By Kaitlyn Offer, Midland-Kalamunda Reporter
WHEN Phil Randell set out for a dirt bike ride earlier this month, the last thing he expected was for his nine-year-old daughter to come to his rescue.
The two set out for a ride on January 7 like they had many times before.
Before returning home, Mr Randell went out for one more lap while Ella stayed back for a drink in the car.
Making sure to stay close to the car to keep an eye on his daughter, it soon became a case of Ella keeping an eye on him when Mr Randell hit a rut at 90 to 100km/h, flying off the bike, knocking himself unconscious and dislocating his knee.
“The next thing I know my daughter is towering over me asking if I’m dead, tears streaming from her eyes,” Mr Randell said.
Realising her dad had become conscious, Ella started to ask if her dad’s leg was broken, with Mr Randell quickly finding a piercing pain and badly dislocated knee.
“The pain in her face was more than I could ever feel in my body,” he said.
“The next thing she has my mobile phone calling anyone who will answer, including 000 until I said ‘no – I don’t have ambulance cover’.”
Ella apologised to the operator then proceeded to phone everyone she knew in her dad’s phone book, splinting her dad’s leg in the meantime.
She eventually reached Mr Randell’s mother-in-law and a good friend promptly found them and took Mr Randell to hospital.
His leg had to be braced for four weeks and now he must do four weeks of physiotherapy to get it back in order.
The St Brigid’s Primary School student said she learnt how to make a splint after seeing it on television.