John Kerry Returns To Boston For Treatment On Broken Leg
GENEVA (CBS/AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was flown back to Boston Monday, a day after he broke his leg in a bicycle crash in France.
Kerry spent Sunday night in a Swiss hospital as a precaution, State Department spokesman John Kirby said, before flying back to the U.S. for further treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital.
"The secretary continues to be in great spirits and active," Kirby said. "He has done a range of phone calls including with the president."
Kerry arrived at Boston's Logan Airport at 8:50 p.m. Monday night. He went directly to Mass. General.
Kerry, 71, fractured his right femur after hitting a curb and crashing his bike near Scionzier, France, about 25 miles southeast of the Swiss border.
Paramedics and a physician were on the scene with his motorcade at the time and provided him with immediate attention. They quickly decided to call in a helicopter to transport him to Geneva's main medical center, HUG, where X-rays confirmed the extent of his injury.
"The secretary is stable and never lost consciousness, his injury is not life-threatening and he is expected to make a full recovery," Kirby said in an earlier statement.
The Dauphine Libere, a local newspaper, said Kerry fell near the beginning of his ride to the famed mountain pass called the Col de la Colombiere, which has been a route for the Tour de France more than a dozen times.
Kerry's regular plane flew back from Geneva to the United States on Sunday, carrying much of his staff and reporters who had accompanied him on the trip.
The secretary of state planned to board a plane later in the day with special medical equipment "to ensure he remains comfortable and stable throughout the flight," Kirby said. But on the advice of doctors, Kerry remained in Geneva's hospital another night.
Kerry decided to seek treatment in Boston because the fracture is near the site of his earlier hip surgery.
Kerry's orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Dennis Burke, traveled to Geneva and accompanied him back to Boston. He wanted to "ensure he remains comfortable," according to Kirby.
Kerry's cycling rides have become a regular occurrence on his trips. He often takes his bike with him on the plane and was riding that bicycle Sunday.
The prospect of a lengthy rehabilitation could hamper nuclear talks and other diplomatic endeavors. Even if Kerry does not need surgery, it was not immediately known when he could fly again after returning to the United States.
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