Family’s bedside vigil for injured son
jack.harbour@news.com.au including a punctured lung and numerous broken bones.
Truck driver John Cantell said he was told of the accident at 11am while working on the Sunshine Coast.
“It took me two hours (to get to the Gold Coast), a pretty stressful two hours because they don’t tell you a lot over the phone,” he said.
“My wife was pretty stressed because he was straight into surgery and all we were told was that there were 50 people in surgery attending to him.
“After all that was over, we got to talk to them and find out exactly what was going on. It was touch and go.”
Mr Cantell said doctors said his son would be in a coma until at least the end of the week.
Even then there are no promises he will make it.
Mr Cantell, of Oxenford, said while there was plenty to look forward to once Paul woke, the family was still faced with ongoing bills associated to Cantell and Co, the landscaping company Paul established three months ago.
“He has debts with that because he borrowed money setting himself up,” he said.
“He loved the (landscaping) work. He’s a really likeable guy.
“Afterwards they told us he’s going to need a lot of rehabilitation.”
But Mr Cantell said his son’s favourite exercise was riding his Harley Davidson motorbike.
“We’ve all got Harleys he’s got a softail,” he said.
“We get out on riding tours – his mother has one as well.” ...