By Sobia Moman
A Vanderhoof man was fighting for his life after a terrible car accident on Highway 16 in early January. Now, his family is thanking a good Samaritan who stopped and helped him in time.
Tyler Johns was driving east on Highway 16 at 10 a.m. on Jan. 3 when the accident occurred.
Mike Rydl, a retired paramedic was driving in the opposite direction when he noticed multiple vehicles involved in accidents. He decided to pull over and help as many people as he could.
In a press release, Johns family said he was in bad shape when Rydl got to him, and the paramedic aided Johns in breathing while they waited for an ambulance to arrive.
Rydl saved Johns from getting hypothermia. However, he still sustained many injuries due to the accident including a fractured skull and ribs, and a brain injury. He has a long way to go before he is recovered but his family and staff at the University Hospital of Northern B.C. are hopeful about his rehabilitation.
Johns will be recovering in the hospital for a prolonged period of time and is therefore unable to return to work in the near future. His family has created a GoFundMe page asking for assistance for the expenses necessary for Johns’ recovery.
As of Jan. 12, $12,075 has been raised out of the $20,000 goal.
On Jan. 9, Kenisha Mei, organizer of the GoFundMe page updated donors on Johns progress.
“Tyler Johns is now out of the ICU and on a surgical ward where he can slowly start to work on his rehabilitation and recovery. The staff at the hospital have been taking good care of him; we are so grateful for all of the people who have shown up for us this past week - friends, family, medical staff - even complete strangers who are now forever part of our story. We couldn’t do it without all of you,” she wrote.
Have any questions about this story, or see a typo? Email the editor at aman.parhar@ominecaexpress.com