight East
Passengers are required to be medically stable and ambulatory
(able to walk and get in and out of the aircraft with little or no assistance).
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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And looking through my slides I found this photo of Cathy (with Jim background left), at Rifle in 1996. She's been working her heart out this week to keep everything together.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, cathy... hang in there, we are all rooting for you and praying , and or well wishing and hoping and so much more...
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emac
climber
New Hampshire
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^^^We have contacted Angel Flight NE and I am waiting to hear back from Patient Airlift Services... As well as reaching out to some private charter services. The challenge I am running into with several charter services is that their insurance (of those I have been in contact with) requires the individual to be self-mobile. We have folks willing to fly Jim home, but he needs something larger than a Cessna Skylane, for example. Something that can fit a hospital bed, or equivalent. Anyone have a Cargo Master??? I also have someone willing to drive him just short of New England in his air ride equipped rig, but he's not licensed to travel in the northeast. Thanks!
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Wen
Trad climber
Bend, OR
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Angel Flight folks have big hearts, I'm hoping if you can talk to them that a pilot will step up. My husband has flown several patients here on the west coast, some minimally ambulatory (though never in a full bed).
Fingers crossed someone will help out....
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Starman
Trad climber
Sterling, MA
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Hey folks,
Gotta say, the climbing community IMHO is pretty awesome. The GoFundMe account that was set up for Jim (see emac and Chiloe's posts above) reported that over $20K has been pledged as of today (just over 3 days??)
He's gonna get home as was hoped.
That, my friends, is the Real Deal :)
I'll add my thanks too...
Steve
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Gotta say, the climbing community IMHO is pretty awesome. The GoFundMe account that was set up for Jim (see emac and Chiloe's posts above) reported that over $20K has been pledged as of today (just over 3 days??)
I think everyone is happily amazed the "Get Jim Ewing back to Maine" GoFundMe got such a warm response. This will really make a difference.
But for now still in Ft Lauderdale, Jim went through another round of surgery today, this one for his wrist. Ankle surgery still ahead, they're slowly putting him back together again.
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emac
climber
New Hampshire
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THANK YOU everyone who donated to the www.gofundme.com/jimewing fund that was setup. Totally blown away by the outpouring of support, and I know that Jim and Cathy are too!
This morning it sounded like Jim might be able to make the journey home at the end of this week after his next to last surgery this past Monday, but it sounds like he will need to be in FL at least another week. This is crap news. But, Jim is a fighter, and managed to fit in a chair for the first time since the accident yesterday. It's crazy the difference a shave and sitting up can make!
We are all excited for him to get home and be among his family. Thank you again for everyone who contributed already. If you're considering donating still please do... There is still a long road ahead!
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couchmaster
climber
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$21,521 of 20k needed raised on the gofund site!? That's awesome: must be good living and treating folks right Jim:-). Congrats and heal up fast.
Jim.. might be too early to query this" did you just get dropped? Not equipment malfunction or some other mechanical issue?
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emac
climber
New Hampshire
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Long road ahead, both physically and financially. Looks like they had to drop $26,000 on a credit card to get him out of the caymans and back to FL... excluding all of the surgeries in FL. $20k seems like a drop in the bucket now...
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slabbo
Trad climber
colo south
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Still $$$ needed for sure. Damn my med flight was 33K and that was only 150 miles..even a good insurance may only pay 25% a med flight
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Jan 16, 2015 - 09:25am PT
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Our guy is flying home today, wintry New England conditions set to greet him. Memories of warmer days, this is Jim making the first free ascent of Last Laugh (5.12c) at Crag Y in 1988:
Everyone, Jim most of all, of course wants to know just what happened. The best published account I've seen so far is in Climbing, excerpt below.
Compounding the tragic circumstances: Ewing’s 13-year-old daughter, Maxine, was belaying him when the accident happened. Ewing said his daughter “has belayed me for years with no problems, mostly using Grigris.”
Before climbing, Ewing built a ground anchor to compensate for the fact that he outweighed his daughter by nearly 70 pounds. The anchor consisted of slings wrapped under a boulder and clipped together with a quickdraw, which was then clipped to the bottom of her harness belay loop. The Grigri 2 belay device was attached normally to the belay loop with a locking carabiner. The Grigri, inspected after the accident, was set up and threaded correctly. Ewing was leading on a 9.5mm rope, well within the Grigri 2’s specs.
“She knows very well about keeping her hand on the brake side of the rope, and not to grab the rope with the left hand,” Ewing said. During the fall, Maxine suffered rope burns on her brake hand (right hand), presumably as she tried to arrest the rope while her father fell. She had no burns on her left hand.
One witness speculated that the belayer's anchor carabiner or quickdraw might somehow have interfered with the Grigri and prevented it from locking as designed.
“We’re all confused as to what happened, and when I get back on my feet I will try to run some simulations to try to figure it out,” Ewing said. “Small-diameter ropes have a tendency not to lock instantly with the Grigri 2 every time. It’s something you have to watch and make sure the brake hand is maintained at all times.”
Ewing’s other advice to climbers in the aftermath of his accident is to always carry travel insurance with a medical evacuation provision when climbing in another country. “Air ambulances are insanely expensive,” he said.
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