Sunday, April 13, 2008

Traveling with Ted

After a long ride through a very hot and humid Brasil, we made it to Vitoria late on Wednesday night, and decided to take a swim in the hotel pool. The night was alive and beautiful, with the smell of BBQ coming from the beach. Women were out running while their boyfriends walked the Shitzu-Poodle lap dog.
The swimming pool at our hotel had an infection, so they directed us to the hotel next door. So we walked over and entered the pool area, where people sat drinking cocktails and relaxing in the cool evening breeze. I dipped my hand into the pool and it was very comfortable. There was a lamp post that illuminated the pool about two feet from the edge, a brass antiquity that created a pseudo ambiance.
Ted grabbed onto the lamp post to dip his foot into the pool, and took the entire thing in with him. The bloke was submerged underwater with a brass lamp post and a live 220 volt circuit. He managed to jump out of the pool, shortly after seeing the X Ray image of his right leg that was being zapped by the cord. Blood started collecting all over the pool deck, as the night watchers watched, and hotel management was called. The lamp post was put into the ground with three rusty quarter inch screws and no breaker.
After bringing out my first aid, Ted told me I could not practice sutures on him, so I used iodine, gauze bandages and tape to get the bleeding to stop. With the stethoscope, I checked his heart to make sure there were no irregular rhythms, although he does have a slight murmur.
Speaking with the manager, he was quite sympathetic, and told Ted he would not charge him for the damages.
Later, I turned to Ted and laughed. When asking me why I was laughing, I told him if this were to happen in North America, he would be a millionaire.
Never a dull moment.