For Kev Mauger, RACQ CapRescue made a difference beyond words when a quiet Sunday afternoon ride almost took his life.
On February 24th, 2019, Kev contacted his sister’s boyfriend to help out with some motorbike maintenance. He rode over and said he was happy to help. Later that afternoon, the two decided to go for a ride, a regular Sunday pastime. However, this day took a turn for the worse.
No more than 5 minutes away from the driveway, Kev, an experienced rider, lost control of his motorcycle on a corner.
“The bike slid sideways, the back wheel found grip and sent me high side over the handlebars and splat face first onto the bitumen,” recalled Kev. “From that point, I was straight into a coma.”
Kev’s friend, who witnessed the accident, wasn’t even sure if his mate was going to make it, he called 000 and emergency services were quick to respond. The road ambulance treated Kev while the RACQ CapRescue helicopter travelled to the scene. Kev had suffered horrific injuries to his face, head, broken bones, and a punctured lung.
“The wonderful rescue team saved me and flew me to Rockhampton. I was in a coma until I woke on the 7th day”, Kev said.
“I really don’t recall too much of Rocky Hospital, but I was sent to Brisbane via aerial ambulance on the 20th of March. Then my real road to recovery began.”
Kev had months of rehabilitation ahead of him, with doctors unsure of the outcome of the severe head trauma. But Kev’s determination overshadowed any doubts about his recovery.
In particular, his love of music produced his first signs of regaining the life he knew before.
“I love to play and sing with my guitar. Doctors told me in Rocky that they doubted if, after the head trauma, I would be able to still play. While in Brissy, after a week or so, I noticed a guitar in my new friend Conrads’ room, a fellow patient. I got to know him really well and asked if he played, and he said no, his wife, Teresa, did. The next afternoon she came into my room with her guitar, propped pillows under my left arm, and laid the guitar across my chest.
“I could still make a noise with the chords. I cried so hard and thanked God and everyone that had got me this far.”
There have been several operations Kev has endured since the accident, including having his clavicle plated and screwed, his shoulder rebuilt, and a metal plate put into his eye socket. But he has beaten the odds and even returned to work in 2022, a goal he had set himself, appreciating the value of a hard day’s work.
Kev has also been able to be a Grandad and knows he has a future that includes growing old with his family and friends, thanks to the Rescue300 crew.
“Without the help and experienced hands of the chopper rescue team, I wouldn’t have survived. I truly believe that.”
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