Tyler Newton from rural Bradshaw and a 2005 Heartland graduate had a serious skiing accident so bad he doesn’t really remember it. He was on his second day of a skiing trip at Snowy Range Ski Area just north of Laramie, Wyoming, on February 10th, having fun with a group of six guys when things went really bad.
“The first day, I gave snowboarding a try, and on my second day, I decided to ski instead,” said Newton. “This was my first time ever to ski, and I was doing pretty good going faster down one of the easier slopes. Somehow I got separated from my group and ended up going down a run by myself, and I have no memory of what happened.”
When the ski patrol found Newton, his helmet was shattered, and nobody was sure how long he’d been lying unconscious off the trail where he apparently hit a tree. He remembers nothing.
In the meantime, his buddies had all met up for lunch and noticed he was missing. It was then they saw the ambulance arriving, and one of them actually saw Newton being loaded onto a stretcher and taken away. He tried to get some information about where they were transporting him, but because of the privacy rules, he was not given any information.
They followed the ambulance to nearby Centennial, where Newton was immediately transported by helicopter to Loveland, Colorado, to the University of Colorado Health Medical Center.
Four hours later, his ski companions finally discovered where he had been transported. Newton’s father, Dick, was contacted and let them know his condition and whereabouts. Although Newton doesn’t remember, he evidently was able to speak on the ride to Loveland and give them his family’s contact information.
His father traveled to Loveland from Nebraska to stay by his son’s side for the next 12 days. His mother, Susan, stayed back to tend to his two children.
News spread fast in Bradshaw and Henderson about Newton’s accident. “I finally had to do a Facebook post so everyone would know my actual condition. I was getting so many messages and calls with people wondering if I broke my neck and all sorts of misinformation,” said Newton.
Newton farms outside of Bradshaw with his dad and has two children, Rigs, age 13, and Braelynn, 4. He is an active volunteer in Bradshaw and Henderson, serving on the Heartland School Board and as the Bradshaw Fire Chief.
His injuries were extensive, to say the least—six broken vertebrae, collapsed lung, a dislocated shoulder, a broken left arm, a concussion, and six broken ribs. “What really hurt the worst was my broken sternum,” said Newton.
He was told that the impact of hitting a tree full force head-on was the only way his sternum could have sustained such a break. “All of my memories are hearsay, but someday I’d like to learn more about the details of my accident,” said Newton.
One of his immediate injuries was a collapsed lung, so on the helicopter ride, he had a tube inserted to keep his lung inflated. It collapsed again when he got to the hospital, so a breathing tube was inserted under his arm for two weeks which was very uncomfortable.
With no time to waste, he had back surgery on the first night in the hospital. They repaired and fused six vertebrae by inserting several metal rods and screws.
On day two, they repaired his shoulder and again inserted all sorts of metal pieces. He says going through a metal detector with all his new hardware will be interesting.
Newton admits he does not like to sit around. Despite such severe injuries, he counts it a blessing that his legs were not broken and he was at least able to get up and walk after about four days in the hospital.
Surprisingly, given the condition of his helmet, he did not suffer any long-term serious head injuries besides blurry vision for a short time and memory loss from his accident and afterward.
After 12 days in the hospital, they said he could be dismissed if he was completely off of any pain medications. He was determined to get home and ended his medications promptly. His father drove him home, and fortunately, he slept most of the way. He stayed with his parents for a few days before returning to his own home.
“My kids were great. My oldest son, Rigs, became my nurse and took the job pretty seriously. I wore a neck and body brace, and my left arm was in a sling, so I was pretty impaired,” said Newton. He could only sleep in a recliner and was in a brace and arm sling for 12 weeks.
Miraculously, Newton was back in the tractor fertilizing in April and planting corn soon after. He just finished up his physical therapy at Henderson Health Care and is feeling pretty normal again. “I think it took around 10-12 weeks before my sternum healed, and it’s taken a while to get my strength back in my shoulder,” said Newton.
Everyone who has worked with Newton during his recovery is surprised at how quickly he rebounded. “I am already back to swinging a golf club and helping coach my son’s 13 & under baseball team,” he said.
He looks forward to continuing his part-time work as a referee for area football and basketball games this fall and winter. He’s been able to continue his volunteer work and only missed one school board meeting after his accident.
“I’d really like to thank everyone in Henderson and Bradshaw who were supporting me through my ordeal. After something like this, you really appreciate living in a small community where so many people reached out to me. I’d also like to thank Dr. Ohrt and Tanner Steingard, my physical therapist at Henderson Health Care Services, for seeing me through this,” said Newton.
Surviving such a traumatic accident is life-changing, and Newton certainly discovered a greater appreciation for the place he lives, his church, and the people he is surrounded by who have supported and prayed for his recovery along this difficult journey.
If you talk to him, it’s evident that his positive attitude and determination helped him meet the physical and emotional challenges of such a horrific accident!
