A man with cerebral palsy was seriously injured after a small plane crashed in northern Saskatchewan on Wednesday evening.
Fern told HuffPost Canada that his son, Arson Jr., was stuck for more than three hours between the seats and the frame of the aircraft. The 19-year-old is recovering in a Saskatoon hospital.
"He was the last person that got off the plane, because he was all pinned down," he said. They were both aboard the aircraft when it crashed around 6 p.m. local time near Fond-Du-Lac.
He's been told that Arson Jr. has a broken pelvis, a collapsed lung and a damaged artery in his pelvic area that caused a lot of blood loss.
Fern and his family hadn't heard anything about Arson Jr.'s condition since he went into surgery early Thursday morning. HuffPost Canada spoke to Fern just before he was set to fly from Fond-Du-Lac, where he lives, to Saskatoon.
"I hope I don't lose my son," he said.
The plane was travelling from Fond-Du-Lac airport en route to nearby Stony Rapids, according to operator West Wind Aviation.
Twenty-two passengers and three crew were on board the ATR 42 twin turboprop aircraft.
Fern said that the plane had just taken off when it started to swing from side to side and then hit the ground, skidding for what he thought was about 90 metres but turned out to be more like 1400.
The cabin was dark and people were crying and yelling.
He said he took off much of his clothes so that he could squeeze to the back of the plane and get out. Then he and another man helped passengers escape.
But a few people, including his son, were trapped between the seats.
"I hope I don't lose my son."
One person was also thrown from the aircraft during the crash, seat and all, Fern said.
"The plane ripped open on the side, maybe about six feet by six feet."
While everyone survived the crash, several other people were hurt, including a 70-year-old woman who was left with a broken jaw and facial injuries.
Fern himself suffered a few broken ribs, he told HuffPost Canada.
The Royal Canadian Air Force said it had sent a Hercules transport aircraft and a helicopter to help. A team of investigators from the Transportation Safety Board is set to arrive in the community Thursday.
With files from The Canadian Press
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