A Tale of Two Falls

At the start of today's hike in Northumberland, England, we came upon a hiker who had slipped and made a faceplant on the street. He was elderly, and his vision was sub-par. He was bleeding from cuts beside one eye and on his wrist.

My brother-in-law had a surprising variety of wound dressings in his pack, my better half performed medical services. I held the hiker's broken spectacles, while another bystander called 999.

A NHS (National Health Service) rescue vehicle showed up in under five minutes and two paramedics took over.

The old man's biggest concern was that he was causing trouble.

Once, on a freezing Minneapolis day, we ran the icy path round Lake of the Isles. Ahead, another runner had lost her footing, and was sprawled on the path, unable to get up. Her pain was intense, something was broken. It would be unwise to move her.

Her biggest concern was the cost of an ambulance, and she begged us not to call for one.

A jogger who had a cell phone called for an ambulance anyway. While we waited for the ambulance we learned about her financial difficulties.