2004 Adventure Racing World Championship, hosted by Raid the North Extreme
The SleepMonster claims its first victim at the AR World Championship
Susan McKenzie / 03.08.2004
Cycling downhill on a highway at about 50 kilometres an hour, Tim Pearson of New Zealand\'s Bridgedale (NOT Sierra International as earlier reported) fell asleep and crashed off the road and down into the brush. The accident happened around 10pm, just after the team left CP7 on their bikes.
“I woke up when I felt the trees brushing me,� he said as he lay beside the road, protected by teammates Sally Fahey, Murray Thomas and Quenton Johnson.
Once they had rescued him and his gear, his teammates immobilized him, wrapped him in jackets, covered his face with a bug hat to keep the mosquitoes from biting and checked his pupils at regular intervals. The only pain he felt was in his neck, which he said felt “warm.�
Even in pain, he wanted to know how his gear survived the crash.
\"Check my bike, will ya?\" he asked.
\"It\'s fine, just some leaves in the spokes,\" said Johnson as he checked out the damage with an LED headlamp. \"It\'s in really good shape, actually.\"
As they waited for the medic to arrive, Pearson’s teammates kept up a constant chatter to keep his mind alert, telling stories and anecdotes about the race.
“Oh yeah, last night on the paddle, I thought I heard a whale,� recounts Johnson. “I kept hearing this ‘aaauuuunnnnnn’ sound and I wondered what kind of whale it was. It wasn’t a whale. These guys knew it was a foghorn, but they thought it would be funnier not to tell me.�
“We couldn’t figure out at first what he was on about. Sally thought it was a whale, too,� says Thomas.
Once the medic arrived, it was clear that Pearson would not really be able to continue.
A thorough examination of Pearson’s body showed that his chest, arms and legs were okay, but it was his neck pain that had the medic worried.
“It looks like it could be what we used to call whiplash,� Trevor told Pearson. “But the pain you’re feeling in your neck could mean something more serious. The safest place for you right now is the hospital.�
This morning at the hospital, Pearson’s memory of the event is a bit clearer.
“I just remember the feeling of my whole body going over my neck,� he told fellow Kiwi and friend Geoff Hunt. “My pack ripped off and I went right over. I still feel shooting pain at the back of my skull.
“He’s a lucky bastard,� says Hunt. “Still, going downhill at 50 kilometres – you shouldn’t have a hard time staying awake there.
Pearson was released from the hospital this afternoon. His teammates have continued on the course as an unranked trio. The team’s hope of a top ten finish may be dashed, but at least they will have the chance to try again next year.
SleepMonsters
