Horse Falls on Vaquero at Katoka.

Community Health Worker Jeff Marco gestures while helping manage the potential spinal injury adjacent the airstrip of his own village.

Katoka residents, with assistance from RAM Guyana, built the airstrip on a hill near the village some years ago. Access to emergency medical services is dramatically improved when a fifteen minute flight replaces many hours by boat and trail to the nearest hospital. The airstrip is maintained by villagers and hand tools with no government or financial assistance.

The neighboring community of Simooni has been identified as another priority location for RAM's next airstrip development project.

The injured Vaquero, or bearfoot cowboy, had recently delivered some live beef for a village feeding program, when his horse toppled and ended up falling on top of him. Transporting a spinal case in the RAM aircraft is straightforward with the removable seats and double clam-shell doors on the Cessna U-206 air-ambulance.