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July 10, 2005
Combined with my extensive traveling during June and meager market input from regular sources, we didn’t send out any Market Newsletters. Things are back to normal and you should receive a Market Newsletter per the usual schedule of every 2-3 weeks.
If you have written an article or plan to write an article in the Lakeland area as a result of the Spring Conference, please inform the Central Florida VCB (one of our corporate sponsors and the host of the Spring Conference). Tear sheets would be great, but even a heads-up to check a web posting would be helpful. If you are aware of any articles that have already appeared, please also let them know so they can share them with those properties helping to sponsor our conference. You can contact Kelly Rote at the Central Florida Visitors & Convention Bureau, 600 N. Broadway. Suite 300, Bartow, FL 33830 Phone: 863-534-2507, Fax: 863-534-0886 Email: krote@sunsational.org, Website: www.sunsational.org.
At the end of this newsletter, Don Causey has excellent information about the importance of traveler’s insurance for those members who partake in far-flung assignments at times. We also highlight Larry Larsen’s new video. Accordingly, if you have any market news, contests or info about your company, product or recent awards, send them for publication in the FOWA Market Newsletter so you can tell members and corporate sponsors all about it.
You’ll be receiving a “paper” Reporter newsletter in August that will provide all the details and registration info for the Oct. 26-30 FOWA Fall Conference that takes place in Kissimmee. The itinerary will really be awesome, so stay tuned!
Kelly Braden, FOWA Secretary
KJBraden1@aol.com
CURRENT MARKETS
Drake Magazine
Drake Magazine features educational and entertaining fly-fishing stories, not instructional how-to pieces. Write about your dog. Make the editors laugh. Departments (200-800 words) include “Scuddlebutt” (short, newsy-type pieces or humor), “City Limits” (about fishing near major metropolitan areas), “Rod Holders” (profiles of fly-fishers), “Tippets” (600-800-word essays) and “Bugs” (stories or profiles of bugs). Be creative with photos (no “grip and grins”). Also sought are artwork, illustrations, etc. All payment is negotiable for one-time rights. Complete guidelines are at www.drakemag.com; click “contributors guidelines.” Submit queries to Tom Bie, Drake Magazine, 34145 Pacific Coast Hwy. #319, Dana Point, CA 92629; e-mail info@drakemag.com.
Family Motor Coaching
The Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA), a motor home owners association, is holding a convention in Pomona, Calif., in March 2006. Family Motor Coaching magazine, for motor home owners who belong to FMCA, is seeking travel articles about Southern California destinations. Articles should be accompanied by a selection of quality images and geared toward the motor home traveler. For writers’ guidelines, which provide details about copy and photo requirements, e-mail pjordan@fmca.com or mail request to editorial assistant, Family Motor Coaching, 8291 Clough Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45244. Family Motor Coaching buys first North American serial rights and electronic rights. Query deadline is Sept. 15. Visit www.fmca.com for more information about FMCA.
JAKES Magazine
JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship) is the National Wild Turkey Federation’s publication for its youth program members. Stories need to be fun and interesting to a 10 year old. Features should emphasize the outdoors, conservation, hunting, hunter safety, hunting ethics or hunting heritage. Story length should be between 1,000 and 1,200 words. Photos are encouraged and should illustrate wildlife, conservation, colorful scenes and families participating in hunting and outdoor pastimes together. Payment is as follows: stories, negotiable from $100; inside photos, $75-$200; and $400 for cover photos for first North American serial rights and, in some cases, all electronic rights. Send queries to Matt Lindler, P.O. Box 530, Edgefield, SC 29824, 803-637-3106, mlindler@nwtf.net. For more information visit www.nwtf.org/tv_magazines/Writers_Guidelines.html.
Marlin
Marlin accepts freelance queries pertaining to offshore fishing, destinations, personalities and related topics. A key factor in decision-making regarding queries and manuscripts is the amount and quality of available photography on the subject. Marlin continues to emphasize fine saltwater fishing photography, most of which comes from freelance professionals. Covers emphasize fish, boats and fish action – fish leaping, underwater, at the surface, on a line out of the water, etc. Every image must include photographer’s name and description on the slide. Send queries with name, address, phone number, social security number and a SASE. First-time American rights are purchased. Details are at www.marlinmag.com/article; or call Dave Ferrell, editor, or Charlie Levine, managing editor, at 407-628-4802 (dave.ferrell@worldpub.net).
Paintball and Action Pursuit Games
Paintball and Action Pursuit Games magazines, geared to the sport of paintball, seek story/photo packages displaying proper safety gear and respect for game rules and regulations. Pay is $100 for 400 to 1,000 words with high-resolution TIF files, color prints, slides or trans-parencies. All rights are purchased. All submissions must contain the magazines’ release forms, which are available online with editorial guidelines at www.actionpursuitgames.com. All submissions will be considered for both magazines unless clearly marked exclusive to one or the other. Editors may be contacted at editor@actionpursuitgames.com or paintballmag@mindspring.com. Submit all forms and complete package to Dan Reeves (editor, Action Pursuit Games), P.O. Box 417, Licking, MO 65542 or Jessica Sparks (editor, Paintball), P.O. Box 417, Licking, MO 65542.
Paint Horse Journal
Paint Horse Journal (PHJ) seeks material for its “Great Rides” page. This page is a quick-read destination piece for horseback-riding enthusiasts. All submissions must include at least two good-quality, well-composed photos of the area, with at least one shot showing a horse and rider. Because the PHJ is a breed publication, the magazine cannot use photos of appaloosas, Arabians or equines that obviously are not paint horses. Photos should have a description of how to get to the location, horse/trailer accommodations at the trailhead and what will be seen on the ride itself (approximately 350-400 words total). Payment is $250 per article, paid on acceptance. Purchased are first North American serial rights. Special needs: rides in the Midwest, Northeast, East and South. Query Dan Streeter at dstreeter@apha.com or call 817-834-2742, ext. 210.
Renaissance Magazine
Renaissance Magazine, One Controls Drive, Shelton, CT 06484. Phone: 203-446-8100 or 800-232-2224. Fax: 203-446-8101 or 800-775-2729. Email: LadyJanet@RenaissanceMagazine.com. Website: www.renaissancemagazine.com. Kim Guarnaccia, Editor - editor@renaissancemagazine.com (all articles, photos, editorials); Janet Fable, Advertising Director - ladyjanet@renaissancemagazine.com (all advertising, faire listings and links); Anna Christopolous, Subscriptions/Products - anna@renaissancemagazine.com (all subscriptions, back issue requests and any products ordered). 10% freelance "Renaissance Magazine covers the periods between 500-1650 AD and features articles on history, reenactments, herbal and culinary arts, castles, heraldry, Shakespeare, and interviews with the movers and shakers of the Renaissance faire and reenactment communities. Upcoming Renaissance faires and festivals are listed in every issue, and medieval and renaissance books, movies, games, websites, and music are regularly reviewed." Welcomes new writers. Circ. 33K (distributed to subscribers, bookstores and renaissance faires). 6 issues/year. Pays on publication. Publishes ms 6-36 months after acceptance. Buys first N.A. serial rights. No reprints. Responds 6-8 weeks. Sample articles at website; print copies at bookstores. Subscription $29 per year. Guidelines online at: www.renaissancemagazine.com/subguide.html. CURRENT NEEDS: "Book reviews, interviews or articles about renaissance faire artisans, performers, or merchants." Pays $0.08/word for book reviews of 200-400 words, interviews of around 1200 words and features of 3000 words. Submit query by email to editor (at) renaissancemagazine.com.
PHOTOS/ART: "Photos appreciated; prefer digital images, 300 dpi, 5x7" image size." Pays $7.50 per image on publication.
Sport Fishing Photos
Currently, Sport Fishing has the following needs (please e-mail editor listed before submitting): Tarpon being tagged or tarpon with tags visible (contact Chris Woodward at chris.woodward@worldpub.net). Large hogfish (a.k.a. hog snapper) underwater, close-ups of fish at surface or in boat, fish coming into boat, fish with angler(s), etc. (contact Doug Olander at doug.olander@worldpub.net). The deadline for all these images is July 31. Sport Fishing is using more and more digital images and is always in the market for good covers. Read guidelines (at www.sportfishingmag.com under “editorial”) for species of interest and prices. Sport Fishing purchases first English-language rights. Contact Managing Editor Ted Lund (ted.lund@worldpub.net) with general questions or to submit cover images.
The Traveling Wingshooter
The Pointing Dog Journal and The Retriever Journal magazine publisher seeks correspondents living in major upland bird and waterfowl hunting states to supply where-to-go features. Stories would appear in The Traveling Wingshooter, launching July 2005, and may appear in either of the other two magazines. Payment is $400-$450 for 1,500-1,750 words with photos (minimum of four), upon publication for first North American serial rights. Mail queries to Steve Smith, editor, The Traveling Wingshooter, 2779 Aero Park Dr., Traverse City, MI 49686. E-mail queries are preferred: Jason Smith, managing editor, jake@villagepress.com.
Xtreme JAKES Magazine
Xtreme JAKES Magazine is the National Wild Turkey Federation’s publication for its teen members aged 13-17. This magazine’s focus is to attract young readers to outdoor pursuits and help them better understand their role in natural resource conservation. Article ideas must be outdoors related with an emphasis on education and entertainment. Submissions may include topics on traditional outdoor pursuits, including hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, camping, etc., as well as popular extreme sports such as snowboarding, rock climbing, etc. Payment is as follows: stories, negotiable from $100 for 800-1,200 words; inside photos, $75-$200; and $400 for cover photos for first North American serial rights and, in some cases, all electronic rights. Send queries to Matt Lindler, P.O. Box 530, Edgefield, SC 29824, 803-637-3106, mlindler@nwtf.net. For more information visit www.nwtf.org/tv_magazines/Writers_Guidelines.html.
OUT-OF-STATE PUBLICATIONS
Montana Magazine
Montana Magazine, P.O. Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604. P(406)443-2842. F(406)443-5480. Email: editor@montanamagazine.com. Website: www.montanamagazine.com. Beverly Magley, Editor. 100% freelance. "Our hallmark is stunning, full-color photography that speaks to the grandeur and personality of Montana. We provide our readers a broad editorial mix that includes a geographic spread throughout the state. We focus on history, natural history, outdoor recreation, communities and people, contemporary issues of statewide interest, armchair traveler places and events, ecology and conservation, unique businesses, and sustainable economy. We want our resident readers to feel ownership in the magazine and our non-resident readers to know they are getting the insiders view of Montana." Welcomes new writers. Circ. 40K. Bimonthly. Pays on publication. Publishes ms 1 year after acceptance. Buys one-time rights. Accepts reprints under specific conditions. Responds 4 months. Sample $5. Subscription $23; $28 outside the US. Guidelines by mail with SASE and online at: www.montanamagazine.com/submit/submitguides.html. CURRENT NEEDS: "Montana recreation, natural history, Montana-based humor, wildlife, real-life adventure, nostalgia, geography, history, byways and infrequently-explored countryside, and environment--in short, anything that will inform and entertain our readers." Pays $0.15/word for 800-2500 words. See guidelines for specific query requirements. PHOTOS/ART: Accepts original transparencies only. Pays $50-$250. HINTS: "Please do not call and query. Write or email."
EVENTS
Central Florida VCB
The Central Florida VCB would like to share information with you, about an event of interest to outdoor writers that will be taking place here in Central Florida's Lakes Country.
The Florida Antique Tackle Collectors (F.A.T.C.) organization is having their Summer Antique Tackle Show in Bartow, Florida on Saturday, August 13. The event, which is open to the public, takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Bartow Civic Center located at 2250 South Floral Avenue.
Admission is $3 per person and children under 12 will be admitted free with a paying adult.
There will be numerous displays for you to browse and an assortment of antique lures and reels will be for sale. You are invited to bring your old tackle for a FREE appraisal - or to sell.
F.A.T.C. helps to promote the preservation of antique angling memorabilia and the history of tackle manufacturers.
For more information, please contact event organizer Bill Stuart at 863-533-7358, Bstuartmof@aol.com or visit www.FATC.net.
"Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!"
"Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!" Brings Women's Fishing Seminar & Fun Tournament To Islamorada, FL Keys, October 14-16.
More than 100 women will come from South Florida and other cities to learn fishing at the 6th Annual "Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!"® seminar and tournament, Oct. 14- 16 at Holiday Isle Beach Resorts and Marina, Islamorada, FL. This award-winning fishing seminar series for women, hosted by Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and presented by Mercury Outboards, kicks off with a welcome reception at Holiday Isle on Friday, Oct. 14 from 6 - 8pm. The seminar is at Holiday Isle on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 7:30am - 4:30pm. An optional, full day of fishing and tournament out of Whale Harbor is on Sunday, Oct. 16 from 7am - 3:30pm. The event concludes with a fillet class and awards, held until 5pm.
The classroom portion starts at 7:30am on Saturday where fishing techniques are taught at beginner and intermediate/advanced levels. Instructors will speak on the topics of Offshore, Bottom, Inshore/Flats and Fly Fishing, respectively. After lunch, the women will participate in several "hands-on" fishing stations, such as conservation techniques, spin casting, net casting, landing and releasing, knot tying, gaffing grapefruits, boat handling, trailer backing and reeling against pressure, until 4:30pm. The full day Fishing Adventure is on Sunday out of Whale Harbor, complete with a fun tournament.
Featured on Inside Edition, NBC's Nightly News and more, the series is partially supported by the FWC through the Sport Fish Restoration Program and by partners such as Mercury Outboards, Bass Pro Shops, Ranger, BoatU.S. Marine Insurance, Gulfstream Int'l Airlines, Shakespeare Fishing Tackle, Lowrance, Viper Bob's Fighting Gimbals and Marine Industries Association of South Florida. Other partners include Magic Tilt Trailers, Eagle Claw Hooks, Maxima fishing line, Florida Keys and Key West and more. Other seminars are held in Florida in Ft. Lauderdale, Sarasota and Stuart. Special events are offered in Alaska, Costa Rica and Key Largo's Ocean Reef Club. "Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!" also offers local chapters.
Registration, which must be made one week in advance at the latest, is $150, including instruction, use of equipment, meals, T-shirt, goody bag, door prizes and more. The full-day fishing adventure and tournament, with fishing tackle and bait provided, will range from $40 to $245 in addition. Contact: LLGF, P.O. Box 550429, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33355, Phone: 954-475-9068; Fax: 954-474-7299; Toll free information: 1-888-321-LLGF (5543); Email: billfishbetty@hotmail.com; Website: www.ladiesletsgofishing.com.
CALENDAR INFORMATION: "Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!"® saltwater fishing seminar and tournament for women, Oct. 14-16, 2005 Islamorada, FL. $150 registration includes Welcome party, beginner/advanced-level classes, lunch, hands-on skill stations, tournament, T- shirt, goody bag and more. Fri/Sat events held at Holiday Isle. Sunday fishing adventure out of Whale Harbor, with tournament fees included, ranges from $40 - $245. Contact "Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!" Phone: 954-475-9068; Fax: 954-474-7299; Toll free information: 1-888-321-LLGF (5543); Email: billfishbetty@hotmail.com, Website: www.ladiesletsgofishing.com.
MEMBER NEWS
Larsen wins First Place award in OWAA Excellence In Craft Competition
Madison, Wisconsin - Outdoor writer Larry Larsen was awarded First Place
in the Newspaper Article Category of the Excellence In Craft writing
competition at the annual Outdoor Writers Association of America
Conference on June 19. His feature article, "Now That's A Croc, Mate!" on
fishing the barramundi on the Mary River in Australia's Northern
Territory, appeared in the Tampa Tribune August 27, 2004. The Fishing
Writing Category of the 2004 OWAA Awards competition had the most entries
(56) of all article contest categories.
Larry Larsen Shares Peacock Bass Fishing Secrets
Speaking of Larry, he’s just introduced his new “how-to” video, “Master’s Secrets to Peacock Bass Fishing with Larry Larsen.” Viewers will learn Larry’s seven tactics and 12 secrets for catching more and bigger peacock bass so that they can have greater success on their next trip to South America. This 42 minute video in both DVD and VHS format is loaded with tricks and tips from the internationally recognized expert angler who has caught over 1,700 peacock bass weighing from 10 to 25 pounds! Larry, an author of four books and more than 120 magazine articles on peacock bass, welcomes the viewer to his world of peacock bass fishing with an entertaining video that is educational and fun to watch. In it, he covers the many factors he has discovered to achieving maximum success on big fish during more than 60 trips chasing peacock.
Master’s Secrets to Peacock Bass Fishing with Larry Larsen reveals the “rules” for catching the giants and the exceptions to those rules. Viewers will learn the prime visual keys, including the optimal depths, structure, water type and color, current and other factors that make for maximizing the catch of “teeners.” Larry discusses hook-up ratios, “team fishing” for doubles and effective follow-up tactics. Viewers will learn how to fish
fry balls, short-strikers, and schoolers and how to troll topwater plugs for giants; they’ll also learn about detecting and fishing the right “signs” on the water. The Fishing Hall of Fame inductee discusses selecting and fishing the right equipment for success including rods, reels, line, lures and hooks.
This new instructional video is the most comprehensive and detailed work ever produced on the explosive peacock bass. Learn from the excitement of fast-breaking action brought to you on this entertaining video/DVD. Master’s Secrets to Peacock Bass Fishing with Larry Larsen, produced by Larsen’s Outdoor Publishing and Awesome Fishing Productions, both of Lakeland, FL, is available in choice of DVD or VHS format for $29.95 (postpaid). To order online, visit www.peacockbassassociation.com, or
contact Peacock Bass Association, Dept. “Vid2PB”, 2640 Elizabeth Place,
Lakeland, FL 33813; e-mail info@peacockbassassociation.com.
FYI
The Case for Evacuation Insurance - A Traveling Sportsman’s Nightmare
by Don Causey, Angling Report President/Publisher
(Republished with permission of The Hunting Report, www.huntingreport.com)
As a traveling sportsman, you have probably heard of an arcane form of insurance known as Medical Evacuation Insurance. Likely as not, though, you do not have such a policy. And that is a mistake so large and important that I urge you to correct it, if not immediately, at least before you venture outside your home country on a trip of any sort, even a family trip to Europe, not to mention a safari to Africa or a mountain hunt in some remote part of Asia.
Why this shrill warning? Let me start at the beginning….
Here at The Hunting Report, we publish a lot of information about remote, difficult-to-access parts of the world, and we cover on a regular basis hunts that involve a certain amount of risk. Polar bear hunts in the High Arctic come to mind right away. So do hunts for forest elephant in Cameroon, Marco Polo hunts in the Pamirs, foot hunts in Tanzania for buffalo in thick reeds.
But hold the phone. This focus on geographic remoteness and obvious risk is somewhat beside the point, because the financial and physical danger you face by not having evacuation insurance is every bit as great for the hunter who falls out of a jeep in Mexico or, in between hunts, falls and breaks his hip on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. I’ll have more to say on the latter in a moment….
First, though, a snapshot of the personal nightmare I just experienced. It happened in the west African country of Cameroon, where I was on a hunting trip in the southern part of the country, on the border of Brazzaville, Congo, a $5,742 plane ride from the major city of Douala, where international air carriers provide service to Europe. Remember that number, $5,742: it is the first of several that will eventually take your breath.
On the afternoon of May 4, 2005, I climbed into a machan located near a mini-savannah where Professional Hunter Dougie Stephenson had spotted large numbers of animal tracks. Our plan was to wait until dark in that machan for a forest buffalo or forest sitatunga to come into the clearing. If none did, we would stay in the machan until the next morning, leaving sometime after full light.
Unfortunately, in the small hours of the morning of May 5, sometime around 3 am, a strong wind broke a limb from a neighboring tree, which crashed across our machan, destroying it and spilling us to the ground. I was asleep when it happened, and I woke up falling. My first clear recollection was the sound of a large limb striking the ground, followed by an impact so severe I temporarily lost consciousness.
On regaining consciousness, I was blindsided by a searing pain in my lower back that rose and fell with what turned out to be uncontrollable muscle spasms originating somewhere near my waist. It was a pain so severe as to be dangerous to your sanity and will to live. And it was hurtling at me, in wave after wave, as I lay on the floor of a remote west African jungle in complete darkness. Making matters worse was a soaking rain that pattered down on every part of your body, soaking you to the bone, hammering your spirit, filling your eye sockets.
Where was Dougie Stephenson? Where were our guns? My God, what were we going to do?
From somewhere nearby, Dougie suddenly called out. Yes, he had fallen, too. But he was ok, he said. He would be right over. Yes, he could walk.
Momentarily, he fell to the ground beside me. He was breathing heavily, obviously in pain himself, but fully alert. He had the satellite phone, he said. Everything would be ok. Help would come.
With that, he moved away in the darkness to look for the guns and for the local tracker who had been in the tree with us. The tracker was hurt but able to walk, Dougie told me on returning. And both of the guns were fine.
At that point, he leaned over me in the rain and began to fumble with a flashlight so he could see the numbers of the satellite phone. Soon, he had it on and began to dial. It was too early, though. No one at camp had their phone switched on. Yes, it was a satellite phone, and we could have called any number in the world. But to what end? There was no US Coast Guard within 9,000 miles. There was, quite literally, no one in the world we could call who would be able to do anything for us in less than a matter of days, if ever. Our only hope was to reach the camp, some 50 miles away.
“We’ll just have to keep trying,” he said in a trembling voice.
Ultimately, it was over three hours before we reached anyone in camp and more than five hours before help came. The low point in that pain-wracked, five-hour-long ordeal was the moment when Dougie whispered hoarsely, “I’m going into shock. I’m losing it.” He was still slumped over me in the rain. It was getting light enough for me to make out his face.
Recalling such moments clearly is impossible, but I do remember shouting, “You can’t do that, Dougie! I don’t have the number of the camp.” With that, I remember shaking him, perhaps striking out with my right arm. Whether that had any effect on the situation is unclear, but momentarily, or maybe it was sometime later after a period of unconsciousness, I heard him call out the name of the camp owner. I knew he had connected with help.
Indeed, around 8 am the camp owner arrived with enough help to build a primitive stretcher out of poles, which was used to transport me back to the road and from there back to camp. More important at the moment was the fact that the camp owner came with a powerful pain killer of some sort, in liquid form, which he poured down my throat. After that, everything was a blur for hours.
Now comes the interesting part. Back at camp, it was clear (to me at least) that I could not safely walk, or even sit up. Attempting to even do so sent lightning bolts of pain down both sides of my groin. I had some numbness in my right leg that got ominously worse after a particularly energetic effort to get up and muster the resolve to catch my charter flight back to Douala, where I would have to catch a six-hour flight back to Paris and then a 10-hour flight back to Miami.
It was clear (again to me at least) that I was simply in no condition to make such a journey. I would have to be flown back to the States, or to a first-world hospital somewhere, strapped into a horizontal position. Intuitively, I knew the alternative was potential loss of mobility, maybe even paralysis.
Our first call was to the American Embassy in Yaoundé. I didn’t make the call. Dougie did, as he was able to walk outside where the satellite phone could pick up a signal. He reported back that the Embassy had listened intently to everything he said. At one point, he said he heard an individual in the background say, “Yes, I’ve got him on the screen now. He’s a Vietnam-era vet. We have to help him get out of there.”
Our request for help was a modest one. We didn’t ask for a helicopter. We asked the embassy to help us work with Air France to fly me out of Douala on a stretcher placed across six Economy-Class seats and then with American Airlines to do the same thing out of Paris. Yes, we were prepared to pay for all those seats. Our problem was linking up with suitable medical facilities in Douala and Paris that would certify me as being medically able to fly. We also needed some help simply getting Air France on the phone and focused on the problem. Ditto American Airlines.
The embassy’s help with all this was necessary, we already knew, because too many lawyers have sued airlines recently on behalf of medi-vaced passengers who worsened or died enroute. Some airlines simply don’t medi-vac passengers any more under any circumstances. Those that still do want a medical facility in the line of fire between them and lawyers. Handling all this via sat phone in a remote corner of Cameroon was all but impossible. Hence our call to the embassy.
When the embassy called back, we were all stunned. The reply was, the embassy just could not help us in any way. No, they couldn’t call the French Embassy for us or Air France. Relations between the countries were so bad, we were told, the embassies were barely speaking with one another. “We’ve had Americans literally dying of malaria, and the French Embassy won’t lift a finger,” the US Embassy official said. With that, she volunteered the phone number of the US Ambassador. “Call him if you want. But I assure you that we cannot help you in any way.”
Clearly, all we could do at that point was arrange for private evacuation service. I was already familiar with a company called MedjetAssist, and I knew the Executive Vice President, Phillip Morris. However, I had stubbornly not bought a policy from the company because I had heard several accounts of hunters arranging their own evacuation on commercial air carriers. Problems of the sort we ran into in Cameroon had just never appeared on my radar screen, so the risk/reward ratio involved in buying medical evacuation insurance had simply not computed. You would have to be a worry wart to buy that kind of insurance.
Boy, was I wrong! The amount of money involved in a private evacuation, I quickly learned, was stunning. It was such a large figure, and it needed to be raised so quickly, the only practical solution was to ask a wealthy friend to pledge the necessary amount.
He did so, and what ensued in amazingly short order was a flawless evacuation. It began with a King Air Flight from camp to Douala, arranged for by the camp owner, where I was met by a Citation twin-engine jet with a doctor on board and a medical assistant. I was whisked from Douala… to Aswan, Egypt… to Entebbe Airport in Uganda… to Nairobi, Kenya, where preliminary x-rays revealed that I had four fractured vertebra, one of them broken and so unstable the head of neurosurgery recommended against commercial aviation evacuation even if it could be found. I needed immediate medical care (in his opinion that included surgery) or private evacuation.
Since back surgery in Nairobi, with no second opinion, seemed out of the question, it was back to the air. The first leg, again aboard a Citation twin-engine jet, took me to Corfu, Greece, and thence to Brussels, Belgium, where an air ambulance service out of Atlanta happened to be delivering a seriously injured soccer player. Their Lear Jet took me to Shannon, Ireland; Gander, Newfoundland; Baltimore, Maryland; and finally Miami, Florida. The transportation bill alone? $122,822.
At this writing, two weeks later, I still spend a good part of my days flat on my back, laptop balanced on my knees. I’ve lost 30 pounds, and I have a removable brace I have to wear whenever I sit or stand. Only stubbornness and an aversion to medicine keep me out of the painkiller bottle. I also still have occasional nightmares about falling. On the bright side, I can walk and climb stairs, and I am looking forward to getting back to the office, perhaps even out in the field somewhere by late this fall. My prospects for a near-full recovery in time are excellent, according to my doctors, who all agree, incidentally, that anything but a full-scale evacuation would have probably left me crippled.
What have I learned? That life is fragile and terrible things happen. That you cannot wall yourself off from danger, but there are some important things you can – and should do – if you travel. One of them is buy evacuation insurance. You should do that, I’ve now learned, even if you don’t take adventurous trips. One of the clear memories I have of the whole ordeal is lying on a stretcher in that Lear Jet somewhere over the North Atlantic, talking with the paramedic on board, who was battling to stay awake after flying all the way from Atlanta to Brussels and back with stops every five hours.
That paramedic wasn’t really surprised to hear that my flight had not been arranged by an evacuation insurance company, that the up-front payment was coming out of my own pocket. It happened all the time, he said. American tourists in Europe. Fishermen in Canada who slip on a piece of ice. Saddest of all, he said, are retirees who book a cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale only to slip and fall in the shower and break their hip. To get home from somewhere like Cancun they have to pony up, on the spot, something like $18,000 or more.
“Someone needs to tell travelers that their regular insurance doesn’t help them get home in the event of a medical crisis,” he said.
“I’ll do that,” I said. – Don Causey, President/Publisher.
(Postscript: There are scores of companies that provide medical evacuation insurance. Type those words on the search line of google and you’ll get 646,000 items. My own preference is MedjetAssist, the company that got me home. They don’t offer the cheapest service, but they are competent. From the moment Phillip Morris heard of my injury, he was on the phone all over the world getting me home. His service providers pushed through wartime clearance to fly over Democratic Republic of Congo. Not in a week either, but in a day. The doctor aboard the flight from Douala spent an hour strapping me into an inflatable corset and lifting me with a device called a club to help save my mobility. There were other moments, too, but none more poignant than the farewell gesture of the paramedic on the flight from Nairobi to Brussels. Before the door on the connecting Lear jet slammed shut, she leaned through and grasped my hand for a moment. No words were spoken. They didn’t need to be. You can reach MedjetAssist at: 800-963-3538. Web: www.medjetassistance.com. An annual policy costs $205, and they have short-term policies for as little as $75 for seven days.)
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