TriColumbia founder Rob "Vigo" Vigorito in Kona Hawaii bike crash

We were stunned to get word that Columbia Triathlon Race Director Bob Vigorito was injured in a bike crash. Triathlon trial lawyer Doug Landau and his wife are big fans of the Columbia Triathlon Association races and of TriColumbia founder Vigorito’ efforts on behalf of the USAT. Vigorito was in Hawaii for the Ironman World Championship when he was seriously injured in a bicycle accident in Kona. While trying to avoid a truck that had pulled in front of him on the Queen K Highway, Vigorito wound up going over his handlebars and into the truck. According to an e-mail sent by his wife, Sharon, “Vigo” has nine broken ribs, several that are multiple breaks. He also has a fractured scapula, a pneumothorax and a lacerated lip. “The thought is that he will be in pretty severe pain for about a month,” Sharon wrote.

Vigorito has been transferred to a trauma center in Honolulu, in part to help with the pain management and in case any surgical intervention is required. Another update from his wife reports “We transferred Robert to Honolulu today to take advantage of the trauma center on Oahu. We were flown on Hawaii Life Flight. What wonderful people and very professional. Several reasons prompted this. Pain management – he was able to have a thoracic epidural which reduced his pain exponentially. When he is off morphine and awake he can take advantage of the incentive spirometer and work on filling his lungs, preventing pneumonia. Lastly, if there were any surgical intervention required, he is where he needs to be.”

“We are thankful he does not have a head or neck injury and is not dead,” Sharon wrote. Please keep Rob & his family in your thoughts & prayers.