Farmer's leg amputated two years on from quad bike accident

Friday, 10 December 2021

In February 2019, exhausted Chris Biddles was catapulted from his quad-bike.

A farmer who had his leg amputated two years on from a quad bike accident in 2019 says you’re a walking time bomb if you’re working fatigued.

The message comes as new figures from ACC show quad bike injuries across the country were highest in the Waikato region – for six years running – with 335 claims made to October 31, 2021.

Farming is statistically one of the most dangerous industries in New Zealand – but the accidents are preventable.

Chris Biddles, 68, broke his shoulder and leg after he went over the front handles of his quad bike on February 1, 2019, after misjudging a ridge.

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“I got catapulted over the front handlebars, the bike flipped end over end twice before it landed on my ankle,” the Poutō Peninsula beef farmer told Stuff.

Chris Biddles broke his ankle after his quad bike rolled and landed on him.

“I took my boot off and I knew it was done, so I went to pull myself up and I noticed I had broken my shoulder too.”

He dragged himself up a 35-metre hill, pulling with one hand, kicking with one foot, to find radio service, before having to turn back around and do it again after leaving the radio on the quad.

“I called mayday over the radio and by coincidence, my daughter and son-in-law picked up the call.”

Biddles was transported to Whangārei Hospital by helicopter and underwent three five-hour surgeries over three days.

After 10 surgeries, as many as 19 pills a day, and re-learning to walk, in the end, Biddles “took the bugger [leg] off”.

Biddles said the accident wouldn't have happened if he wasn’t so tired – having only three days off over eight weeks.

Biddles had been scheduled for a knee replacement two weeks before the accident, and was working hard to get ahead.

Biddles’ first fitting at the limb centre in Auckland.

“Quads are not dangerous, but the decision we make on them can be.”

A recent study funded by ACC for the rural wellbeing programme Farmstrong found 58 per cent of recently-injured farmers linked their accidents to stress, while 25 per cent said stress was a major factor.

Biddles admits he was really tired at the time of the accident, saying to a friend a few days earlier, “I’ve never been so f….d in all my life.”

“I was beyond thinking rationally.”

Make intelligent decision he tells other farmers.

“At 2pm in the afternoon, you will make a decision on your quad that you won’t make at 8am.”

ACC injury prevention programme leader James Whitaker said farmers need to “be a little bit selfish” to keep themselves fresh over summer – taking time out, getting enough sleep and eating well.

ACC covers about 23,000 farm-related injury claims in New Zealand every year, including about 2500 quad bike-related injuries.

Biddles was in hospital for three weeks and a wheelchair for four months, before learning to walk again.

“I was told I would experience a life of pain and discomfort from possible blood loss and oxygen to the bone.”

It took a turn in January 2021 when his leg became infected.

Biddle tried to fight the infection but eventually made the decision to have the leg amputated.

X-ray images of Biddles’ shoulder break.

“Twenty-nine days ago I took the bugger off and I’m going to get my life back.

“I’m in a wheelchair with a low knee amputation, no antibiotics and I’m a happy chappy.

“I’ll get a prosthetic leg and by this time next year I hope to be back working full-time on farm.”

ACC injury prevention programme leader James Whitaker said farmers need to slow down a bit and think before they get stuck in.

His wife Karren was by his side the whole way, driving Biddles 100km to the hospital every week for six months.

But not everyone gets a second chance.

On average, one in five quad bike accidents result in fatality.

In 2020, ACC covered 2466 claims, as well as 12 claims for quad bike-related deaths. Since 2006, 74 people have died as a result of a quad bike accident.

January is consistently the most dangerous month for quad bike-related injuries.

Whitaker said accidents spike nationwide over summer, and farmers need to stay vigilant during the longer days.

“If you take the time to just slow it down a little bit, ‘have a hmmm’, and then get stuck in, you’ll prevent heaps of injuries,” Whitaker said.

ACC provides a subsidy for the potentially life-saving crush protection devices for quad bikes till January 2023 - other than being aware of fatigue and stress, CPDs could save your life should you have an accident.

The devices attach to the back of a bike and help prevent people from getting stuck or crushed if their bike overturns.

As of October 31, about 600 crush protection devices have been purchased using the subsidy – Biddles’ is one of them.

Whitaker said while they may not look the coolest, that little ring on the back of your bike is potentially going to save your life.

The scheme was first introduced in June 2019 and offers a subsidy of more than $200 for up to two devices.

For further information on the scheme, visit acc.co.nz/quadsubsidy