Safety cannot be over-stressed

Press, 29 January 1986, Page 31

Safety cannot be over-stressed

On an exercise the size of the Steinlager Coast to Coast race, safety cannot be over-stressed. Some people look on the event as a bit of a “nutters week-end” but Robin Judkins prefers to call it his “coastal to coastal” delivery system, aiming at getting the whole bunch from one side to the other in one piece. Holly Blair, promotion officer for the St John ■Ambulance group and also a competitor in this year’s race, feels that each section has its dangers. “An outsider to the ‘cult’ might think that the kayak section would have the most risks but there is also the possibility of falls in the running or bike sections,” she says.

Judkins’ officials, St John Ambulance and fellow competitors are all

responsible for ensuring

the safety of all race participants. “The Coast to Coast has very few rules, but one is that every competitor must carry a first aid kit in the running and kayaking sections and must stop to help an injured or ill competitor,” says Blair. “Apart from fellow competitors, a participant has the back up of the full official team. Each of these has taken a St John first aid course and a refresher course is given at the Goat Pass hut on Friday night before the race. This covers cardio pulmonary resuscitation, splinting back and head, injuries and other problems,” she says. All officials also carry St John first aid kits. The St John involvement begins right at the starter’s gun with the West Coast section covering the race from Kumara to Aickens.

From there, race officials take over for the

Deception-Mingha running section.

Twelve officials are placed at various points along the route to check numbers while seven walk in from both ends. Five officials keep an eye on the tail enders and a general sweep is made as the last runner completes the stage. “Last year two competitors had to be taken off the mountain by helicopter. One fell and had a serious leg injury while another collapsed from exhaustion. The latter was an experienced runner who had used a rigid alternating and starvation diet before the race.

“The average runner takes five and a half hours to run the course and everyone must carry plenty of food, especially if it is cdld,” she says.

The Malvern St John Combined Division from Darfield, has its ambulance at Klondike Corner

and it stays there for the night on Saturday and follows the competitors to the Mount White Bridge next day. Brigade members are also stationed at various points along the Old West Coast Road to Gun Club Corner to cater for any problems during the final cycling section. The kayaking section in the Waimakariri RiverGorge is the domain of the race officials which sweep the river continuously in 12 jet boats.

Twelve canoeists are available to follow the competitors down the treacherous river section, usually about one after each 20. Stationary officials are also placed at the beginning of the sec-

tion, part way through at Salmon Rock, and at the end.

“Last year 19 competitors were taken off the river. Generally about 10 per cent are taken off due to exhaustion, injury or

loss of equipment,” Blair says.

First aid facilities are again available on the cycling leg to Sumner with Malvern and Rolleston divisions picking up the early part of the route until Central Division takes over at Yaldhurst Tony Nunan, a Central Division officer, says that by Yaldhurst many of the competitors are very tired and "wobbly” and a special lookout is kept for them.

At Redcliffs, St John Sumner division takes over to cover the last portion of the race and administer any first aid the tired competitors may need.