Motorcab Driver Falls From Coconut Tree

Feb.1,2010
Motorcab Driver Falls From Coconut Tree
By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-A motorcab driver who climbed a coconut tree on his lot one Monday morning has fallen when both sides of the notch (hakhak in Cebuano) gave way to his feet’s hold.
The victim was identified as Danilo Rojas Ramos, 57 years old, a resident of brgy Isagani (Pugaling).
In an interview LSDE with his wife, Leticia Garde-Ramos, 54 year old, a Barangay Councilor in her place, she disclosed that her husband has decided to harvest matured coconut fruits together with 2 other hired coconut climbers (manakaay’g lubi in the Cebuano language).
The victim’s wife said that about an hour later her husband had fallen after harvesting some coco fruits from 10 coconut trees.
As narrated by the victim to his wife, she said that when he started to climb down, the notch (hakhak in Cebuano) on his right side broke up as he positioned his right foot for a hold. When he placed his left foot upon the left side notch, it also broke up and he tightly hugged the coco’s trunk to prevent him from an abrupt fall.
However, my husband could no longer sustain the degree of strength he employed to prevent himself from falling below, she said. Still he tried to hold on the trunk, but gradually slid because he could no longer counter his body weight with his weakening strength, she said.
Inevitably he turned around the trunk’s curvature for re-positioning to balance his body weight as long as he could, she said, to avoid a sudden fall.
Neverthelss, the efforts he applied to try to save himself from a fall, she said, could not equalize with the force of gravity that overwhelmingly pulled him down.
The victim finally fell from a coco tree from an estimated height of about 12 feet of 20 feet high. His body suddenly turned into a swollen figure as he hit the ground, she said,. She said she called the emergency ambulance of the Fire Protection Bureau which responded immedaitely.He was rushed to the provincial hospital for treatment.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Elpidio Sibud, who was the victim’s attending physician, conducted the victim’s physical examination. He was x-rayed from the head, spinal column and both his arms and the legs.
Luckily ex-ray results have shown that his spinal column and both legs were intact. Except for his left arm which sustained bone fractures. His wife said her husband used his left arm to protect his head as he fell below with a thud.
Sibud explained to the patient and his wife that the swelling of his whole body was the outcome of the fall’s impact. The physician had administered injectable antibiotics and pain reliever, according to the victim’s wife.
She said she filed a leave of absence to attend to her husband’s needs at the hospital.
She said it took exactly 14 days from the start of the victim’s confinement before he was operated on his fractured left arm. Since it was only at this period that the body swell has subsided after the daily administration of injectable vials and pain reliever.
Leticia said she did not know how many months the stainless steel would be taken out because the doctor did not yet tell them when.
Asked further why her husband has to drive motorcab for a living when they have some coconut plantations, she explained the income from copra sales is not enough for the family of 5 members.
The wife disclosed that the victim has had driven motorcab that was plying passengers from the Maasin complex up to brgy. Ibarra or brgy. Ichon, Macrohon or vice versa for more than 20 years now as their means of livelihood.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)