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SALT LAKE CITY -- Warmer weather always brings on a surge of injuries related to outdoor activities, but this spring doctors at Primary Children's Medical Center say it's even worse. They also say many of the traumatic injuries are preventable.
James Ratcliffe is getting better now. A few days ago, he was still in a two-week long medically-induced coma.
"They told us to get our family together. They told us he probably wasn't going to make it," said Marianne Ratcliffe, James' mother.
In mid-May, the 13-year-old split his skull from forehead to neck when he tumbled off the back of an ATV. He and his brothers grew up riding ATVs in their Huntsville neighborhood, and he hurt himself on a seemingly simple ride. A friend offered a lift home from the bus stop on the back of her ATV, but they didn't get very far.
"She accelerated and I, like, flipped off," James said.
"It's truly a miracle that not only is he alive, he's talking, he's walking, he's remembering," Marianne said.
James' dad says this terrifying family episode is enough to convince him he needs to focus more on safety. "I take full responsibility for the casualness of this, and that's what I would encourage everybody to do, is don't take it casually. These are very dangerous things," Howard Ratcliffe said.
In Utah in 2007, 282 children under the age of 14 were injured on ATVs.
ATV riding is one of the state's fastest growing family pastimes. In 2006, the state had nearly 78,000 registered ATVs; a year later, there were 11,000. And by last year, the number of registered ATVs was near 100,000.
But Doctor Charles Pruitt, an emergency room physician and child advocate at Primary Children's, says more riders doesn't necessarily explain more injuries. He thinks there are more younger riders without helmets or training.
"Children are using vehicles that aren't intended for children and aren't being trained well enough, Pruitt said.
Other traumatic injuries are also up. For example, doctors are seeing an unusually high number of kids who fell from windows.
"Most injuries can be prevented [by] following rules, being safe, just using common sense; and parents, supervising your children is so important," Pruitt said.
The Ratcliffes are thrilled their summer wasn't shattered. "The doctors and nurses come in and say, ‘I didn't think this was going to happen,'" Marianne said.
The doctor's advice: Be smart, be careful and use common sense.
Ironically, Howard Ratcliffe bought helmets for each of his sons the day before James was hurt. He says they'll all wear them any time they hop on a four-wheeler.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
