The world got its first glimpse of Solange Tremblay, an Air Canada flight attendant, as she lay in a hospital bed, bravely recovering from severe injuries sustained during a terrifying incident at LaGuardia Airport. Her daughter, Sarah Lepine, has opened up about the extent of Tremblay’s injuries following the crash.
Tremblay, who has dedicated 26 years to her role as a flight attendant, was violently ejected from Jazz flight 8646 after it collided with a fire truck on the runway on the night of March 22. The flight was arriving from Montreal when the accident occurred, causing Tremblay to be thrown over 320 feet from the wreckage.
“During the crash, she was ejected more than 320 feet from the wreckage,” Lepine detailed on a GoFundMe page created to aid her mother’s medical expenses. “She was discovered still strapped into her jump seat, lying on the tarmac.”
Lepine continued to describe her mother’s serious injuries, saying, “My mother’s injuries include two shattered legs, with open fractures, necessitating several surgeries where metal plates have been used to repair the damage.”
Additionally, Tremblay suffered a fractured spine and is awaiting further medical evaluation to determine if surgery will be needed. “She also requires skin grafts to replace the missing flesh she lost on her legs while sliding across the tarmac,” Lepine explained.
Complications from her initial surgery led to Tremblay needing a blood transfusion, Lepine added, sharing an image of her mother in a New York hospital bed as she undergoes treatment and begins the arduous journey to recovery.
Both pilots were killed in last Sunday’s disaster, which obliterated the plane’s cockpit.
Tremblay’s daughter said that her mother faces a years-long recovery.
“My mom has suffered so much from this event and regrettably her struggles are far from over,” she wrote.
“She will have to undergo several other surgeries, along with intensive rehabilitation to learn how to walk again. At the moment our greatest fear is the risk of infection which could lead to other horrifying complications if her injuries become infected,” Lepine said.
Latest coverage on the deadly Air Canada crash at LaGuardia Airport
“My mother dedicated her entire life as a flight attendant, and was very proud of her work. She loved serving the public and helping them travel safely from their respective destinations,” she said.
“Right now, my mom needs your help. She is in New York for the foreseeable future for her recovery where she remains in constant fear of sustaining further damages than she has already suffered,” Lepine wrote, as she asked for help with the fundraiser.
The last firefighter to be injured in the crash at LaGuardia was released from the hospital Saturday.
Dozens were injured in the collision, which is being blamed on air traffic control miscommunications.
“At this point we’re going to wait for the [National Transportation Safety Board] to give us some guidance on what occurred and if there’s anything that needs to be changed,” the new head of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Kathryn Garcia, told CBS News New York.
Pilots at LaGuardia have long complained about close calls and confusion with air traffic control, according to reports.
Its runway is notably shorter than those at nearby JFK and Newark Liberty Airport, but Garcia wouldn’t speculate if that or other infrastructure issues were a factor in the crash.
“As I said, I can’t speculate on what they’re gonna find. Obviously, the [Federal Aviation Administration] has strong regulatory authority over our airports, including everything from the size of a runway to the lights, to the signs,” Garcia said.
