Charlie had been looking forward to a solo week of skiing in Japan where his wife, Sam, was due to join him later. After a season skiing in Europe, he was making the most of retirement: balancing time with family, working as a ski instructor, and staying active in the mountains. But an unexpected fall on a blue run turned into something far more serious.
Local ski patrol reached him quickly but had limited resources. A leaky inflatable splint, a shoulder bandage used to hold his leg in place, and no pain relief made for an uncomfortable trip down the slope. After being stretchered off the mountain and transferred by ambulance, Charlie arrived at a small regional hospital two and a half hours later. He was still without pain relief, and no one had yet attempted to straighten his leg.
That was just the start of the challenges. The hospital, located over four hours from Tokyo, presented a significant language barrier. It wasn’t until a friend arrived that Charlie could explain he was in severe pain. When the insurance company assessed the situation, they decided he could have surgery in Japan, which meant he would need to stay in hospital for another two months.
That’s when Charlie and Sam decided to take matters into their own hands. While researching repatriation services, they discovered CareFlight. Unlike other international providers that required complicated bank transfers and lengthy waiting times, CareFlight stood out immediately.
Charlie hadn’t known much about CareFlight before the accident, but from the moment he made contact, it was clear CareFlight was different. The support was immediate, and everything began to fall into place. From the logistics of retrieving him during a long weekend in Japan to the hospital handover in Sydney, CareFlight handled everything seamlessly.
“CareFlight was incredible. The unbelievable reassurance of everything being taken care of was invaluable. The service ran like clockwork, and it was great being able to speak to anyone at any time.”
The medi-jet crew flew Charlie from Japan to Sydney via Guam and Darwin. It was a 20-hour journey, but thanks to the medical team on board, he was in safe hands the entire way. He even arrived in Sydney an hour ahead of schedule, where CareFlight had already arranged an out-of-hours hospital admission.
“CareFlight really thought about everything. Everything was organised so we didn’t need to worry,” Charlie said.
Recovery has been long and ongoing. Fourteen weeks after the accident, Charlie was still undergoing four days of physiotherapy each week. He has only recently returned to driving and can sit for just one or two hours at a time. A second surgery was needed to try to restore movement in his knee after being immobile for so long, but he is still not walking anywhere near normally, let alone skiing. Returning to the slopes as an instructor remains a distant goal.
“The timing was hard,” he said. “The season started, and all my friends were heading back to the mountain, and I couldn’t join them.”
Despite the setbacks, Charlie remains deeply grateful to CareFlight.
“The reassurance that everything was being taken care of was incredible. The team was professional, friendly, and always available. It made a very difficult time so much easier.”
Reflecting on how different things could have been without CareFlight, Charlie is clear:
“Other providers talked about private planes but couldn’t offer the level of care. CareFlight knew exactly what was needed. They understood what had to be done and just did it.”
He’s also conscious of how valuable the service is for others. “You never know when you or someone close to you might need CareFlight. I hadn’t had an accident in 45 years. It’s a service worth supporting,” he said. “For those who can donate, it really does change lives.”
