Maricel Tagle hit the ground and was knocked unconscious when riding her farm bike at work. The night before had seen a deluge of rain and parts of the track had turned to slippery mud.
“I tried to change down the gear on a particularly slippery area, but it didn’t engage as I tried desperately to take control of the handlebars,” said Maricel.
Maricel’s boss, who was not far behind her, rushed to her side. Ambulance officers arriving on the scene immediately called for the assistance of the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
“I remember seeing all the happy moments in my life flash back,” Maricel reflects, “I remember thinking, I am not ready. Please give me another chance…and that was the moment I heard surrounding noise. It was a helicopter!”
Disoriented, Maricel recalls being moved by people but remembers nothing else. She woke up that evening in Waikato Hospital with a nasty concussion and other injuries.
Maricel’s recovery after being discharged was not easy due to effects of the concussion. Taking it a day at a time, she is making steady progress to return to the workforce.