Factual Storytelling Exercise - A Malaysian Disaster

In 1991 my father, Scott had been selected to represent Australia in a five day International Polo Tournament held in Malaysia. The horses that they had been given by the Malaysian Royal Family were very ‘green’. Scott’s horse, Snoopy was the worst. He bucked and fidgeted before every game and watching Scott hold on for his dear life through these times became a source of amusement amongst the team. 

Scott and the team at the Opening Ceremony. Scott is the man closest on the white horse. He was given a much calmer horse for this occasion.

Before the game. My father is the third man from the left, on his horse Snoopy.

It was Day 3 of the Tournament and Scott knew that something was off. The first match of the day against Malaysia started and Scott was surprised at how calm Snoopy was. It was just after halftime and the Australians were winning by only a few points. Scott was galloping after the ball when Snoopy slipped, throwing Scott to the ground. When Scott attempted to stand he knew that there was something very wrong with his shoulder. While the team chased Snoopy around the field, attempting to catch him, Libby and the team manager, Angus sprinted to Scott. Twenty minutes later they were in an ambulance on their way to the General Hospital. Scott’s shoulder went from bad to worse as they sat in the traffic. All he could concentrate on was the pulsating pain proceeding in his right shoulder.

Scott and Snoppy chasing the ball.

Scott and Snoopy moments before the accident. Scott is third from the right.

An hour and a half later they arrived at the hospital and by this time Scott was in extreme pain. The hospital however was full to overflowing and everyone was getting extremely frustrated by the lack of communication due to the language barrier. Eventually they made contact with an English-speaking doctor who hastily moved them through the filthy network of wards. The corridors were lined with injured people. One person in line was on a trolley with all his toes missing from a motorbike accident. The grubby hospitals walls were covered with grime and filth, there were stray cats stalking around the wards and lying on patients’ beds. It was obvious that the Malaysian standards were quite different to that in Australia.

While they sat, waiting for Scott's X-Rays to return, they saw a very large uniformed security team pacing the wards with loaded machine guns making the three of them feel extremely uncomfortable. Eventually they found out that they were guarding a sick prisoner. Some of the guards were outside joking around with their guns, when one guard accidentally shot another. Everyone began to run around madly, dragging him into Scott's ward and onto the bed beside him. Thankfully, only a few seconds later Scott's X-Rays returned showing a broken collarbone and Scott was strapped up only a few moments later. As the three of them left they felt an enormous sense of relief, and began to truly appreciate Australia’s health care system.