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BRYA INGRAM / THINGS
Tony Lohmeyer broke his neck when his bicycle collided with a work vehicle inside the roadworks. He says he is walking again thanks to all the ‘unsung heroes’ who played a role in his story.
Tony Lohmeyer was biking home from work on State Highway 6 when he approached some roadworks.
With a 15-20 knot tailwind pushing him, Lohmeyer realized he was traveling slightly faster than cars through the restricted section on the road to Blenheim.
He decided to go into the road cones, or the “witch hats,” rather than stick with the traffic.
Lohmeyer said this put him in the blind spot of a work vehicle that had also turned through the cones.
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“The next thing I knew, they were taking me to the side of the car and dragging me behind the trailer. The equipment in my backpack suffered a lot, but suffered a bit from the impact, ”he said, adding that his neck was the only unprotected area.
“So within seconds I went from being in control to being totally dependent on whatever help was offered to me. I was lying on the ground and one of the workers came up really fast and prevented me from moving, which probably saved my life.
Lohmeyer could move his hands and legs, but couldn’t lift his head, he said.
Lohmeyer’s wife, Jill, recalled receiving a call from the police. “They said ‘your husband just fell off his bike. He’s fine. Can move arms and legs. We’re going to put him in the ambulance now, and they’re going to check him out at the hospital.
“So, I thought about taking the car and going to the hospital, picking it up and taking it home. It was a bit more complicated than that in the end, ”he said.
Supplied
Tony Lohmeyer, with his wife Jill, at Christchurch hospital after breaking his neck in a bicycle accident.
Tests showed that Lohmeyer had dislocated one vertebra and another had broken. Doctors told them that 70 percent of similar injuries caused patients to become tetraplegic.
Arrangements were made with the Flying Medical Service for Lohmeyer to be flown to Christchurch for further treatment, where he underwent surgery to repair the damage.
Seventeen hours after the operation, she was on her feet and walking, and after another eight weeks in a brace, she planned to return to work after the Easter holidays.
“My recovery is almost complete and I would like to thank the people involved in my care, because I feel like they really are forgotten heroes,” Lohmeyer said.
BRYA INGRAM / THINGS
Lohmeyer says he will be back on his bike in the near future as it is a good form of transportation and helps him stay in shape.
“They are working very hard and should be recognized more for what they do. You don’t notice them until you need them. “
He wanted to thank the task force, ambulance and police services, ACC, NZ Fly Doctor Service and the Christchurch medical staff.
“How do you thank a vast group of people whose combined efforts have allowed me to resume full function of my limbs and have returned the basic lifestyle that I had taken for granted?” Lohmeyer said.
