"You hang glider pilots owe me big time for what you did to me," says the helpless falling human.
Paraglider Mathew McHugh sues for $2 million after losing a leg at Mona Vale rock face SARAH CRAWFORD THE DAILY TELEGRAPH JULY 15, 2015
A NOVICE paraglider who lost his leg when he slammed into cliffs at a popular launch site is suing a northern beaches council and the sport’s governing body for more than $2 million, saying they failed to warn him the site was dangerous. Former Nova 96.9 weekend breakfast presenter Mathew McHugh, 33, had his left leg amputated below the knee after he hit a rock face at “free-fall” speed while paragliding at Cook Terrace, Mona Vale Headland last year.
Mr McHugh was not insured, had only 30 hours’ flying experience and had never flown at Cook Terrace when he crashed into the rock face. He fractured his spine in four places, shattered his pelvis, broke his right ankle and foot, and waited two hours for a rescue team to untangle him from a tree branch. He lost so much blood doctors thought he would die. “I still remember feeling my bones crunch,” he said.
Mr McHugh claims the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia website should have classed the headland as a site for intermediate and advanced paragliders and warned that novices should not try to fly there. He also claimed Pittwater Council should have placed a sign at the site warning of past paragliding accidents. Insurers for the council and the federation both plan to strongly defend the claim.
The HGFA has hit back by launching its own investigation, claiming Mr McHugh was flying “illegally” because he was not being supervised by a senior safety officer or a duty pilot. Mr McHugh disputes this, claiming there was a licensed pilot at Cook Terrace that afternoon but he said he was not being directly supervised.
His lawyer John Kambas said they were not denying paragliding was “dangerous”.
“What we are saying is that if he had a warning sign, if the website said this is an intermediate site — not a novice site — he would not have gone,” Mr Kambas said.
Mr McHugh has put a brave face on his recovery, even creating a Facebook Page called Sydney’s Happiest Amputee, which shows pictures of him with a party hat on his stump and a letter box stuck to his hospital bed. But Mr Kambas said that in reality the crash had been devastating.
“Although he seems to be a happy-go-lucky person, he is suffering from anxiety and depression,” Mr Kambas said.
The money would go towards Mr McHugh’s care costs, future prosthetics, his loss of future earnings (he is now on the Disability Support Pension) and general damages.
Young Amputee needing funding for prosthetic future Fundraising campaign by Mathew McHugh
Survival Against All Odds. "It was at this moment I realised that this would be more than a rescue, but a race against time. I was running out of blood".
On April 2nd I suffered a huge paragliding accident that left me hanging for dear life and making it out alive was a close call. Some say that someone less strong would not have made it. Medical teams were saying the loss of blood should not have let anyone make it. And here I am, happy to be alive.
Happy because I won't let a stump stump me! I'm happy to be alive with no other serious long-term damage and will be able bodied to walk again in months with prosthesis.
If you are sensitive to reading about blood, I'm very understanding of this piece of advice I heard from a personal trainer once. Toughen the hell up!!!
On April 2nd 2014 I was paragliding at the headland between Monavale beach and Warriewood in Sydney Australia when I had a sudden glider failure that through me at speeds edging close to free fall into the cliff. What made a much higher velocity accident was that just before impact, the glider tried to correct itself and I sling shotted into the cliff at speeds estimated to be well over 100 kilometres per hour. I had shoes on at the time of flight. They were instantly disintegrated and fell on impact.
Upon the realisation I wasn't going to fall from the cliff into the ground with shrubs holding the canopy, I quickly realised it was going to be a long haul with injuries to what I thought at the time were broken feet and I'd be all good after. Then I looked down to find first responders and/or anyone that could help and I saw my feet. The left foot was the worst with blood pouring out like a beheading from Game of Thrones, in between heart pumps an artery dangling with the sandstone cliff and trees below as a backdrop with a new artwork being created from my situation on the rocks below. It was at this moment I realised that this would be more than a rescue, but a race against time. I was running out of blood.
It was a very emotional moment knowing that what I was seeing would more than likely be the last things I would ever see, but I wouldn't let it get the better of me. So I tilted my head back and looked out to the sea and tried to relax. As a person that loved the water it helped somewhat, but the constant pain reminded me of my plight while I started passing in and out of consciousness.
I soon heard the drone of a distant helicopter marching its way across from somewhere south and I thought that would be my rescue and it shan't be long. The helicopter got closer and closer and then hovered nearby my rescue sight. And it did just that, hovered, and hovered, and hovered. I was crying out to the first responders on the ground asking what was happening. They told me that they had to rescue me a different way, don't worry it'll be ok. I found out later there were technical reasons for this. I shouted out that I was going to die. They tried to convince me that I wasn't and I thought to myself that they are trained to say that even if you are for the chance you'll hang in there longer. I knew it was inevitable without their fast assistance getting me into medical hands that my families last look at me would be in a coffin.
It took more than 2 hours to be lowered from that cliff face and what I went through in that time was both excruciating and unreal. I couldn't believe this was me, on the edge of death doing something I loved. And during these moments there was only one thing I could think about. Love - My family and friends. How much I'd miss them, how much life we would miss out on. Then I quickly pushed those thoughts aside as I didn't want to think of missing anyone. But to see them again. This gave me strength on all levels of my being and I refused to die. I even turned down an offer to enter heaven!
Once I was finally carefully lowered down from the cliff from the rescue and paramedic abseilers, I was met with the rest of the paramedic team and specialist field Doctors from the chopper waiting on the sand. At this moment I shouted out "give me something, give me something real good and real fast (gasp) - I need to be out of pain. He told me "don't worry, I've got something special for you shortly". After much talking about what to give me (which took what felt like hours) and the many questions I was asked that I could miraculously answer, they finally sedated me with an injection and the next memory was waking up in hospital two weeks later.
The ordeal didn't end ton the cliff that day as my family was told there was an almost certainty that I wouldn't make it when I arrived to emergency surgery. I lost close to 90 percent of my blood and the fact I'm alive to talk about it is an absolute medical marvel and miracle.
The transfusions were numerous, litres upon litres of donated blood pumped into me in a vein attempt to save me. Well vein in a true sense of the word as my veins were running on empty.
Then my family was prepped that if I survived, the blood loss would make it impossible for my brain function to return to full order and I would most likely suffer moderate to severe brain damage. Then they were hit with the bad news that as a result of my broken back and pelvis, there was a good chance I would be paraplegic for the rest of my life just to add to the list of possibilities including not waking up again. All of these didn't end up being a reality thankfully. as the doctors fought rigorously going above and beyond to save my life. My poor family have been through lots, but it's just wonderful they didn't have to say goodbye. A two-week wait isn't so bad on forced hindsight.
I'm so happy and thankful to the amazing staff at RNSH and Narrabeen fire and Rescue and all other persons involved in my rescue for saving my life. When I walk again, I'll be meeting everyone on foot and look forward to shaking their hands all the while shaking a little inside and I can't wait.
My ordeal will be in my memoir that I'm slowly writing. What I shared here was only the tip of the iceberg of what I went through on that casual turned casualty day. My injuries are what led me to become Sydney's most happiest amputee. The story begins now.
A positive outlook for the future and you can help!
I would certainly hope this law suit gets thrown out of court. If an organization was deemed to be responsible for identifying launch sites as dangerous they would have to put signage every place someone might find to launch a hang glider or especially a paraglider. Conditions can make even the most benign sites dangerous at times. Would someone launch at Dockweiler (most benign site I know of) as a squall-line rotor was moving through?
Is the title of this topic thread complete? Should not the "and USA" be added?
Open letter found on my screen wrote:USHPA, The USHPA is invited cordially to drop "P" and let "P" find its own way. When such is done, the USHA will be welcome to federate within HGFUSA. Please let us know. Thank you.
Take ten paces back; how much of one's hang gliding time and attention is being crowded by PG? "Focus" is a term that comes to mind. What interesting HG issues receive PG energy?
WHGA face today wrote:World Hang Gliding Association Focused on Hang Gliding
(See other orgs for parachuting, skydiving, PDMC paragliding, power kiting (water, ice, snow, land), wing suiting, B.A.S.E., powered vehicles, FLPHG, microlighting, hi-perf sailplaning)
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