Sad Loss

Stephan · Guest

I have a friend who I met at school who is originally from Sacramento. A few weeks ago I talked to him and one of his best friends was in the hospital after taking a gnarly crash doing a whirlybird. He was in a coma for a few weeks. Well I spoke with him today and he has to go back home for his friends funeral. This is the worst thing I've ever heard of. Remember life is precious and don't let a day go by without telling those you love how you feel. Don't live in fear, but I guarantee you he didn't expect wakeboarding to kill him. Peace, love, respect and unity to all.

cptnboom · Criminal Joined: 23 Sep 2003 Posts: 54 City: Fort Collins

Sux...sorry to hear that stephan

BillJ · Posted: Oct 31, 2003 4:19 pm Post subject:

Wow that is sad. I've heard of some bad concussions and broken bones but I couldn't imagine that someone could actually get killed wakeboarding.

cptnboom · Criminal Joined: 23 Sep 2003 Posts: 54 City: Fort Collins

Yeah...the way this sport has gone...I am not sure I have ever heard of anyone wakeboarding either!!

Ocean Rider · Wakeboarder.Commie Joined: 24 Jun 2003 Posts: 1597

thats sad man how did he do it? Crying or Very sad

BR_WB · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 2850

Maestro · Posted: Oct 31, 2003 6:05 pm Post subject:

That's horrible man! One of my friends I played hockey with last year got drunk/high/God knows what else and thought it would be fun to go rollerblading while being towed by a car. Apparently they got up to speeds of 80kmh - well I don't know if he hit something or if it was just too fast, but he fell and hit his head on the pavement pretty hard. He's been in a coma since then and they're not sure if he'll get out. Obviously in this scenario he had it coming, but it's still a horrible waste of human potential.

Lynsey · Posted: Oct 31, 2003 6:13 pm Post subject:

That's awful, my thoughts are with your friend and his friends family. I hope he was wearing a life vest.

Maestro · Posted: Oct 31, 2003 6:21 pm Post subject:

wesgardner · Posted: Oct 31, 2003 6:40 pm Post subject:

Hey Stephan,

I am very sorry to hear of the tragedy. These are wise words my friend - "Remember life is precious and don't let a day go by without telling those you love how you feel"

I am now 50 years old and believe me, I do exactly what you've suggested.

Sorry again for yours and your friends pain and suffering....

Wes

Stephan · Guest

What I was told, is that a few weeks earlier he had gotten a concussion trying whirly's. So on this day he did the same thing and landed pretty hard on the side of his head. He felt alright, a little dazed and got back on the boat. I guess when he got back on he had a seizure and stopped breathing. They got him breathing again on the way to the hospital, but he never woke up. I guess the concussion earlier contributed and his body just shut down one thing at a time. I didn't know him personally but anytime one of your own gets taken away it's the hardest thing ever....

lebaron · Soul Rider Joined: 20 May 2003 Posts: 490 City: Langley

Maestro, i know a kid who did the same thing on a skateboard, he finally came out of his coma and is learning how to do everything again.

liquidforce519 · Soul Rider Joined: 02 Oct 2003 Posts: 447

im sorry dude Sad

BIGMAC · Posted: Nov 01, 2003 9:24 am Post subject:

Regards to your friend!! Sad

How did it all happen? I know you said whirlybird but how?

drifter36 · Addict Joined: 25 Aug 2003 Posts: 679 City: Fargo

man, that is one of the worst things i have ever herd. i am truly sory, i know how it feels to lose someone. the last 2 years of school one of the pple i hang out with has been killed(one by cancer, and the other by a snowmobile accident) but if you wana look at it in a sort of positive light he did go what he loved doing.

Shawn Madison · Posted: Nov 01, 2003 1:31 pm Post subject:

My cousin was celebrating after her last week of Pharmacy school and went to the lake for some tubing. Well, her neck was snapped back somehow with an impact to the water. She went back the next day and it was really sore, but kept tubing. Then on a trip to the mall the next Monday-she sneezed and dislodged a bloodclot in her neck causing her to be paralyzed by a stroke. She endured several surgeries and had a slim chance of surviving, but now after therapy-she is a pharmacist with a slight impediment on her left side. She is a national spokewoman for stroke patients too! It just shows you never know!

wakeboarder rez · Posted: Nov 01, 2003 7:19 pm Post subject:

thats crazy what happened, was there any chance that there was a rock or stump in the water, how long did he last in acoma before he passed on????

Stephan · Guest

Nope it was all impact with water and I believe it was about a month until his organs stopped functioning. Each day has the potential for life changing experience. Just last Thursday my stepdad(the father of my little brother), went in for a physical cuz he hadn't been feeling good a for a couple weeks, well 8 hours later he was having emergency open heart surgery and we were completely freaking out cuz we had no idea. Six hours of surgery later he has a tight titanium aorta valve that tics to the point that you can hear it, a little interesting...and a zipper of staples up his chest.

Lynsey · Posted: Nov 02, 2003 12:13 pm Post subject:

kim · Addict Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 588 City: Orlando

Man that is so sad. I've lost a friend too, but he wasn't wakeboarding at the time. It sucks really bad and can really change your outlook on life. I wish you and your friends family the best.

Boarder4Life3780 · Posted: Nov 02, 2003 4:04 pm Post subject:

Best regards man, I can't tell you how it hit me, I couldn't imagine what it feels like. You're in my thoughts man.

Adam Greer · Posted: Nov 02, 2003 7:29 pm Post subject:

sorry to hear that bro, at least he went out doing something he loved. I'll definately keep yall in my toughts and prayers.

Hollywood · Posted: Nov 03, 2003 9:22 am Post subject:

Hangtime · Outlaw Joined: 14 Aug 2003 Posts: 160 City: Concord

Stephan

Thanks for sharing your story. Please pass on our regards to your friend's family.

For anyone who doesn't think water is hard, I'm here to tell you--it is!. I'm recovering from a concussion that had me curled up on the sofa for 2 weeks. I hit the back of my head while doing a lame 180. It hurt to hold up my head (when sitting) and it hurt bad (migrane headache) to focus on something like reading or watching TV. I just had to close my eyes and wait for my brain to heal itself. I now consider myself lucky to be here adding my story to this thread. Learn your limitations and have fun, but you've got to know your limits. We are not invincible, even though we feel like it.

chubby · Soul Rider Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 487 City: NC

thats terrible

Hollywood · Posted: Nov 06, 2003 8:12 pm Post subject:

Stephan · Guest

Hollywood, you wanna know where my F-in pictures are. Here's how it goes. My Dad is getting ready to head out to the lake house cuz the first batch of pictures were a little dark. He has a doctors appointment the morning before he leaves, and well they detected a heart murmur(no previous condition). They ordered him to go to the hospital to get some tests, whereupon they discovered a torn aorta, you know the thing that killed that guy from Threes Company, John Ritter. They set open heart surgery for the next morning. Then they decided that was risky and set surgery for that afternoon. So 8 hours after going to the doctors office for a check up and when he was supposed to be driving to the lake, he is opened up and having open heart surgery. Well that was two weeks ago and now he's got a new heart valve and a row of stitches(staples up his chest, they come out tomorrow), he went for a walk today and maybe walked a quarter of a block and was whupped. So you're right I apologize, I should have had those pictures up awhile ago. Not to mention that I had Midterms all last week and this week. Right now I'm hoping that my dad will be able to live long enough to see me get married. So F--- You VERY MUCH!! All you talk is $H!T, I believe in karma and take solace in tha fact that you will reap it in the end... Laughing

ass

The part of my brother was Lynsey's(buttacup) misunderstanding, I said the Father of my little brother, or my stepdad.

Dpierce37 · Ladies Man Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 7659 City: Austin

Hollywood, you gotta now when and where would be the right time do ask off topic questions. This thread is about rembereance of a fellow boarder who has passed away. Have a little respect for him and those who knew him....it's not hard.
Just PM him instead next time.

Stephan, I know what you went through. Last christmas, I went home for the holidays, ended up driving my Dad to the ER for bypass surgury. He had a 100% closure of one of his aeorta's(sp?). The doctor said if we wouldnt have brought him in that night, he would have had a stroke. Kinda humble's you when you see your very own "superman" hurt Crying or Very sad

salmon_tacos · Posted: Nov 07, 2003 9:24 am Post subject:

Hangtime · Outlaw Joined: 14 Aug 2003 Posts: 160 City: Concord

Hollywood · Posted: Nov 07, 2003 9:28 am Post subject:

I didn't rip anybody. Read the post.

Stephan, my bad! I should have known all that stuff was going on in your life.

salmon_tacos · Posted: Nov 07, 2003 10:10 am Post subject:

Hollywood,

I read the post. I guess you were just pointing out the obvious facts that his limit was a 180 that day and that it sucks to get a concussion? Oh, well. It didn't sound nice.

hitit · Outlaw Joined: 26 Aug 2003 Posts: 178 City: Nor-Cal

Stephan, I'm sorry for your loss. This story will stick with me for awhile.

It's also a shame that some people have to ruin the spirit of this post by being so negative.

wocriders · Posted: Nov 07, 2003 10:43 am Post subject:

You and your friends fam are definitely in our prayers. Loss is never something easy to deal with no matter how prepared you are.

God Bless

Lynsey · Posted: Nov 07, 2003 11:55 am Post subject:

Oops, I misread it, that's what I get for speed reading. Hollywood, quit trying to rile the man up by pestering him about the boat pics, I agree with what Dpierce said. This isn't the first time you asked him about the boat pics on a thread that has nothing to do with cracked hulls.