Thursday, April 13, 2006

What a way to go

There are many ways to leave this pebble of a planet and while we all will someday kick the dust of Earth off our shoes I'd rather do it while daring greatly or in my sleep at age 100. That is not the case for two poor souls I just read about.

Oliver Johnson, a Honolulu mortage broker died last week six days after falling into sewage-contaminated waters at a Waikiki boat harbour and contracting a severe bacterial infection. The State Health Department said Johnson had three types of bacteria, including Vibrio vulnificus, which lives in warm salt water and can infect through an open wound or by eating contaminated seafood. If the bacterium enters the bloodstream, it could result in death, especially when the immune system is weakened, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"You have a 34-year-old healthy man and he goes into the Ala Wai and within days he dies of massive infections." Said Stephany Sofos, a close friend of Johnson. "It's so tragic, so senseless." he added. The city had diverted nearly 50 million gallons of raw sewage into the ocean near the harbor after a 42-inch sewer main, stressed by heavy rains, cracked March 24. In days, Johnson deteriorated from a healthy, athletic man to having his leg amputated and failing kidneys, lungs and liver, she said. He was admitted to the hospital Sunday after complaining of pain and trouble breathing. When he died Johnson was unconscious and on life support.

Then at Walt Disney World this week a 49-year-old woman died after riding “Mission: Space”. She became ill and was taken to a hospital, and died a day later. The cause of death is unknown at this time but I'm going to vote early on when your number's up, your number's up. The $100 million ride, one of Disney World’s most popular, was also closed in June after the death of a 4-year-old boy who passed out while aboard. An autopsy concluded he died of a heart condition that a medical examiner said can cause sudden death in stressful situations. The ride reopened after company engineers concluded it was operating normally. If normally means there is chance the ride might kill you. “Mission: Space” spins riders in a centrifuge that subjects them to twice the normal force of gravity. Some riders have been taken to the hospital with chest pain. People trek across the country and pay an admission for this privilege.

So the moral of the story is don't fall into raw sewage and don't ride "Mission: Space." Other than that, when your number's up, your number's up so try to enjoy the day and hope for a while you have an unlisted number.

2 Comments:

Blogger Capt. Fogg said...

These theme parks have an amazing ability to squelch stories like that. I have a friend whose daughter died in Orlando and before the docters had even examined her and before the father was able to make a statement, the PR commandos had already released a bogus story about her bad health.

That's the only story the public ever heard.

Anyway, I'm screenig my calls.

1:00 PM  
Blogger Capt. Fogg said...

Turns out the theme parks have a sweetheart deal from the government that exempts them from having to report injurys and exepmts them from having the government inspect the rides and protects them from inquiries.

Thanks GOP!

9:33 AM  

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