5 November 2007
"My Ninja-Like Reflexes Must Have Saved Me"
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Jack Ryder of Prince George is on the mend after he was struck
and dragged by a freight train in Calgary.
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Prince George British Columbia - A Prince George man is
lucky to be alive - let alone talking and moving about - after he was struck and dragged by a freight train when he tripped and fell
while walking along a stretch of track in Calgary.
As it is, Jack Ryder, 20, faces a long road to recovery after suffering severe head, neck, and facial injuries and it may be some time
yet before he's able to return to his home town.
"But it's pretty incredible that he's even alive," said his mother, Jadine, on Monday from the intensive care unit at
Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary. "Most people don't get hit by a train and dragged and run over by 15 railway cars and live to
tell the story."
Ryder, who had been in Calgary for about a month helping to open up a new Princess Auto store in the city, was walking home with some
friends during the early morning hours of 27 Oct 2007 when he tripped, lost his balance, and fell on the tracks, 50 metres
south of the Heritage LRT station.
When the engineer of the oncoming Canadian Pacific freight train realized someone was lying on the tracks, he put on the brakes, but it
wasn't until several cars had passed over him that the train had come to a complete stop.
"They thought he was dead, but thanks to the paramedics, they saved his life," Jadine said. "And thanks to the engineer
because... well, if he hadn't seen him, he would've just kept going."
Along with all the broken bones, Jack's short-term memory was affected and he doesn't remember anything about the accident.
"And he's pretty wobbly on his legs but he's getting stronger every day," Jadine said.
Speaking over the phone, Jack sounded upbeat.
"It was crazy that I made it through - my ninja-like reflexes must have saved me," he joked.
Meanwhile, Jadine is asking for donations to help pay for her room.
"My father (also named Jack) has paid for my room up until Thursday of this week and I'm not sure what I am going to do after
that. I will stay at Jack's side until I run out of funds," she said.
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