Girls arm ripped off

[syorksdeano]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-15854467

A 12-year-old girl's arm was severed when she was struck by a passing train at a level crossing on Tyneside.

British Transport Police (BTP) said the girl's limb had to be retrieved from the track after she was hit at Killingworth at 18:30 GMT on Monday.

Surgeons at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary are trying to reattach the arm and the girl is stable, BTP said.

A spokesman said the girl had been with three friends when she suffered a "glancing blow" from the train.

Police said the crash involved the 17:00 Edinburgh to London King's Cross train.

 

[balne-wonderer]

Just heard it on Radio 2. Makes you wonder what actually went on....

Excuse my medical ignorance but are limb reattachments usually successful????

 

[AlterEgo]

Excuse my medical ignorance but are limb reattachments usually successful????

I don't know figures, but it really depends how quickly medical attention is given. Obviously the success rate is higher the sooner you attempt to re-attach the arm!

 

[wintonian]

Question is why was she so close to the track?

Sent from my HTC Desire S

 

[cuccir]

Aged 12 - I'd suspect at guess just ignorance. Maybe she thought she was off the track; maybe they were messing around. Both seem plausible for kids of that age, but of course we can't know.

 

[pemma]

Excuse my medical ignorance but are limb reattachments usually successful????

Not if the limb has been ripped to shreds by the train.

 

[AlterEgo]

Not if the limb has been ripped to shreds by the train.

The news article suggests that the hospital are at least trying...

 

[william]

maybe its been caught up and, like the op has said, 'ripped' off. I believe arteries close and youre less likely to bleed to death than when a limb is ;cut;.

 

[WatcherZero]

Possible to reattach severed limbs and figures but not ripped, the cleaner the cut the better.

 

[AndrewP]

Whatever the rights and wrongs I hope the operation is successful and the poor kid recovers eventually.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Whatever the rights and wrongs I hope the operation is successful and the poor kid recovers eventually.

Hear Hear, poor kid rightly or wrongly whatever happened she is still just a child and my best wishes go to her

 

[amcluesent]

Surgical techniques have improved for trauma due to treating blast injuries in Iraq etc

 

[william]

The girl has had her arm successfully re-attached according to BBC.

 

[cuccir]

The girl has had her arm successfully re-attached according to BBC.

good stuff

 

[newbie babs]

According to The Huffington Post with picture from the Brunswick Villiage news tonight

The Seaton Burn College pupil was with a group of friends at the foot-crossing behind Dudley Social Club when she was hit.
The crash involved the 17:00 Edinburgh to London King’s Cross train, travelling at 110mph.



Surgeons were today continuing their battle to save her arm. The first operation is said to have been successful, and Rebecca is scheduled for another one later today.

 

[DiscoStu]

The girl has had her arm successfully re-attached according to BBC.

Fantastic news!

And well done to the medical staff too. Great stuff!!

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Surgical techniques have improved for trauma due to treating blast injuries in Iraq etc

Someone's been watching Frontline Medicine!

Unfortunately some of the stuff featured on there may not either be appropriate for the NHS, or actually be effective on the population.

 

[OxtedL]

Deleted. Referenced IPTs post.

Basically said what everyone else said.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

[Mod Note: Quotation Deleted.]

Sometimes I think you aren't human. A 12 year old has just suffered a major traumatic injury and undergone major orthopaedic and plastic surgery and you have not one shred of sympathy? Words fail me.

 

[Bungle73]

[Mod Note: Quotation Deleted.]

How do you know she was playing on the railway? We don't know what happened yet.

In any case she's a 12-year-old child who just had her arm ripped off....

 

[S19]

Quote removed

Exactly what I was thinking.

She's someone's child! What a cold thing to say!

I notice his post has been deleted now. It's no wonder he gets a bit of stick on here!

 

[newbie babs]

Don't assume what happened, as a parent the first and only thought is "is she alive" there is time for questions later.

 

[snail]

a 12yo is still just a kid, and kids make mistakes.

I agree. It's scary enough as an adult when I'm waiting behind an automatic barrier to cross the WCML on foot and a Pendo goes past at 110-125, even just reading about this makes me shudder.

 

[ainsworth74]

It's scary enough as an adult when I'm waiting behind an automatic barrier to cross the WCML on foot and a Pendo goes past at 110-125

Doesn't even need to be going that fast to be scary, try standing on one of the Redcar Central station platforms as a potash train comes through at full bore (I would guesstimate 50-60mph)! It makes you wonder how the H&S brigade haven't forced all platforms to be fitted with edge doors yet.

My thoughts are with the girl and her family and I wish her a speedy and full recovery.

 

[142094]

Sounds like an accident, and from what I've read in the paper it sounds as if the girl was local to the area so probably has used the crossing before.

At least we are not talking about another fatality. She was very lucky.

 

[sprinterguy]

I had a feeling it was probably on one of the foot crossings, there's a few up in that neck of the woods on the ECML.

The foot crossings on the ECML unnerve me a bit; there's no prior warning at all of the approach of a train, and some of them are on curves (as was the case with this one). If the wind is blowing in the wrong direction, then you might only have a matter of seconds warning when you can hear/see a train approaching.

I've used a few of the foot crossings on the ECML up in Northumberland, and sometimes had an HST scream past just a minute or less after I've crossed the line.

Glad the lassie has got her arm back, I hope she makes a full recovery.

 

[AlterEgo]

The girl has had her arm successfully re-attached according to BBC.

Great news. Hopefully she will make a full recovery. She has been very, very lucky considering the circumstances.

 

[william]

Yes I agree the railway is a very dangerous place for children and unfortunately also hold alot of fascination for them too. I bet most of us have been drawn to them as children, in fact we still are.......
Take care and be vigilant out there

 

[S19]

One good thing to come out of this is, it may prompt local schools in the area to do a bit of teaching on how dangerous the railway can be etc?

 

[tsr]

Fantastic news!

And well done to the medical staff too. Great stuff!!

Let's just hope the surgery has been clean and there is no infection, or indeed any other complications. Good luck to the victim and the medical staff!