ONE careless moment haunts John Blakely as he awaits news of his wife, who is unconscious with critical injuries sustained from a quad bike rollover.
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Yesterday specialists in Melbourne's Alfred hospital were waiting to bring Gael Blakely out of an induced coma when brain swelling subsided.
She remained in a critical but stable condition.
The usually safety-conscious 57-year-old farm hand neglected to put her helmet on as she was finishing her shift at The Union farm, Woolsthorpe, about 8.30pm on Monday last week .
As she was heading down a track to close a gate the machine tipped, throwing her onto the ground and then crashed on top of her.
She received head injuries, a broken pelvis and several broken ribs.
A road ambulance crew took her to South West Healthcare Warrnambool hospital and then she was transferred by helicopter the next morning to The Alfred, where surgeons operated to remove a blood clot and stop bleeding on her brain.
Mr Blakely described the anxious wait as scary.
"She will probably be in the intensive-care ward for another week before being transferred to the trauma ward," he said.
"The prognosis is quite good but it will be a long process."
He said the incident highlighted the dangers of riding quad bikes and the importance of helmets. "Unfortunately Gael was not wearing her helmet at the time," he said.
"It was found on the ground at the scene.
"She's usually very safety conscious but for some reason last Monday night didn't have it on.
"The bike hit a pile of soil, slipped sideways, threw her off and rolled on top of her.
"It was at the end of her shift and she was going to lock up the last gate. I shudder when I see farm hands not wearing helmets."
Mr Blakely and his wife moved from Melbourne to Woolsthorpe for a taste of country life about 14 years ago.
"She was a city girl and loved her farming job at The Union, where she has worked for about nine years," he said. "Her fellow workers and Midfield management have been extremely supportive and we can't thank the hospital and ambulance staff enough for all their help."
WorkSafe spokesman Micheal Birt said there had been numerous accidents with quad bikes, which must be ridden carefully with a helmet.
