Bryan Leon, a sophomore in the Ohio University College of Aviation, was 1 of 150 Ohio University Snowcat members who attended last years 2010 winter ski trip to Breckenridge, Colorado. Leon would not make the return trip home for nearly a half month. After arriving in Breckenridge on the night of December 11th, Bryant and his 5 roommates could not believe the luxurious condo that they would call “home” for the next 6 nights.
“The 22 hour bus ride out was rowdy and I was exhausted from it, but our condo was awesome and the weather was perfect.”
“The first day, Monday, we rode Breck’s peaks 7,8 and 9. It was great because of our ski-in-ski-out condo. Leon said. On the second day we went to Keystone, it was different but still awesome. On the third day we took buses to Vail…. It was the best snowboarding of my whole life, waist deep powder as far as they eye could see.”
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| Leon at the top of Peak 8 in Breckenridge, Colorado. |
For the fourth day of skiing Leon and his friends Ryan, Chris and Michael all decided to ride Breckenridge again, because of new back bowls that opened up for the first time all season.
Catching the first chair up at 9am, the group immediately headed for the untouched powder. After a 100ft hike to the peak of 12,998ft, Bryant and Michael set off to conquer Art’s bowl. A double black diamond, the most difficult rating a hill can have.
“I was going for my first carve on my heel side over by a tree on the far right side of the bowl. My toes clipped something underneath the snow and immediately I was flying through the air head first, belly up,” Leon said. “I hit something with my lower back and slide to a stop, losing my hat and goggles.”
Bryant had hit a partially submerged boulder with his lower back and pelvis.
“I screamed out of pain at first, but thought I would be fine,” Leon said. “I thought I had just hit my back and couldn’t catch my breath, but after 10 minutes of waiting to catch it, I started to worry. I couldn’t feel my legs. I started blowing my emergency whistle.”
Due to the remote location of the hill it was nearly a hour till help arrived.
“The immediately gave me oxygen, put a neck brace on me, strapped me onto a body board, and loaded me into the sled.”
“I didn’t think I was that injured, I had called my Mom and Dad and told them what happened. I hadn’t really felt any pain until they moved me inside and started to cover me in blankets.”
After a series of x-rays, 2 IV lines and pain medicine Leon was moved from the Breckenridge Medical Center to the local hospital, and eventually to Denver.
“I was out of it due to the large amounts of pain meds, but I remember doctor after doctor coming back to me with worse news every time. They said I might never walk again.”
Leon’s injuries were far from what were originally thought as he soon found out he had shattered his pelvis in 3 parts, broken 5 ribs, cracked 5 vertebrate and collapsed his right lung.
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| Leon, battered but in good spirits. |
After the severity of his injuries had been discovered the life flight helicopter was fired up and awaiting his transportation to Denver.
“I didn’t want to take the life flight,” Leon said. “I knew it was a $25,000 expense health insurance didn’t cover. We flew all the way to Denver but the snow was too bad and we had to turn around. Fortunately I didn’t get charged for the flight, unfortunately I had a 5 hr ambulance ride to catch.”
At 9am he went into surgery. Almost 4 hours later he came out with 3 rods in his pelvis, a rod in his lower back and an external fixation for his pelvic rods. It took 5 days for his right lung to re-inflate due to the high altitude.
“My dad and girlfriend were there by the 2nd day I was in Denver and helped me a lot with the recovery.”
The pelvic device was on for 6 weeks and he had to use the assistance of a walker for 2 months. Leon withdrew from school winter quarter. Bryant latter returned to school in the spring of 2011 and re-enlisted for ROTC training.
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| Leon dressed up for the canon ceremony at OU's 2011 Homecoming football game against Ball State. |
“The injuries have healed for the most part, my lower back is numb sometimes and the rod they left in my lower back must be removed before I go to helicopter flights school after college.”
Bryant says he regrets nothing of the incident and still says it was the best week of his life.
He was one of the first people to secure his spot on this year’s trip to Park City, Utah.
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