Brumbies lock Mackay hit by car in Durban

[lara93]

Brumbies Player In Accident
Brumbies lock Shawn Mackay is in a critical but stable condition after being hit by a vehicle in Durban on Sunday morning following his team's loss to The Sharks at The Absa Stadium Durban on Saturday evening.

The Brumbies website reports that the accident occurred at approximately 4.15am when Mackay crossed the road and was struck by an armed security response vehicle. He was in the process of returning to the hotel via the team's security van.

Mackay has sustained cervical spinal fracture and dislocation, a compound fracture to his left leg, and has received multiple facial fractures and lacerations and underwent surgery on Sunday morning. He will remain in traction in a medically induced coma for the next 48 hours as he undergoes further medical treatment.

The Brumbies will be flying his family out to Durban to be with him.

"Shawn has sustained severe head and leg injuries but has received first-class medical treatment from the time of the accident and will receive ongoing treatment at St Augustine's Hospital," Team Doctor Warren McDonald said.

"He is currently in a critical condition but is stable and we won't know the full extent of his injuries until he is brought out of the coma in two days' time.

"He is receiving round-the-clock intensive care and treatment.

"We would request that people understand the sensitivity of this situation and ask that people please respect his and his family's privacy at this time."

The Sharks (Pty) Ltd would like to express their sympathies for Shawn and his family, as well as the Brumbies, following the unfortunate incident and send their best wishes for a speedy and full recovery.

The Sharks have also committed to providing the Brumbies with any assistance in any way necessary during this tough time.
http://www.sharksrugby.co.za/default...90&des=article

The Sharks have also committed to providing the Brumbies with any assistance in any way necessary during this tough time.

some of the sharks players were at the scene of the incident but this is really nice by the sharks franchise,

[laura]

What a crap way to potentially end a career. Shows a fair bit of fortitude for the Sharks to show so much support and for the Brumbies to continue playing/touring. Hope they catch the so and so that did it and that Mackay completely recovers.

[lara93]

i hope we see him back on the field again sooner rather then never!

[pieter blackie]

One thing I can say is that the South African private Hospitals are good, some of them can be compared to the best in the world so I hope they fix him up.

I was shocked to see that the acccident happened after 4 in the morning I cannot believe that the Brumbies security allows their players to run around that time of the morning in South Africa
It is dangerous in the middle of the day so you can imagine what it will be like at 4 in the morning

[Burgs]

They don't have to catch him, he came back after ten minutes.

[laura]

Ok then not catch him, deal with him accordingly.

[lara93]

my uncle works in intensive care at this hospital so he might be treating mackay so i am going to find out

[shasta]

The news just gets worse on this one. Like was suggested earlier, pray for this bloke if that's your way. If not do it the Dave Allen way anyway. May his god go with him.

[tragic]

That's terrible The poor guy
The 4:15am time is a bit of a worry, but the accident could have easily occurred at any time of day.

[travelling_gerry]

Brumby fighting fears of paralysis



Wayne Smith | March 31, 2009

Article from: The Australian
THE next 24 hours are likely to determine whether Brumbies player Shawn Mackay is left paralysed after being struck by a car in Durban in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Mackay's parents, John and Leonie, and girlfriend Trish are being flown to South Africa today by the Brumbies to be at his bedside at Durban's St

Augustine Hospital when doctors attempt to bring him out of a medically induced coma early tomorrow (Australian time).

The 26-year-old former Australian sevens captain suffered a cervical spinal fracture and dislocation, a fractured skull, a compound fracture of his left leg and many facial fractures and lacerations when hit by a car while crossing the road outside the Clapham Grand nightclub in the beachside suburb of Morningside at 4.15am on Sunday. He was about to get into a security van provided by the Brumbies to take the players to the team hotel.

South African media reported he was hit by an armed response vehicle whose driver sped away from the scene of the accident only to return 10 minutes later. However, the director of Durban police media Phindile Radebe was unable to confirm these details late yesterday.

"I can say that a case of reckless and negligent driving has been opened," Radebe said. She was unable to say whether alcohol played a part in the accident.

Dr Craig Springate, one of six surgeons who operated on Mackay for six hours, said: "There is some concern about paralysis, but we will only know when he recovers from the anaesthetic.

"The spinal cord is intact but there is some swelling."

Springate is also the team doctor for the Sharks, the Super 14 competition leaders who had defeated the Brumbies 35-14 only a few hours earlier, and had seen second-rower Mackay come off the bench late in the match to earn only his second Super rugby cap.

"I was not actually on duty when he was brought in," Springate told The Australian. "But I was walking past on my way to visit a patient when I stopped to see if I could help."

By coincidence, he also is the specialist attached to St Augustine's hyperbaric chamber where Mackay is being treated.

"He is undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy that is to assist with the reduction of swelling around the cord and obviously to help promote the healing of the compound fracture of his leg," Springate said. "This is one of the few hospitals in South Africa equipped with one of these chambers. He is being given the very best of care."

Brumbies coach Andy Friend said: "There's obviously the initial shock but as time goes by, people realise this is for real. We all have our fingers crossed and are saying our prayers."

The Brumbies coach described Mackay as "a model rugby player who did everything right" and insisted he had not broken curfew because there was no curfew in place.

Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan said the ACTRU did not set curfews.

"The players know what their obligations are in terms of training and other commitments. They're expected to front in the appropriate condition. In this case, they didn't have training.

"I'd prefer they were home earlier than that (4.15am). But we're not expecting guys to lock themselves in a hotel room if they're wide awake and still hyped up after a match.

"Shawn was with eight or nine other players who had arranged with security to go home," Fagan said.

It was Friend who threw Mackay a lifeline when it seemed the Sydney-born 190cm, 104kg forward might never realise his dream of playing Super rugby, despite having played six matches for the Waratahs and made a solitary appearance for the Queensland XV against the Auckland National Provincial Championship side last year.

"I coached him in the Australian sevens team in 2005 and was massively impressed with his character as a bloke on and off the field. When I got the job as Brumbies coach last year I asked whether any other Australian teams had picked him up and when I learned no one had, I caught a train up to Edinburgh (where Mackay was playing with the sevens team) and asked him if he'd like to play Super rugby.

"That was all off the back of two weeks I spent with him in the Australian sevens team. That's the character of the man."

Former Wallabies vice-captain Morgan Turinui, who has known Mackay since they started grade one together at St Anthony's in Clovelly before going on to Waverley College, said he thought so highly of his best friend that he asked him to be godfather to his son, Felix.

"It's been a tough day," said Turinui, who put Mackay up in his house for six months last year when he travelled to Brisbane to play for the University of Queensland club.

"I was travelling a fair bit with the Reds and Shawn was just fantastic looking after my son. He's a great godfather and a loyal friend. He's always been there. His Mum and Dad and Trish are flying over and once they get there they'll assess the situation to see if his brother (Matthew) and sister (Kristy) are needed. If they need me over there, I'll be straight there."

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html

[lara93]

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-n...0331-9i2u.html

The players still out when the incident occurred were Stirling Mortlock, Mark Gerrard, Nic Henderson, George Smith, Josh Holmes, Salesi Ma'afu, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Christian Lealiifano, Patrick Phibbs, Ben Hand, Gene Fairbanks, Huia Edmonds, Tyrone Smith, Francis Fainifo and Peter Kimlin.

[Davo]

From reports on fox sports news on Monday morning they said he had been knocked over by a Emergency Response Vehicle.

My thoughts are with him, his family and friends in this tough time.

[pieter blackie]

The Brumbies said Mackay was nursing a broken leg and head injuries but is in a stable condition at Durban's St Augustine's Hospital.

[lara93]

Turinui sick at mate's coma

http://www.sport24.co.za/Content/Rug..._at_mates_coma
Brisbane - A shattered Morgan Turinui spoke Monday night of the "sick" feeling in his stomach at hearing Brumbies forward Shawn Mackay - his best friend for more than 20 years - was in a coma in South Africa.

Mackay, 26, has serious spinal, leg and facial injuries after being hit by an armoured response vehicle while crossing a road in Durban in the early hours of Sunday morning and remains in a medically induced coma in the city's St Augustine's Hospital.

The accident has stunned the Australian rugby community and few are hurting more than injured Reds centre Turinui, who has known Mackay since they were five years old.

"He was my best man when I got married (in 2005) and he is my son's godfather," said the former Wallaby number thirteen.

Turinui and Mackay have been best mates since attending St Anthony's Primary School in the eastern suburbs of Sydney and then nearby Waverley College.

They went on to play club rugby at Randwick together and have remained close.

Turinui said he "just felt sick" when told that Mackay - a long-time Australian Sevens representative who captained the side at the 2006 Commonwealth Games - was fighting for his life.

"I've spoken to his family and the stuff that has been released to the media is what we know," he said.

"It's just a waiting game now."

Mackay was hit by the vehicle about 04:00 as he and several teammates were returning to the team hotel in Durban following their 35-14 defeat to the Sharks the previous night.

Police are investigating the incident but it is understood it was simply a tragic accident.

"I've sort of been worried more about how he is than how it happened but that is the general consensus," Turinui said.

"Everyone is just saying it was an accident."

Mackay is expected to be woken from the induced coma on Wednesday and only then will doctors at the Durban hospital know the full extent of his injuries.

He is in a critical but stable condition.

A former Waratahs and Sydney Roosters squad member, the backrower joined the Brumbies this year after playing last season with Brisbane club University.

He had also played for Melbourne Rebels in the Australian Rugby Championship.

"He moved around a bit but it was always to get that opportunity and (coach) Andy Friend has given him that opportunity in the last couple of weeks at the Brumbies," Turinui said.

"It's been great to see him getting on the field."

Fellow Reds squad member James Hanson, a former flatmate of Mackay's, said the Brumby was a popular and well-known member of the rugby fraternity.

"I think everyone enjoys his company. I know within Australian rugby circles anyway that he greatly respected as a person and a player," Hanson said.

"He's been in a lot of teams - the Sevens, Melbourne and University - a lot of those guys have called me up concerned about Shawny.

"They have a deep respect for him. All our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family - hopefully he pulls through this one."

---------- Post added at 07:23 ---------- Previous post was Yesterday at 19:40 ----------

More spinal surgery planned for comatose Mackay
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...01/2531697.htm
Brumbies player Shawn Mackay will remain in a medically-induced coma for another 24 hours in South Africa with doctors at Durban's St Augustine Hospital planning to operate on his spine.

Mackay suffered serious head, spinal and leg injuries after being hit by an armed response vehicle in Durban on Sunday morning.

Brumbies team manager Rob McQuade says doctors will fuse parts of his spine together amidst fears that he may have suffered paralysis.

"Realistically they won't get an idea of that [paralysis] until they bring him out of the coma," he said.

"And so of course with the surgery tomorrow to bring stability back in to his spine, we will find out more hopefully on Thursday."

Mackay's parents and partner have arrived in Durban to be at his bedside.

Mr McQuade says senior Brumbies players and the rugby union coaching staff are considering a curfew for the remainder of the South African tour with the final match against the Cheetahs this weekend.

"The players have been having some discussions along those lines, and they have been talking to the coaches and team staff," he said.

"At this point there's no decision from the players about how they wish to proceed for the rest of the tour. But its likely they will impose some guidelines on themselves as to what is best for everyone to get them through the emotional rollercoaster.

"Everyone's obviously struggling with the trauma of what has happened to Shawn and their focus is with him."

Meanwhile, the naming of the Brumbies team to play the Cheetahs has been delayed until tomorrow.

Stirling Mortlock trained with the team today after missing the previous Super 14 game against the Sharks.

[travelling_gerry]

Most of the squad was out with Mackay
Peter Fitzgerald, Canberra Times | April 1, 2009 - 9:38AM

Monday was another day of players dealing with the trauma of Shawn Mackay's accident.

It was revealed 15 of Mackay's teammates were still out with him when he was hit by a car in Durban at 4.15am on Sunday.

Those players all had individual and group meetings with psychologist Pieter Kruger.

The shock and enormity of the situation continued to sink in.

Some of the younger players who witnessed the incident were the hardest hit.

The players are dealing with their emotions in different ways.

They witnessed one of their peers being hit by a car, lying unconscious on the road and almost dying.

It's something that would affect any person so it's understandable some of the players are struggling to cope.

The team moved hotels, from Southern Sun Elangeni to the Beverly Hills Hotel at Umhlanga Rocks, one of the most prestigious areas in South Africa.

It's generally with great excitement and anticipation the players get to stay at the Beverly Hills.

But given the circumstances of this year's tour, it's nothing more than just another bed to sleep in.

The entire touring squad's thoughts remain with Mackay, but no one has been able to visit since his arrival at the hospital on Sunday morning, when the 15 players with him followed him there.

Team doctor Warren McDonald has spent basically every minute of that time with Mackay, assisting with all medical procedures.

In a bid to take the players' minds off the situation, team management scheduled a game of indoor cricket for Monday afternoon.

But upon leaving the hotel and realising the venue they thought was 15 minutes away was in fact 45 minutes away, it was decided to switch to 10-pin bowling instead.

Back at the hotel, it was another evening of meetings.

Firstly the senior leadership group met to discuss the issue of curfews and whether any should be implemented for the remainder of the tour.

Then the 15 players who were there when Mackay was knocked down Stirling Mortlock, Mark Gerrard, Josh Holmes, Salesi Ma'afu, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Christian Lealiifano, Patrick Phibbs, Ben Hand, Gene Fairbanks, Nic Henderson, Huia Edmonds, George Smith, Tyrone Smith, Francis Fainifo and Peter Kimlin had more meetings with Kruger to help deal with their trauma.

Then a full team meeting was called to update the players; there was no change to Mackay's condition.

http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...261616295.html