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| Photo of Jun Ortiz lifted from his Facebook account |
It was a beautiful day for a bike ride. It was the middle of May, and though it was a bit warm the air temperature was noticeably cooler than last week, and the overcast clouds umbrella'd us from time to time. Starting out from Greenhills Shopping Center at Ortigas, there were around 50 of us as we rode the May version of the Firefly Brigade's Critical Mass Ride (CMR), a monthly ride meant to promote bicycles. For this ride, most were bicycle veterans, with a few newbies mixed in. We rode the way it should be done, in an orderly fashion, taking the lane when needs be, and threaded between cars and jeepneys as they jammed up at intersections, this being Metro Manila after all.
After 45 minutes, we arrived at Cainta City Hall, where we made our first rest stop. The sun was soaring and warming us up, but it wasn't too bad. We gathered under the shade of an alcove at the City Hall, and the group was in high spirits, as it always is during CMR's. The highlight of the ride was when Firefly Marshal Jun Ortiz pulled out his tablet, along with his unique stand for a group shot. His stand was one of those folding wooden stands that prop up a display plate. After declaring that he might get in trouble with his mom for 'borrowing' the stand, everyone was all smiles as the group photo was taken. Little did we know that it will be the last photo he will ever take.
At this point, we had one mishap. One of the riders took a spill at the entrance of City Hall, caused by a bump on the road. There were minor injuries, and we took advantage of the rest time to cleanse and apply Betadine to the scratches. One of those with us was Jun Ortiz, who was cracking jokes as we made light of the situation. The team has been resting for around 20 minutes now and it was nearly time to move on again before the sun soars too high and bathe us with full sunlight. What happened next was a whirlwind of unrealism.
Jun went to his bike, saying he needed his water bottle to drink his medicine - he complained of a bum stomach earlier. His walk turned into a drunken gait, as his feet wove this way and that until they collapsed and he fell face first onto the sidewalk. Those who saw this were stunned for a few seconds, and then shouted for help. I myself had my back turned, and when I saw Jun prone on the sidewalk, I was rooted where I stood for what seemed an eternity before I rushed to aid him. People were crowding around him so we asked some to pull back to give him breathing room. Some took out their bandannas and began fanning him and providing shade from the sun. We turned him over, and loosened his clothing to make him more comfortable. We saw that he had a large bruise on his left cheekbone, sustained when he fell. His helmet, which he was wearing, took the brunt of the impact. He was barely breathing, with a very weak pulse.
We were 50 meters away from the Cainta Fire Department, and they saw that something was wrong. A medic appeared and took over first aid. Soon a gaggle of first responders were there, along with an ambulance. They checked vital signs with their equipment, the one I remember was a pulse oximeter on Jun's fingertip. In the meantime, we checked Jun;s waist bag for any medications he might be taking, and we saw some diatabs, and a box of Isordil, which is prescribed for cardiac issues. The results must have been not good as they took out an AED, or an Automated External Defibrillator, and applied shock to Jun's heart, to revive it. After this they started CPR. After a few minutes, it was decided to bring him to the Cainta City Hospital, which was 50 meters away, this being in the City Hall compound. There CPR was continued, with better monitoring machines.
To no avail. Jun Ortiz was declared DOA at 8:35 am on May 15, the Year of our Lord 2016. He leaves behind family and friends who grieve for him. Jun was a highly experienced cyclist, who has been to many places on his bike. He is a staunch supporter of the Firefly Brigade, and truly believes, like many of us, that bicycle use is an elegant solution to many of society's ills and problems, from traffic congestion to health problems. If there is something that Jun wants us to learn from this incident, it is to listen to our body, have periodic checkups and heed medical advise. Cycling - as with any physical endeavor, even walking - is an activity that requires exertion, and it pays to know one's limits and capabilities.
Farewell Jun - from your cycling friends of the Firefly Brigade, we thank you for being a warrior for our cause. Your last act, that of helping heal an injured cycling comrade is a microcosm of how you led your life. It is a small consolation for us that you fell doing what you most love, though truth be told, we would rather not lose you at all. Please watch over us from up there, we know that you will have your tablet and wooden stand ready to take photos.
