Pre-Adventure Training Camp

"Omigod, I remember than now. Gee you have a fabulous memory."

"I don't think so."

"Perhaps you need to update that thought," Beth laughed.

"Well that's it," Jane said, making no comment on what Gracie had said about her name.

"Thank you for your time, Gracie, you are a most impressive lady. Our task is to make a recommendation rather than offer employment. I can say, with some confidence, that the department will be in contact with you for further meetings."

"Guys, thanks for treating me gently," Gracie smiled. "I probably responded better in this environment than in some stuffy Wellington office but I guess that stage is ahead of me."

As Gracie turned to close the door, she heard Jane say, "An absolute certainty to be offered preliminary training. That woman could go out into the field and be an asset right now."

Gracie felt her bra tighten in excitement along with a blood rush to her face. She felt like hitting the booze.

Fifteen minutes later Sam called her.

"Hi, they have gone. You did well. Want to go down with me to Ma's Café? It's licensed."

"Yeah, great invitation."

"Great. I'll be at the assembly point in my classic Rover V8 Sedan in five minutes."

Southern Alps Pre-adventure Training Camp for Imminent Travellers -- 08

The 138th intake of 10 hopeful travellers booked to seek adventure within the next six months and coming to the Southern Alps Pre-adventure Training Camp to be trained to endure the weariness of coping with day after day of action involving adventures and improve their knowledge about keeping safe in the variety of challenges they would face, were collectively groaning.

All were feeling permanently exhausted.

However, relief was in sight.

This was the 13th day, with only one more night and another day of the program to go, and they were discussing suffering from being over-trained.

"Apart from super-fit you Gracie," her admirer Derek said.

"Nah, I've been feeling fucked for every waking-hour of the last couple of days," she cooed.

"Here comes Herr Commandant," sighed Judith, the most unfit member of the group after Derek.

"Good morning, everyone," Sam said jovially. "I smell revolt. Well perhaps this is the good news. Tomorrow will be partly physically undemanding as the last day of training will be devoted to lectures on many aspects of adventure travel by tour leaders and medical personal involved in injuries sustained by travellers seeking energetic activity when a long way from home."

"The presenters will explain why being adequately insured and the need for the terms of the insurance carefully checked by you to be assured that the options you have chosen include everything you are likely to encounter as risks, and triple check the stated exclusions from your cover. Many exclusions can be negotiated as cover, but usual at substantial cost."

"The collective message from your invited lecturers will be that adequate insurance cover must be your Gold Standard including avoiding taking stupid risks that could put you at risk and even putting you out of action for a period, perhaps longer than you had ever imagined."

Everyone heard that grimly but were cheered when Sam said first, they would be taken into the centre of Christchurch, each of them to look around the business district for as long as they wanted and to visit as many shops as they wished but all day they must individually remain alone. Before leaving the camp, they must leave their credit cards behind and to take no more than $70 each in cash. When paying for food they should keep in mind they probably would have to pay for some form of transport to get themselves back to the camp.

"This generously replicates the situation away from home if you were robbed but luckily you found seventy bucks in notes in your back pocket or wisely had it stashed away in your left sock. Very fortunate indeed. Oh, if you know anyone in Christchurch. you are not to contact them."

"Your final physical change today is tonight at 8.00, you will be trucked back to the lake. Five of you will paddle across the lake in one-person kayaks and land at a position called Rocky Beach on your GPS devices. The other group of five will run around the lake in whatever direction they wish, lighting their way with provided fully charged, heavy duty torches."

"At Rocky Bay the first lot of runners, will come back across the lake kayaking while the first paddlers will run round the lake, being in possession of the torches. Rusty and I will constantly circle the paddlers each with our spotter. Even so, don't fall out in the water as a swimmer can be difficult to spot in darkness."

"The second team to take to the lake are the fittest among you and will cope better after their long run. Trevor, you are appointed leader of the first team of paddlers."

Judith said, "I don't like the idea of paddling across such a wide lake in the dark; in fact, I'm really nervous about it."

"Have you paddled in a kayak before?"

"Yes, Sam."

"You have the option of staying behind at the camp."

"Will I still get my certificate that I have completed all challenges successfully?"

"I'm sorry, but no. But remember the certificate is only a fancy printed piece of paper."

"I still want my certificate."

"Great, then I'll swap you with Felicity for you to go with Jill and Gracie and you can paddle between those two who will keep an eye on you, making you feel more comfortable about this journey. And Judith, keep your safety vest on and remember the rip cord is high on the middle of your chest. That action releases gas from an inbuilt container to inflate the vest to improve your buoyancy in the event of any crisis. Do you fully understand that?"

"Yes."

"Then touch the ripcord tab but don't pull it."

"Excellent, Judith. Okay everyone, everything appears sorted, let's go to the city"

* * *

At the changeover at Rocky Beach in darkness apart from torch light, the five paddlers had all landed before the joggers/walkers straggled in, Judith was last walker to arrive.

Sam sent the runner off, all choosing to run the same half-circuit that the first team of runners had chosen. They explained later back at supper they assumed that Gracie had asked someone back at the camp, probably Rusty, which was the easiest half circuit around the lake to run.

Sam checked that everyone had their vest on correctly and then headed out on to the lake with Molly beside him at the control console as assistant spotter.

The kayakers were grouped about 300 yards from 'home' when a series of rifle shots sounded over the lake and all the paddlers looked eastwards in alarm.

Sam said through his loud hailer, "It's okay guys, it will be idiots at the upper end of the lake shooting at water fowl not in flight which is illegal and it's not the shooting season for ducks and swans anyway, which therefore is illegal if they are shooting at them. The open season in most districts usually only includes certain types of unprotected wading birds. I'm off down the lake to inform the runners of the situation. The shooters will be almost two miles away from you. Safe paddling."

As the RIB departed, Jill yelled, "Omigod."

Turning her still stationary kayak around as quickly as possible Jill paddled back a bit before stopping paddling to use her torch to illuminate Judith's overturned Kayak.

"Gracie, quickly," Jill yelled.

But Gracie first used the Citizens Band radio she'd received from Trevor at Rocky Bay.

She called and when Sam answered she shouted, "Emergency, hurry back to Gracie."

Gracie dropped the radio beside her and raced to where Jill was in the water struggling to upright the kayak with Judith hanging limp, with her head and shoulders still under the water surface.

Gracie pulled herself from the partly covered cockpit, dropped into the water and swam just a few strokes to join Jill.

"We need to pull her free without spending time trying to get the craft upright," Gracie said, inflating Judith's vest and the buoyancy it gave to Judith's body appeared to make it easier for the struggling duo in the water to pull Judith's limp legs from the confines of the bow compartment.

"Omigod, she's limp, she's drowned," Jill said.

"Possibly not; we don't know how long she has been submerged."

Jill said she had no idea and added angrily, "You wasted time radioing Sam."

At that, they were illuminated by the spotlight on Sam's speedily arriving RIB.

"Or probably not if we save Judith's life," Gracie countered. "It's vital that we get her on to a hard surface."

Sam roared up alongside then, and he and Molly pulled Judith aboard with the limited assistance that Jill and Gracie were able to give from being in the water.

Sam said, "Jill, you accompany Annabelle and Felicity ashore. Get Rusty to call S&R (Search and Rescue) for a chopper and to alert the nearest medical unit able to deal with a near-drowned victim."

"Right," said Jill, swimming off to her kayak as Molly helped Gracie aboard.

Gracie pulled off her vest and windbreaker and said to Sam, who was already applying mouth to mouth resuscitation, "Let me at her, Sam. I'm a trained surf lifesaver, with considerable experience."

Sam moved away without a word as Gracie loosened Judith's clothing around her chest, actually ripping it loose with considerable force.

She then went to work on mouth-to-mouth, almost instantly falling into a precise rhythm.

"I think she's gone," Sam said grimly.

Molly began weeping.

Gracie took a quick breather and said, "Molly, get us back to Rusty quickly. Sam, radio Rusty and check that he has the truck headlights on to allow the chopper crew to pinpoint us instantly and to gather anything to warm Judith. Then look for something shiny so we can check to see is there's any sign of breathing from Judith when you tap me on the head to lift away from her."

Gracie continued her measured rescue attempt until Sam tapped her head.

He used the bottom of the tin medical kit to hold over Judith's nose and said, "Perhaps I see very, very faint misting." Gracie would have heard that but didn't answer because she was back applying attempted resuscitation.

A minute later Molly eased the throttle and called to Sam, crouched beside Gracie, "Less than 50 metres to go. The truck's headlights are on. No sign of chopper. Jill is standing in the water holding a rope to attach to our bow tow ring and everyone has hold of the rope..."

At that moment, Judith's chest gave a slight heave.

"We may have saved her, who knows?" Gracie said and she and Sam rolled Judith on to her side in the very narrow space.

Judith's chest heaved more violently and water mixed with bile gushed from her mouth.

"Her colour is bad, said Gracie as the rescue chopper arrived and began to land while a police helicopter from Christchurch arrived and hovered overhead, its strong searchlight brightly illuminating the lake-side drama below.

"Sam, let them pull us ashore and get the resuscitator applied initially where Judith lies," Gracie said as she turned Judith on to her back and resumed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Sam stepped out of the RIB to make-way for the medic who began checking Judith's vital signs as Gracie continued with the resuscitation effort.

She turned Judith on her side as the victim heaved again and this time expelled a greater amount of fluid.

"Is that a good sign, Gracie?" Sam asked.

"I'm afraid the answer could be yes or no. I've had people on the beach showing encouraging signs but then dying as I continued working away in vain, and few, who I was ready to think of as a victim of drowning, make an unexpected come back to slow recovery. If Judith's colouring begins to improve now that crew is working on her, I'd say she's in with a chance. It's been 20 minutes I'd say, since she was pulled out of the water and that means she's still within the so-called Golden Hour."

The medic, who later identified himself as Dr Harry Bolton, who happened to be visiting the R&R centre to have a beer with the boys he often worked with, when the call to the lake was received. He yelled to the crew to bring the resuscitator unit on to the RIB and stepped on to native grass to make way for the crew to do their work.

Jill arrived with two thick blankets and a piece of flexible aluminium insulation sheeting that she first placed around as much of Judith that she could before placing the blankets.

Harry introduced himself to Sam who said they occasionally had seen each other in the distance at golf and at social functions.

The doctor said, "You guys involved in the rescue attempt appear to have done very well and that young woman applying manual resuscitation is certainly no amateur. I shall say that in my report, Sam. I can't predict the outcome as there's no way of knowing how long she was under water and how much water she ingested. But she's a wiry lady and I'd say that's of benefit to her as is her age, early forties."

"Forty later this year if I recall correctly."

Sam re-joined Gracie, who was sitting on the grass with Jill, who'd covered her colleague around the shoulders with someone's jacket.

Harry joined them and said, the patient's facial colour had improved a little

"In a few minutes we'll fly her direct to Christchurch hospital for benefit of superior care and the best available equipment in this region. Good work, you folk."

Sam said, "For some reason she tipped out, and that could have been connected to those gunshots frightening her. That seems the logical explanation because the waters were placid as Molly and I in one of the IRB's have said, and also the two rescuers have confirmed."

"Within an hour, perhaps two, we will know, one way of another," Harry said. "Our pilot has requested for the police to stay for another ten minutes for us to load the patient. You may come with us if you wish, Sam. Yes, please and thanks, Harry. But first I'll call local police about those gun shots. The gunmen may still be in the vicinity."

"And rest easy, Sam," Gracie called. "The cops will question us and in my evidence I shall say emphatically that everything done to ensure the safety of the paddlers was done in an exemplary fashion and that was in fact the very reason why Jill Reynolds and I, both experience kayakers, had been requested to paddle close to Judith as she was deemed a nervous person when coming under pressure."

"I didn't see the capsizing as I was slightly in front of her at the time but whatever happened was, I believe, connected to those distant gunshots. I clearly recall that we all had stopped paddling, I checked on Judith using my torch just after Sam had called that the people with the guns were almost two miles away and checked on Jill and the other two in our party of five who were head of me."

"Perhaps a full minute later, when were about to resume paddling again, Jill checked on Judith using her torch and yelled to me when spotting Judith's upturned kayak. I turned my kayak around, picked up my torch a saw the upturned kayak and no sign of the paddler. I only had to paddle no more than ten strokes to reach the scene where Jill was already in the water attempting to get the craft upright. I then radioed you quickly to come to help us before going into the water to help Jill as I knew we'd need a hard surface under the patient to maximise our CPR attempts."

Southern Alps Pre-adventure Training Camp for Imminent Travellers -- 09

At 1.15 a.m. the morning after Judith Henare was rushed to Christchurch Hospital to receive life-support, Sam, Rusty, Molly, Jill and Gracie received news that Judith was over the worse of her near-drowning ordeal and that they may as well go home.

They had been told close to midnight that Judith was back to breathing unassisted and the latest report was her lungs were in good shape and her heart beat was back to a strong and regular rhythm and she would remain in hospital for a few days and to undergo tests to ascertain whether she might have suffered permanent neurological damage. The fact that the lake water had been close to freezing had been in her favour for complete recovery and her family and her female-partner would be arriving on the first flight into Christchurch just before 8 am that morning.

The team from the hospital went to the lounge for coffee and rum chasers and a variety of left-overs that Molly found in the fridges after she'd group-emailed everyone at the camp that Judith was out of danger and her condition was expected to improve.

Sam took Gracie aside and said, "Jill has accepted my invitation to stay the night with me, or what's left of it. Is that okay?"

"You're a big boy, Sam. Of course, it's okay with me."

"Um, something serious could be developing between her and me. I have an estranged wife living in Canada but Jill is comfortable about that. She's been looking for a new partner."

"Now some good news for you. Lady Jane advised me by email that their background check on you exceeds their expectations and you will receive a hand-delivered letter about that on your return to Auckland and details of an appointment in Wellington for the next step in your recruitment process with air tickets and overnight hotel accommodation voucher enclosed."

"That's marvellous news, and thanks for your initiative that began the ball rolling for me."

"You gave me no option," Sam said modestly. "You were too good a candidate for me to let you slip from the department's chance to assess you."

* * *

There was no sign of Sam or Molly at breakfast next morning and Gracie told the team they had gone to the airport to meet Judith's parents and partner arriving from Auckland to take them to Judith's bedside.

"We were assured by the medics in the early hours of this morning that Judith has a good chance of making a full recovery, although they need to make further tests and keep her under observation for up to a week. Sam expects to be back in time to meet today's lecturers as they arrive. Lectures will finish at 2.30 followed by a wind-up session and presentation of our course competition certificates. After breakfast, we are to play soccer for an hour."

* * *

At that closing session and with the departure of the three lecturers on overseas adventure travel and personal and group safety and before to presentation of certificates, Sam projected a photo on to the whiteboard.

The team gasped at the exhausted appearance of Judith, laying in a hospital bed and holding up a framed certificate one hand and waving at the camera at the other.

"I decided to give Judith a full completion certificate." Sam said. "Initially she was advised that she'd be the only one not to qualify for the certificate because her over-all finishing at times was somewhat lacking. But I thought she'd shown real grit fighting for her life once she regained consciousness in the air rescue chopper and that saved the camp, and my ass, from suffering our first fatality since it opened a decade ago."

"That decision stood even though at 8.30 this morning I heard her tell her parents and her partner that the crisis on the lake was her doing. Upon hearing the gunfire, she'd panicked and attempted to turn her kayak too quickly to paddle away in the opposite direction to the gunfire. Her paddle dug deep and she leaned in that direction and her craft capsized."

"So, let that be a lesson to us all. Because of our safety instruction, everyone including Judith, had undergone training on how to avoid falling into the risk. As a result of Judith's mistake, we now know what panic can do when it takes hold."

"Right, now for the presentations. You all filed your voting against the names of your choice of the two top performers attending this residential course. It probably is no surprise that Judith was not at the top when all votes were counted," he grinned, adding she had not been there that morning to vote.