DEAN WILLIAM MEDICAL HEALTH

My friends and I had just climbed to the summit of the highest mountain in Maine, Mount Kata. The hike took an entirety of 12 hours and had tested not only our physical strength, but also our ability to maintain mental focus and drive.

The five of us had traveled over 10 hours from Sydney to accomplish this feat and well, I couldn’t have been more proud.

Gabriel, Jose, Joanna, mary (my girlfriend) and I trekked down the mountain smiling from ear to ear. We were full of life and adrenaline. Although almost complete strangers before the hike, we continued to encourage each other to keep going and stayed together throughout the entire climb. At the end, we even jumped into an ice cold pool by the waterfall at the base of the mountain. The energy was so magical; it all seemed like a dream.On such a beautiful day, I could have never expected what would happen next to be so tragic.From trekking to tragedy

After a lovely lobster dinner, we agreed to take turns on the drive back home to New York. The first driver, Jose, seemed tired but said he was able. The rest of us were so wiped from the hike, we didn’t question him. All of us fell asleep in a matter of minutes… including the driver.

When I next opened my eyes, I awoke to screaming and the car spinning 360 degrees. I felt the car swerve and felt what came next: crash, bang, pain.