Concerned about lack of after hours care | Letter

What are we supposed to do?

On Saturday, Aug. 31, my 24-year-old grandson was jumping off the rope swing at Mountain Lake. He had an accident and cut the bottom of his foot deeply. Friends paddleboarded him to our car, and we drove to the emergency room next to Orcas Center and found a note on the door that the CENTER IS CLOSED for the ENTIRE weekend! What is going on? The note referred us to the Eastsound Fire Station.

There, we talked to a fireman who said we had several options because the wound needed stitches. We could take the ferry, which would leave in an hour or so, to Anacortes and go to the hospital there or go on to Bellingham. Next option was to charter a plane and fly to Friday Harbor. We called the airport and were told that due to an accident, the Friday Harbor Airport was closed.

We have a boat, so we loaded Ceddie back into the pickup and headed for the boat to take him to Friday Harbor. We called ahead. Ceddie, his dad and his sister spent five hours at the hospital, got stitched up and back to Orcas just before dark. WHAT IF THIS HAD BEEN A LIFE THREATENING ACCIDENT? On a populous island such as Orcas, this is unacceptable. WE NEED A DOCTOR, NURSE AND EMERGENCY ROOM that is available 24/7. What can we do?

Win Rhodes

Orcas Island