Guy Ravell is lucky to be alive. One of 10 patients rescued by the Snowy Hydro SouthCare helicopter from the NSW ski fields over winter, he said he still cannot believe he will walk away from a ski accident that snapped his pelvis in two in mid August.
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''I took the corner on one of the ski runs in Thredbo, and there was a skidoo there … I'm still in shock about it,'' he said. ''I broke my pelvis. It's an open-book fracture, a pretty bad one … Busted pelvis, mate, it's not something that tickles. I've had a break before but not as bad as this.''
He has high praise for the rescue chopper's paramedics, who transported him and another teenager injured in a separate accident at the same time.
Mr Ravell, who celebrated his 41st birthday in hospital, is a welder and fabricator who lives in Cooma and had been skiing since he was two years old. But, despite doctors saying he will make a full recovery, he does not think he'll go back skiing after his six-week stint in Canberra Hospital is over. The broken pelvis was the second major injury for the experienced snow-goer, after a snapped femur a few years ago that left him with multiple metal rods holding his left leg together.
According to NSW Ambulance paramedic Adam Mower, Mr Ravell's injuries were typical of the busy ski season for the emergency medical services. Over winter, NSW Ambulance opens a special station at Perisher Valley staffed by a crew of 12 to 16 paramedics on rotation using everything from ski-mobiles to special all-terrain vehicles, and adds an extra two positions to the roster in Jindabyne.
Mr Mower said ski accidents accounted for a huge amount of work for paramedics over winter, and the most common injuries that required transport to hospital were broken bones.
''We see fractures of just about every bone in the body. You name it, we've seen it broken while skiing or snowboarding. It really can be a dangerous sport, depending on how much respect you give it,'' he said.
Over an average season, NSW Ambulance will transport upwards of 200 people from the ski fields to hospital for snow-related injuries. But according to both Mr Mower and to Snowy Hydro SouthCare, the number of missions is slightly down on last year - something they attribute to there being less snow.
Snowy Hydro SouthCare ran a total of nine missions and transported 10 patients, compared with 15 missions last year. But the helicopter service said it is gearing up for the busier spring and summer season.
''Despite the helicopter experiencing a slower winter period, demand for the service continues to climb. Over the past two years helicopter missions have increased by 25 per cent, with the service performing 498 life-changing missions in 2012-13,'' a spokeswoman said.
