Twin Trees Fire Broken Ankle 2016

As Jumper7 was coming in for landing on final, it was witnessed by other jumpers at the jump spot that he was facing into the wind. However, just as his feet hit the ground there was a gust of wind that pushed the parachute and Jumper7 down slope. As his feet made contact with some rocks, his momentum caused them to be pinned, hyperextending his right foot and leg. Jumper7 believed he might have sprained his ankle when he landed, but thought he was OK and could still work. He could still walk and said that everything “felt normal.” But the Jumper in Charge (JIC) was concerned with the way Jumper7 landed and wanted to confirm the extent of the injury. He performed a thorough assessment on Jumper7’s ankle. There was not visible swelling or bruising and he couldn’t feel a break. Jumper7 said his ankle just felt “weird, kind of loose.” The JIC wrapped the ankle to immobilize it and kept Jumper7 at the jump spot. The JIC remained engaged with Jumper7 and continued to assess how he was feeling and his pain level. Soon, the pain level Jumper7 was feeling elevated to a pain level 7. With this increased pain level, the JIC made the decision to get Jumper7 off the hill for evaluation and treatment.

RLS, Aviation, Medevac, Smokejumping Accident