Divers seriously injured in car accident

[Gdog]

From Laurie today...

Hey everyone! I haven't been able to log in until today because I couldn't access the site in Mexico, but we flew home via air ambulance yesterday, and Doug is being very well cared for at the trauma center here in Seattle. Your donations all went directly toward his medical expenses not covered by insurance. Thank you so very much. Every dollar trulyhelped, and my gratitude is both deep and wide.

 

[DandyDon]

Hey everyone! I haven't been able to log in until today because I couldn't access the site in Mexico, but we flew home via air ambulance yesterday, and Doug is being very well cared for at the trauma center here in Seattle.

I'm confused. Someone posted from your account yesterday. Did Laurie get home too? Hoping for the best for both of them.

While DAN covers quite a bit, both of these people have been badly injured

DAN membership would provide their repatriation as long as it's arranged thru DAN. DAN dive insurance would cover little if any on a street wreck, some of their plans have some non-diving benefits, but I hope that they had trip insurance or that their home insurance covered them outside of the US. There would still be plenty of non-covered expenses of course.

 

[Gdog]

Not trying to confuse, just want to relay whatever information I get to this thread. I haven't been able to personally talk with Laurie, and not sure Doug is able to converse yet. I have no information on what DAN covered, and what they had to cover yet.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

If people are interested in donating to Laurie directly to circumvent GoFundMe fees, PM me.

 

[OrcasC205]

I just want to follow up on this and personally thank everyone that helped. I am still at the trauma center in Seattle and it will still be about 6 weeks before my pelvis can bear weight. I feel very lucky to be here — things were hit or miss medically while I was in the Mexican ICU. My wife is still suffering from her broken ribs, but she is much improved. Luckily we are both expected to recover well enough to be able to dive again.

Luckily we did have a DAN travel insurance policy for this trip, so they were able to help arrange and pay for the repatriation. It was the first time i had purchased travel insurance — sometimes it’s better to lucky than smart. It was honestly recommendations from this site that led me to buy it.

Aldora Divers will have my unending gratitude for the help they provided even though we never got to dive with them; and our friends in the Seattle dive community truly went above and beyond in their assistance. I’m truly humbled by the support we received.

Be safe and watch out for busses,

-Doug

 

[DandyDon]

I feel very lucky to be here — things were hit or miss medically while I was in the Mexican ICU. My wife is still suffering from her broken ribs, but she is much improved. Luckily we are both expected to recover well enough to be able to dive again.

I am so glad to hear that you and your wife are home and healing well, albeit slowly, and with such favorable expectations.

Luckily we did have a DAN travel insurance policy for this trip, so they were able to help arrange and pay for the repatriation. It was the first time i had purchased travel insurance — sometimes it’s better to lucky than smart. It was honestly recommendations from this site that led me to buy it.

Again, I'm glad to read that. I'm sure that the medical bills will be tremendous, and I guess that your home coverage wouldn't cover expenses in Mexico, but this will. Your DAN membership would have taken care of repatriation if needed, but the trip insurance will as well, differently.

Depending on which dive insurance plan you have, you might have some accident coverage there, maybe. Even tho all are booked thru DAN, you'll be dealing with different actual insurance companies to determine which will pay what and how much, but hopefully they will cooperate well.

 

[Gdog]

Very happy to hear the news Doug. Thank you for the upate, and here is to your continued recovery!

 

[OrcasC205]

For anyone interested in our progress since the accident, I was finally able to bear weight on my legs on July 14 (more than three months after the accident) and am now up and walking with a walker and going up and down stairs with a cane. I am finally going home tomorrow after spending the last four weeks in a skilled nursing facility and the time before that in the hospital. The good news is my occupational therapist thinks i’ll be back to diving before the end of the year.

My wife has continued to make good progress too despite some setbacks caused by nerve pain from some back and neck injuries. Hopefully more physical therapy will help that.

Thanks again for all the help the scuba community provided.

-Doug

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

You still got that steak coming when you are able. Don't let me slime my way out of that.

 

[Gdog]

For anyone interested in our progress since the accident, I was finally able to bear weight on my legs on July 14 (more than three months after the accident) and am now up and walking with a walker and going up and down stairs with a cane. I am finally going home tomorrow after spending the last four weeks in a skilled nursing facility and the time before that in the hospital. The good news is my occupational therapist thinks i’ll be back to diving before the end of the year.

My wife has continued to make good progress too despite some setbacks caused by nerve pain from some back and neck injuries. Hopefully more physical therapy will help that.

Thanks again for all the help the scuba community provided.

-Doug

Thank you for the update, so glad to hear you are both doing well. Here's to your continued improvement!