Читать книгу Boy's Own War - G. S. Willmott - Страница 12

2015 - Winter

Cameron and Joshua had settled into university life; enjoying both their courses and their social life.

The two friends had decided to rent a unit close to Melbourne University; they found suitable digs in the nearby suburb of Flemington. To help pay the rent they both found part time jobs, Joshua in a bottle shop, Cameron in a call centre.

Both students were keen snowboarders, travelling to the snow at

every opportunity.

The snow season in Victoria was proving to be one of the best ever. Snow had been falling since the middle of June and by the end of July it was possible to ski in sections not usually available.

The two young men were having a beer on the balcony of their Melbourne unit despite the temperature hovering around freezing.

‘Hey Josh, when do you think we can stay in your parent’s lodge? I’m hanging out for a bit of snowboarding.’

‘Dunno mate, they’re up there most weekends. Who can blame them? I’ll give Dad a call tonight and check it out.’

Joshua phoned his parents and discovered the lodge was available the following weekend. His folks were more than happy for the two friends to stay. They decided to make it a long weekend away as both students only had one lecture on Friday morning.

On Thursday afternoon they set out on the five-hour drive to Falls Creek, arriving at the lodge by 8.30pm.

The boys didn’t unpack, they headed straight for the ‘High Plains Bar’ to enjoy some schnapps and hopefully meet a few girls.

Although the bar was crowded with young snow-bunnies, alas they both went home alone.

Next morning they woke and peered out of the lodge’s full-length windows, it was snowing steadily. They gulped down some breakfast cereal and drank a hot chocolate before setting out on what looked to be an awesome day for snowboarding.

Despite the early hour, the chairlift queue was quite long but fifteen minutes later the boys were making their way to the top of the mountain.

Cameron and Joshua headed off down the run the snow was good but not powder as there were too many skiers and snowboarders for completely perfect conditions. After their first few runs the slopes were even more crowded.

‘Hey Josh what do you think about going off-piste?’

‘Yeah I was thinking the same thing.’

‘I reckon we do the Maze, it’s supposed to be awesome.’

‘OK let’s do it’ said Cameron.

The experienced snowboarders again rode the chairlift up but instead of taking the black run they boarded under the chairlift and over to fresh snow country.

Here the snow was powder. With no beginners to stuff up their runs they had a ball going over small jumps and screaming down the mountain.

Josh was particularly enjoying the thrill of sliding up embankments and jumping natural mounds in the snow. Gum trees were starting to appear above the snowline as they boarded further downhill.

Taking a particularly high jump, Josh lost control landing on the base of a large gum tree. Although wearing a helmet, he hit the side of his neck, hard and lay still in the snow. Cameron was two hundred metres behind and when he came upon his best friend, Josh wasn’t breathing. Cameron quickly began CPR and after a few minutes detected a faint heartbeat.

He was in two minds; if he left his mate and sought help would Josh be dead when he arrived back with the medics? But if he stayed with Josh and continued CPR, how would he get them both down the mountain?

Deciding to go for help, it took him twenty minutes to reach the village. Medics raced up the mountain on snowmobiles accompanied by Cameron, their guide to Joshua’s location.

Snow had been falling constantly making it difficult for Cameron to find the tree. Finally they reached Joshua, now almost covered in snow. The medics checked his heartbeat and although very faint Joshua was still alive. He was stretchered down the mountain to the medical clinic where they attempted several methods to increase his heartbeat. After sixty minutes of trying the doctor proclaimed Joshua dead.

He was only eighteen.