War Story...
Spring 2010
South Bay, Florida on the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail

A pretty spring day here in South Florida, I decide to take my Catrike Trail recumbent on a long ride along the south shore of Lake Okeechobee. I load up in the pickup, and then stoped at the pancake breakfast the volunteer firefighters are holding at the fire hall in Lakeport, on the way. After driving to Moore Haven, I get on the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, and ride along at an average pace to the town of Clewiston, and then continue on the path to South Bay. Near the trail access point at South Bay, I'm looking at the campground down below the 30 foot all dike where the path is found, and trying to decide if I can cycle there in a day from my house with the trike and then complete the 120 mile round trip the next day with a night of camping. While doing this, I didn't notice the vehicle gate I was approaching at 14 mph. I actually turned my head and saw the gate at a distance of about 10 feet, and didn't even have time to raise my hands to ward off the impact. Struck the gate with the point of my chin and then the side of my neck at speed, pushing me off the back of the trike and over the rear rack and rack bag, breaking the rack attachment to the back of the seat frame. I managed to extract my bleeding self and lay on the asphalt of the path, trying to catch my breath, when a nice woman passing by asked me, "Honey is there someone we can call?" I assured her I was going to be OK, tied the rack in place with my bandana, and headed back towards the truck, some 25 miles away. After the first three miles, I called the wife and had her drive to Clewiston and meet me with the car, to haul me back towards the truck and home. Just after I met her, the swelling in my neck began to shut off my airway, and I began to have trouble taking a breath. An ambulance was called, and arrived promptly to feed me oxygen and check my vitals. The decision was made to send me to a Trauma center in Ft. Myers, and a helicopter was called. Ambulance hauled me to the landing zone, and helo hauled me to the coast and the trauma center at Lee Memorial. After a couple hours, several xrays and a cat scan, it was decided that I was NOT going to die, and was given a steroid injection to reduce the swelling in my throat, and I was released. Slept sitting up for the next two nights, was discovered by my ENT that I had a large bruise on the inside of my throat from the impact, but no other real damage. Had I been riding a diamond frame, I would have flown over the gate, but the low seating arrangement of the Catrike allowed my feet and the crank to pass under the gate, and the impact to be placed on my chin (which took seven staples) and my throat.