A few months ago, Angling Trade ran an online story (and another piece in our print edition) about Global Rescue, a company that specializes in getting travelers who find themselves in medical (or other) difficulties evacuated from trouble spots, and in the best care possible, as quickly as possible. In a nutshell, we concluded that anyone who travels to fish—given the remote locations and dangerous environments that often entails—should sign up to be a Global Rescue client. And, if you’re into hosting trips to remote locales, you would be smart to build that into the total trip cost for your clients.
Jim Klug, AFFTA’s chairman and director of operations for Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures found out first hand how important that can be. Fishing on the Rio Secure in the most remote reaches of Bolivia, he sustained a “blunt force trauma” when a push pole became wedged in rocks as Jim’s canoe was moving through rapids. The boatman tried to hang on, and the pole snapped back, hitting Jim squarely in his eye. He lost vision, and had to be evacuated (with both eyes bandaged). Within 49 hours, he was at an eye institute in Miami.
The good news is that Jim is recovering, and is expected to fully recover his vision. Please join us in wishing Jim a speedy continued recovery, and offering thanks to Global Rescue for a job well done.
