The call came in over Kananaskis Emergency Services radio at 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 26, 2015: Two male teens in critical condition; significant fall near Three Sisters; STARS requested.
First responders described the scene as grim. The teens had triggered a rockslide and fell 20 metres off the side of the mountain. One of them, Darius Ramrattan of Innisfail, was unconscious with a broken femur and pelvis. His heel was almost completely gone, his blood pressure barely detectable.
Thanks to quick work by five different rescue agencies, he was lifted from the backcountry and shipped to Foothills Hospital in Calgary.
Ramrattan, 18, doesn’t remember much from the day, since the fall knocked him unconscious, but he has the scars and hardware to jog his memory.
“From what I heard, I triggered a rock slide. It took me 20 metres down the mountain, broke my femur, pelvis and shattered my left heel.”
After eight months of physiotherapy twice a week, he’s pulling through. Metal screws hold his foot together and he’s still missing the fatty part of his heel (which will grow back if he eats more, he’s told), but he’s now back in the mountains – this time as a high performance competitor.
Ramrattan is one of Canada’s finest junior slalom kayak prospects. He was back in the Rocky Mountains for the Canadian Junior/U23 team trials at Canoe Meadows, Kananaskis on May 27-29, scarcely a 20-minute drive from the accident site.
The paddling community is a small one and, even though Ramrattan trains every weekend on the Kananaskis River, his appearance at trials created a buzz with event officials. Ramrattan downplayed the appearance.
“All the broken bones are below the waist, so I’m fine to paddle,” he said with a grin.
Chasing a spot on Canada’s junior national team and a ticket to world junior championships in Poland, kayaking soon returned as part of his recovery.
He now wants to earn a spot on Canada’s national team for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. At the trials race, he was still tenderfooted entering and exiting his boat, but on the water, his skill was evident. Training six days a week since his accident – three in the gym, three on the water – has paid off, but he knows his goals are within reach.
“The metatarsus are still broken and not lined up. The dense fat on the bottom of the heel hasn’t grown back yet,” Ramrattan said. “I love the speed on the boat, the quickness, the team. I love it all.”
Ramrattan finished third after the two-day trials race.
“I made a little mistake up top on the second gate. I held it together until the 16, 17, 18 offset. At that point in time I had a little mistake, but not too bad. I kept it under control and didn’t let it throw anything off,” Ramrattan said. “I’m definitely happy with the progress so far. It will be hard.”
