Four remain in critical condition
HUMBOLDT, SASK. • A dozen survivors of the bus crash that killed 15 people on Friday are still in a Saskatoon hospital and four remain in critical condition.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority says four others are in serious condition and four patients are stable.
The Humboldt Broncos were on their way to a playoff game Friday in Nipawin when the bus carrying the junior hockey team collided with a semi truck in northeastern Saskatchewan.
Fourteen people were injured in the collision.
Nick Shumlanski was the first of the Broncos to be released from hospital with a small crack in a vertebra and an injured shoulder. He sent out a statement Sunday night thanking people for their support.
“Although reality hasn’t really set in yet, it is truly devastating to have lost so many close friends, brothers and amazing coaches. Times are tough right now but the support you all have shown is so amazing,” he wrote.
He also said that he was lucky to be in the condition he was.
“The doctor told me it was truly a miracle that I was able to get up and walk away from the accident with very minor injuries and a couple of scars on my body,” he said.
Kaleb Dahlgren remains in hospital but he is stable and “holding his own” despite some pain and swelling, according to a statement released by his family.
“Thank you to everyone for the hundreds of well wishes and concern for Kaleb and our family,” said a message signed Mark, Anita and Erykah and posted to the Twitter account of Mark Dahlgren Sunday night. “It has been a very stressful and emotional last few days.”
The Dahlgren family offered their “sincere condolences” to all the other families, and said they are “devastated” by the loss.
“Kaleb has continued to ask about all of his teammates over the past few days and is concerned about all of them,” the family’s statement read.
Layne Matechuk, an 18-year-old defenceman from Colonsay, Sask., is in a coma with severe head injuries, said his grandfather, George Matechuk.
“Our son and his wife, they’re really taking it hard,” said Matechuk, who was travelling to Saskatoon’s Royal University Hospital from Vermillion, Alta.
Layne was preparing to graduate from high school this year.
“He’s a very nice kid, he’s friendly. Hockey was his thing. He’d be playing hockey 24 hours a day if he could,” said his grandfather.
Matechuk’s teammate, Ryan Straschnitzki of Airdrie, Alta., spent nearly seven hours in surgery on Saturday. Doctors placed rods and pins in his broken back, but the damage is irreversible.
His family was told the 18-year-old would be paralyzed from the chest down but able to move his arms and head.
“He’s alive and breathing, so we really don’t care about that,” said his father, Tom. “As long as he’s alive.”
But he said his son is already starting to set goals.
“He keeps wanting to try and move his legs, of course, because he wants to go back skating,” said Tom. “He just looked at me and his mother and he goes, ‘Well, I’m gonna get onto the Olympic sledge hockey team.’ ”
Hours after waking from surgery, Straschnitzki asked his “billet dad” if he could scroll through his phone, according to Tom. The two then sat down for two hours discussing the magnitude of the collision and what’s happened since.
“He went ‘wow, this is big. I didn’t think it was that big,’ ” Tom said, adding his son then wanted to see a photo of the team bus.
“He said ‘that’s the window I flew out of and that’s where I landed on the pavement,’ ” said Tom. “And then he just stared at that for about five to 10 minutes.”
A family member of Tyler Smith, a forward from Leduc, Alta., says Smith is doing well and “the prognosis is good.”
Curtis Smith said in a Facebook post that his family is one of the lucky ones.
“My heart is not breaking, it is broken!” Curtis Smith wrote. “My tears are not only for Tyler but for the other parents and wives, husbands and children. My family will be forever changed.”
HE KEEPS WANTING TO TRY AND MOVE HIS LEGS ... HE WANTS TO GO BACK SKATING.