Skowhegan -
You can count David and Donna Beers among the people happy to see 2013 arrive. The Eaton Mountain Ski Area owners were forced to close last year after David was nearly killed when he accidentally activated the throttle on the 18,000 pound snow groomer he was making repairs to and it ran him over.
He suffered multiple broken bones and skull fractures and spent months at Eastern Maine Medical Center. He says he's much improved now and is living proof that whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. "I'm doing remarkably well considering everything I went through," Beers said. "I'm deaf in one ear. Obviously I have a few scars to remind me of it and obviously I have some pain in my leg, but besides that I've been up and around the mountain just like nothing happened."
But the list of surprises at Eaton Mountain in 2012 didn't end there. While they were trying to open the mountain this season, they ran up against more obstacles. "The night before Christmas Eve, we lost our generator that makes our three-phase power for running the lifts and the snow making," Beers explains. "We ended up scrambling and got a backup unit here and were able to make enough snow to get open."
On Monday, the Beers' spirits were lifted when an old friend stopped by. Debbie Campbell, one of the intensive care unit nurses from Eastern Maine Medical Center, who was with David during every step of his recovery, paid him a surprise visit. It marked the first time they had seen each other since his release from the hospital.
His former nurse says she didn't even recognize him at first. "His sister reminded me I owe him a Dunkin Donuts coffee, which I don't remember," Campbell said with a smile. "But I'd do anything to motivate people to get better. It's nice to see him do so well after such an injury."
For now, snow tubing is in full swing at Eaton Mountain, but skiing won't be up and running this year. The owners say their chair lift needs some work before it will pass state inspection. But they plan to have the slopes back open and better than ever next year. For the Beers' family, after a rocky 2012, the future is now looking bright.
If you want to keep up with their progress at Eaton Mountain, they have all the information on their website:
http://www.eatonmountain.com/
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