Former deputy prime minister falls from plum tree fractured four ribs

A former deputy prime minister here will think twice, in the future, before deciding to climb fruit trees.{{more}}

Sir Louis Straker, 69, was admitted to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital on Monday, after falling from a plum tree in the yard of his home at Layou.

He told SEARCHLIGHT yesterday that he was looking at his plum tree from his porch on Monday, when he decided to climb the tree and pick some of his plums.

“The tree looked so beautiful with all these plums,” Straker said.

“I wanted the special pride and joy and satisfaction in picking the plums, because I planted the tree there.”

The Central Leeward representative, from 1994 to 2010, explained that he was coming down out of the tree when the branch broke and he fell.

“It was about seven feet and I came down with a thud. I didn’t have time to break the fall with my hand,” he explained. “I fell on my right side…my breath left me immediately…I couldn’t talk”.

Sir Louis stated that when he was able, he called to his wife who was in the house. He was later transported to the hospital in Kingstown, where he learned he had fractured four ribs on his right side.

“It was excruciating pain. They had to keep me because they said that if I couldn’t breathe properly, my lungs would be deprived of the exercise and would collapse,” he told SEARCHLIGHT.

Despite the pain, the former foreign minister assured that the healing process is going well, as he was able to get out of bed on Thursday and walk around. He stated that he was very thankful to God because his injury could have been worse.

“I’m feeling much better than when I came in. I had a much more restful night compared to when I just came in,” he said.

In addition, he praised the efforts of his doctor and nurses, whom he said have been taking excellent care of him. He also expressed gratitude to the many persons who continue to visit him while he is in the hospital.

The retired parliamentarian is not sure when he would be discharged from the hospital, however he stated that his injuries do not require him to have a brace or corrective surgery.(BK)