Simon Tysma
Navigating Officer in the Merchant Navy
For many years, I sailed the world’s oceans as a mate in the merchant navy. It was a wonderful profession that took me to some of the most beautiful and remote places on Earth.
The Accident in Cameroon
However, my life took an unexpected turn during a stay in Cameroon, on the west coast of Africa.
A ship’s rope suddenly broke and crushed my leg at the ankle. It was not treated until ten hours later. Fortunately, I ended up in the care of an excellent French doctor. Cameroon had once been a French colony, and French influences—including a good hospital—were still present. To this day, I remain grateful to that doctor.
His initial assessment was not very hopeful. He looked at my leg and said firmly, “Amputer la jambe, vite.” Amputate the leg, quickly.
Because of the large amount of morphine, I felt hardly any pain and was remarkably determined to fight. My answer came without hesitation: “Pas
amputer.” Do not amputate.
The doctor then decided to make one final attempt to save the leg below the knee. If that failed, amputation would still be unavoidable. The answer was simple: try it.
The operation was successful. Thanks to the doctor’s enormous dedication, his continuous care, and a substantial amount of antibiotics, my leg was saved. Later, I was transferred to the Netherlands, where an excellent specialist continued the treatment.
What Now?
After two years, the plaster cast could finally be removed. Full of expectation, I asked whether physiotherapy would be the next step. His answer surprised me:
“Not at all. Go to the swimming pool every day. Swim lengths, wearing flippers.”
I followed that advice carefully. Three years after the accident, I could do almost everything I had been able to do before. Physically, I had recovered, but mentally the accident had left deep scars. Returning to the sea was no longer an option. Even now, I get shivers when I see a ship’s rope.
Looking back, I realise that the accident changed much more than just my body. It marked the end of my life at sea and forced me to choose a completely new course. That unexpected turning point ultimately determined the rest of my life.
The Start of a Graphic Design Business
After a period of reflection, travelling around, and, among other things, a stay in Ireland, I started a graphic design business in the Netherlands together with my wife. It grew into a successful company that we enjoyed running for sixteen years.
Selling the Graphic Design Business
In 2000, we sold the company. I believed that paper, as a means of carrying information, would gradually lose its dominant position to the internet. It felt like the right moment to set off in a new direction once again.
A New Life in Spain
That new course eventually took us to Spain.
Looking back, I can see that the accident was not only a dramatic event, but also the beginning of a new chapter. Without that one moment, there probably would never have been a graphic design business, I would never have lived in Spain, and Window in the Spacetime—or my meeting with Isambard—would never have been written.
But that is another story in itself.
See also the blog: Living on the Costa del Sol – 23 Years on Spain’s Southern Coast.