the LIFESAVER

Abstract

The group was about 3 miles south of the City of Altus when Adkins collided with a tumbleweed at 70 mph and was thrown from his bike, which then caused Travis to crash. "The call went out to highway patrol as a possible fatality," Adkins said.

"When I woke up in the ambulance, the paramedic took my helmet and shoved it in my face and said 'if you hadn't been wearing this we would be scraping your brains up off the pavement and you would be dead,'" Mai. Adam Travis recalled of a motorcycle ride that could have been his last.

Travis and Master Sgt. Lee Adkins were riding their motorcycles Jan. 15, 2012, in a group of five riders. The group was about 3 miles south of the City of Altus when Adkins collided with a tumbleweed at 70 mph and was thrown from his bike, which then caused Travis to crash.

"I saw huge tumbleweed out of the corner of my eye in the median," Adkins said. "I thought we were going to pass it because we were going 70 miles an hour and that is the last thing I remember."

"We didn't even break 5 miles out of town and a piece of tumbleweed comes from the opposite side of the road. The front rider pointed it out and everyone sees it," said Staff Sgt. Michael Fagan, the last rider in the group. "As soon as our lead rider passed the tumbleweed it rolled out into the road in front of Adkins. It looked like - from me seeing everything from the back - it hit his front wheel and exploded, and I'm thinking the tumbleweed slipped under his front wheel and brought it out. He goes down and then by reaction Travis locked up his brakes and went down."

'The last thing I remember seeing was this giant tumbleweed that was the size of a kitchen table come rolling . out on the road as Leroy was driving through it," Travis said. "I woke up in the ambulance for about 30 seconds and then I woke up in the hospital a couple hours later and that is about all I really remember of it."

Adkins and Travis were riding in the second and third position of the group. They kept the proper distance between each rider, but at 70 mph it comes up fast.

"We were doing the speed limit, we were all far enough apart from each other, we were with other experienced riders, no one was doing anything unsafe, and we iust had a very unfortunate situation pop up," Travis said.

Both Adkins and Travis suffered injuries, which could have been fatal if they were not wearing their PPE.

"I was wearing ieans, riding boots, leather iacket, gloves, smash resistant glasses and a helmet," Adkinssaid. "I was wearing a helmet and still fractured my skull. I had a brain bleed, shattered my forearm - had to have surgery on that, two plates, 12 screws -four broken ribs, punctured lungs, lacerated liver, torn medial collateral ligament, huge abrasion on the right side, which has had three surgeries, and a lot of ligament damage."

Adkins found out after the accident that emergency responders thought they might find him dead on arrival.

"The call went out to highway patrol as a possible fatality," Adkins said. "I couple months after when the highway patrolman actually came to my house. If it wasn't for the gear, I wouldn't be talking to you right now."

Travis was wearing a fullface helmet made of carbon fiber. At some point during the accident he flipped over and started sliding on his face. The helmet still has pieces of tumbleweed embedded into it.

"My iacket, gloves, pants, boots and helmet - all of it got destroyed and the only thing I have to show of it is a tiny little scar on my thumb and backside from road rash," Travis said. "It absolutely kept me from dying."

Travis and Adkins are both back on flying status.

"Two of us that were wearing all of our PPE are still very much alive and very much back on active duty and flying status because of our PPE," Travis said. "If it had not been for our PPE, we would both be dead - no doubt about it."

PPE wasn't the only factor that saved Travis and Adkins. Staff Sgt. Daniel, Massey and Fagan, were the other members of the riding group and because of their actions Travis and Adkins are still alive.

Once Adkins and Travis stopped rolling down the road from the accident, the other three riders made sure they did not move and blocked the road off.

"Either of us could have had a spinal iniury so if they had allowed us to get up or let someone else move us it could have been bad," Travis said.

"PPE and the Wingman concept really did come into play. It's not something that we thought was going to happen, but if you have the right training, when it does happen you can iust snap right into it and let the training kick in."

Both riders highly encourage motorcyclists to wear their PPE.

"If you're not mature enough to understand the ramifications and implications of having a wreck without your PPE on, you don't need to be riding," Travis said. "It has nothing to do with your skill level or the skill level of the people riding with you. It has to do with the situations that you can't control."

"I am glad the AF makes you wear PPE because you don't realize how much of an impact it will have until something bad happens," Adkinssaid. "You don't want to wait until something happens to find out if PPE was necessary or not. Even with iust the minimal requirements, you may need some more. It isa life saver - that is for sure."

Both riders said they will never forget how this accident affected their lives and the lives of their families.

-Editor's Note: Mai Travis' bike was totaled in the wreck; Master Sgt. Adkin's bike only suffered minor damage. Lee is still riding; however, Adam's wife laid down the law and said no more! Both of them are still flying and teaching students. They have some lingering effects from the wreck but are doing fine. In fiscal year 2012, ACC had a total of 75 motorcycle mishaps - seven of which were fatalities or led to total disability. So far this fiscal yean we've had one Class A fatality and 19 Clas Cs. As the weather changes and the bikes are dusted off for a season of riding, let's be careful out there and keep the shiny side up!