Global Rescue assists teen skier with broken leg in Chile

Last month, Global Rescue was contacted by a 15-year-old skier who was racing in the mountains of Valle Nevado, Chile, after she had fallen and fractured her leg. She was taken to a hospital in Santiago by ambulance, where x-rays confirmed she had a clean fracture of her tibia and fibula. Doctors recomended immediate surgery and the member elected to have the procedure done there, which included the placement of a rod in her leg.

Global Rescue immediately dispatched personnel to the hospital in Santiago – which was one of the best facilities in the area, and one that had admitted a number of Global Rescue’s skiing members before — to oversee her care and coordinate her transport home. Global Rescue succeeded in moving up her discharge by a few days and clearing her to fly so she could more quickly rejoin her parents in upstate New York, who were kept regularly updated with their child’s progress.

Global Rescue’s medics arranged for her baggage, skis, etc. to be sent to the airport, while the Boston Operations Center arranged for wheelchairs for each leg of the flight back home. She was escorted via ambulance to the airport, where two business class seats awaited her and Global Rescue’s paramedic for the flight to Dallas. She then continued on to upstate New York with the medic accompanying her until she was transferred to the care of her parents.

A follow-up call to her home ten days after surgery found the patient’s condition progressing nicely, and the father expressed his appreciation to the entire operations team.