Crewman Is Feeling Better
Keith Kilpatrick’s abdominal problem was improved Saturday but his mood was “really lousy” about the prospect of leaving his Amer Sports One teammates to continue the Volvo Ocean Race without him.
Kilpatrick probably will be transferred to a pickup boat Monday when Amer Sports One passes through the five-mile strait between Eclipse Island and the old whaling village of Albany on the southwest corner of Australia. From there he’ll be transported by air to a hospital in Perth, the largest city in Western Australia.
The 40-year-old Long Beach sailor was unable to eat or drink after he was stricken last Monday with what was diagnosed as a “severe intestinal blockage” by Swedish navigator Roger Nilson, who also is an orthopedic physician. Nilson administered antibiotics, morphine and an intravenous saline drip from the on-board medical kit, which was supplemented Thursday by an air drop from a Royal Australian Air Force Orion fixed-wing aircraft.
“Certainly without the fluids from the Orion, his situation would have been very risky,” Nilson said.
Later, when a pattern of light wind developed to slow Amer Sports One, it was decided to send a high-speed fishing boat with medical personnel from Fremantle to meet the boat 400 to 500 miles offshore. That plan was put on hold when Kilpatrick’s condition improved, and Nilson thought it would be better for his patient to remain on board to the Australian coast.
Kilpatrick was well enough to speak to Volvo Ocean Race officials. “I’m coming through now and feeling quite a bit better,” he said by satellite phone. “Today’s been quite a big improvement. I’m off the needle and taking drinks orally, which is pretty nice. In some way, shape or form I have done something to my intestines. Whatever the trouble was, it has partially subsided.”
The race is on its second leg, which ends at Sydney on Australia’s east coast. Whether Kilpatrick will rejoin the crew of 12 for the ensuing seven legs is in doubt.
“I feel really lousy about it,” he said. “It would also be selfish of me to stay. In the bigger picture, they need me for the rest of the race, plus if I’m not truly better then I could be a hindrance still.
“Whenever I get sick it surprises me because I’m generally a very healthy person. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I was ill. The irony is that I have to go to the worst place on the planet to get sick.”
Kilpatrick’s wife, Tara, has flown to Perth.
“I probably wasn’t as frightened as my wife,” he said. “I felt I was in pretty good hands all the time, especially with all the outside contact available to us and with Roger on hand.”
While Amer Sports One trailed in sixth place Saturday, Australia’s News Corp was in a five-way battle for first with Germany’s front-running illbruck, Sweden’s Assa Abloy and Team SEB and Norway’s djuice, all essentially within sight of one another over an eight-mile span as they prepared to pass Eclipse Island today. Amer Sports One was 132 miles behind, followed by the all-woman Amer Sports Too at 411 miles but sailing faster than anyone in stronger winds.
The eighth entry, Bermuda’s Tyco, dropped out of the leg with a broken rudder but will rejoin the race from Sydney.