Rankin Inlet (Aug 20/03) - RCMP are calling what happened to Richard Warren a freak accident.

The hamlet employee, who has only lived in Rankin for a few months, is lying in a coma in a Winnipeg hospital.

To his friends and those who know him, Richard Warren is good humoured, full of energy and always has the community's best interest at heart. Warren is on life-support in a Winnipeg hospital after an ATV accident. - Chris Puglia/NNSL photo

Mark Brown, a long-time friend who is working at the hamlet office in Whale Cove, was with Warren at the time of the accident.

"We were walking from downtown to Area 6 when a young women pulled up and asked us if we wanted a lift," remembers Brown.

Accepting the ride on the ATV, Brown climbed on to the back left side of the vehicle and Warren onto the back right.

"I remember looking over the driver's shoulder and she was going about 40 km/h. When I looked back Richard had fallen off," Brown said.

Immediately the driver and Brown raced back to Warren's aid.

"I saw that he was in pretty rough shape," said Brown.

The bylaw officer arrived on the scene shortly after the accident occurred, followed by the RCMP.

"The ambulance arrived 10 to 15 minutes after the accident, it felt like an hour," said Brown.

Cpl. Bob Hodyr with the Rankin RCMP said Warren was immediately medevaced to Winnipeg.

Hodyr and Brown are at a loss to explain the accident.

"It's no fault of the driver. To sum it up it was a freak accident," said Hodyr.

Brown said it was possible that the ATV's tire clipped Warren and knocked him off, or he may not have been hanging on tight enough.

"We took a ride on an ATV earlier and Richard wasn't holding on to anything really," said Brown.

The extent of Warren's injuries are still unknown.

Brown said according to contacts with the family, Warren has extensive head and brain injuries.

"They had to remove part of his skull to reduce the swelling to his brain," said Brown.

"He is still in a coma and he has a fractured skull."

Brown said it's a waiting game now.

Until Warren wakes up they have no way of knowing what long-term effects, if any, his head injuries may have.

Warren is also on life support, but Brown said that is not because he is unable to live unassisted.

The life support is to help reduce stress on his body.

"There are machines regulating his organs, but that is just to aid in his recovery," said Brown.

"He is on a respirator because he developed a case of pneumonia."

Overall, Brown said, the family is confident that Warren will wake from his coma.

Mayor Lorne Kusugak, during the last council meeting, said that the hamlet will consider doing something for the family.

"As new as he was, he has had an impact on the community," Kusugak said.