'Good people' help wrangler out after accident
A wrangler’s job is a tough one in the best of conditions, but it can get a whole lot tougher when the weather goes south.
Tug Leberman was riding the fence line on a quad runner at Flathead Lake Lodge to check for breaches the morning after a major windstorm last month. There are two herds of elk — one domestic and one wild — separated by the fence on the ranch and he needed to make sure the herds hadn’t crossed into each other’s territories.
The terrain was steep and he considered going back for his mule, which in all his years of wrangling, he was more comfortable with.
On the other hand, he figured he’d already checked two fences and had just one more. To boot, it was Chinese food day for lunch at the lodge that he definitely did not want to be late for. (There were never any leftovers on Chinese day.)
He started crossing the last steep grade when the quad runner hit something in the trail and kicked the handlebars. He tried to straighten out but was flung off and started tumbling down the hillside. As he came to a stop he looked uphill ... there was the quad runner bouncing down toward him.
Leberman distinctly recollects calculating at that moment that judging from its inertia the machine was going to roll over instead of land on him. That it did — but not before breaking six of his ribs.
He got on his radio to signal for help, but it was broken. He then used his cellphone to call lodge owner Doug Averill. When he hung up, he noticed his hand and his phone were covered in blood. Figuring he must have cut his head, he stood up and started walking along the fence line. Averill and a young wrangler found him and the three headed back in Averill’s quad-cab pickup truck.
When Leberman turned around to talk to Justin in the back, he noticed Justin’s eyes were particularly wide and he couldn’t stop looking at the side of Leberman’s head. That’s when Leberman took a look at his left ear. It was split from the earlobe, all the way up to within 3/4 inch of the top — nearly detached.
They drove to the Bigfork Fire Department where volunteers Tracy and Brian took him by ambulance to Kalispell Regional Medical Center, keeping up his spirits and his vitals on the ride, Leberman said, even though he had to have a good pair of Wranglers cut off in the process.
At the ER, Drs. Robert Bates and Stephen Milheim’s calm demeanor and quick action were reassuring and appreciated.
Plastic surgeon Dr. David Weber arrived later, lightened the mood by telling Leberman his day job was laying carpet and that he moonlighted in reconstruction surgery.
“I knew that we in the valley had excellent medical personnel, but they performed their duty beyond my wildest dream,” Leberman said. He thanks the ambulance crew, all the doctors, nursing staff Polly, Anna, Kathleen and Tymber, as well as Virginia and the cafeteria staff who served up “food equal or better than a five-star hotel.”
He also thanked Averill for his quick response and calm bearing, and Kevin Barrows, the lodge’s general manager who showed up at the hospital, also missing out on the Chinese lunch that Leberman always ribs him about eating too much of.
Twelve hours after getting to the hospital, Leberman was released. It was a Friday night during fair week. Naturally, he headed for the rodeo.
One month later, Leberman’s ribs have nearly healed and it is hoped his hearing will soon be back to where it was before the accident.
“I was lucky to have really good people to help after a really bad experience,” Leberman said.
Community editor Carol Marino may be reached at 758-4440 or by email at community@dailyinterlake.com.