Advocacy & Safety - Cyclist died on charity ride in England

Just read this sad news from The Guardians site today, Dec. 1st, 07. He was at the end of his charity ride from Richmond to Oxford, when he got a problem and the ambulance was in late.
We all love cycling, but we really need to respect our own limit.

The article says, "Patrick Royle, 31, from Raynes Park, south-west London, suffered heatstroke and heart failure in the 37-mile ride. Bids to resuscitate him failed and an ambulance arrived 55 minutes later.... Father-in-law David Inman told the inquest that Mr Royle was perfectly healthy and fit, and had carried out a five-hour walk in the Swiss Alps two weeks earlier."


So he was in shape, but had a heatstroke. It happened in July, according to the article.

For all those who keep saying they give 110%... That's 100%!

"ambulance arrived 55 minutes later"!!!!

What's up with that! Where I live, I don't think anyone ever had to wait that long (at least in recent years)! I spent 36 years on the Fire Department, which, in my community runs the EMS service. Our standard was that we had to be en-route within two minutes of notification - and for many of those years that was with volunteer EMS workers!

Oh, yeah.....this was in England! Don't they have socialized health care over there?

"ambulance arrived 55 minutes later"!!!!

What's up with that! Where I live, I don't think anyone ever had to wait that long (at least in recent years)! I spent 36 years on the Fire Department, which, in my community runs the EMS service. Our standard was that we had to be en-route within two minutes of notification - and for many of those years that was with volunteer EMS workers!

Oh, yeah.....this was in England! Don't they have socialized health care over there?




It was a error due to the cyclist being given the wrong priority by the emergency dispatcher. I think it could happen anywhere.

It was a error due to the cyclist being given the wrong priority by the emergency dispatcher. I think it could happen anywhere.

Ah, yes. Happens too often.

The dispatchers, after all, are not omniscient. They are usually sitting in a windowless basement somewhere, and are connected to the real world by their telephone and their two-way radio.

From googling and scanning some of the news articles.

1. At least 1 of them reports it as 58 miles, not 37 and he was on a mountian bike.

2. One had a picture. He loooked stocky and fit. Not fat, stocky, but that is significant if things are really hot, he could have had trouble throwing off heat.

3. It looks like he left his bike and wandered off the route and that things were called in by a non-ride bystander. Possibly the call made it sound like a drunk? (My thought, nothing direct in the articles, but disoriented, saying he is OK and then staggering into the bushes sure fits).

4. There were 12 (I think) ambulances 'on duty' but 11 were already responding to emergency calls and number 12 was on dinner break.

5. The really sad aspect, the ride had 3 ambulances on the route, the closest 2 miles away. It looks like no one realized he was on the ride and alerted the ride organizers.