Help! I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up - And I'm in Mexico

There I was, alone, writhing in pain in the darkness of a poorly lit city street. In Mexico.

I’d lost my footing and fallen forward on a sidewalk that had suddenly dropped off with one slab, and risen just enough at the following cement block to catch the full force of my tibia hurtling down upon it. 

I replayed the scene in my mind.  It was dark, I’d been walking too fast and as I fell, felt impact and rolled forward with momentum I’d heard the distinct snap of a bone breaking.  Still incredulous that the accident had happened, and clearly after having spent too much time recently on the computer, the initial thought that came to my mind was to move a mouse cursor to click on the “Undo” option.  “Undo!, Undo!, Undo!”

Then, as I collected my thoughts, I reached for my cell phone.  A regular visitor to the town where I was in northern Sonora, I’d purchased the phone at the local Telefonica MoviStar store and one of the first things I’d done after getting it was to program into it the number of the local police station and the local “delegacion” of the Cruz Roja, the International Red Cross.  

In that situation my cell phone proved to be invaluable.  The Red Cross immediately answered the phone.  I explained my situation and gave the general direction where I was, and within minutes I saw their ambulance passing by a nearby street in search of me.

One thing about contacting local emergency service agencies in Mexico, if you don’t speak Spanish you likely won’t get very far.  Having visited and lived in Mexico for several years, I’d attained a level of fluency to where I could communicate the necessary information (mainly, my problem and location) to the Cruz Roja.

If you’re not at that level of fluency though, another option is to call the state of Sonora’s emergency “066” number. Similar to the “911” system in the US, dialing 066 will connect you to a statewide emergency service network with English-speaking operators that will relay your emergency information to the appropriate local authorities. 

I called the Red Cross station once again to give more specific directions to my location, and soon the ambulance had spotted me waving to them and parked in the street near where I was sitting.  

The Red Cross’ Caborca delegation, like those in many towns in Sonora, is staffed by dedicated and well-trained volunteers.  A significant part of their budget comes from public donations (I later discovered that Rotary International had donated an ambulance to the Caborca Cruz Roja), and they provide much-needed services for little or no charge.  I’d always stopped to contribute money to Red Cross volunteers that sometimes stand alongside the road soliciting donations, and would highly recommend that you do the same.

The ambulance crew of two (a man and a woman) splinted my leg, and loaded me into the back of the ambulance.  They asked me which hospital I’d prefer to go to – the social security hospital IMSS (Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social) or the state hospital.  I chose the state hospital, for the sole reason that it is closer to my house. 

On the way to the hospital, the Red Cross volunteer took my blood pressure and pulse readings, and asked questions to verify that I was in stable condition.  Upon arrival, hospital staff came out and assisted the Red Cross staff in wheeling my gurney into the emergency room.

Next – Emergency Services at a Mexican Hospital

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