[ricki]

I started looking for a general reference like this dealing the head injuries after a tragic accident in Mauritius several years ago. The vacationing Russian kiter suffered a board impact in squally weather due to the use of a board leash. He had a brain hemorrhage but didn't realize it as his life bled out. I really didn't find a good, concise reference from an authoritative source at the time. Nor did I realize the import of my head injury as I stomped around for hours for that matter however things turned out to be more benign in my case. The victim often is the last to know after all much less react responsibly. This post is more for bystanders of such accidents to serve as a guide. We really should think about this stuff as you never know when you might be on the scene of a head/cervical injury and in a position to help. There have been other cases in which paralysis may have been avoided through immobility or brought about by "walking it off" assuming the victim was even aware at the time.