A few years ago I came upon the scene of a bad road traffic accident out in the country at night.
It was a crossroads and two cars had smashed into each other in the middle.
Both drivers were mobile but likely to go into shock. There was a female passenger in one car who was screeming loudly, a boy, a girl and a baby in the back of that car.
The girl seemed OK, so long as the woman was screaming I had to assume she was non critical. The baby was dead and the boy was quiet, very pale and trapped in the wreckage. No one there had a mobile phone at the time and the only availabe light was from my headlights..
I focussed the drivers attention onto helping me get the rear door open to get to the boy but it was completely jammed.
As other vehicles arrived someone had a phone and called the emergency services. I marsalled some of the drivers to park down each spur of the junction with hazards flashing to slow down other approaching traffic then I went back to the boy.
He was bleeding heavily but I couldn't get to him any way I tried. In the end all I could do was hold his hand as he quietly slipped away.
I still well up sometimes when I think about it now, but now I keep a very extensive first aid and rescue kit in my vehicle wherever I go and a large crowbar too.
I've had to explain the crowbar a few times to the police but It's always going to be in my van from now on.
I agree, sometimes it is a good idea to carry equipment, especially safety equipment not just because we may need it but because we may meet someone else that needs it.
was amaysed at how walm i was, just set my tarp up as a lean-to with my thermarest, and away i went,(to sleep) also relize now how imprtant it is to have the wind at the back of u, and how little kit u realy need espeshaly now its getting walmer.
