Manitoba Man Survives Tree Crash on Tent, Hospitalized with Injuries

BREAKING: A freak accident in Blue Lake, Ontario, has left Eric Leschied, a 37-year-old father from Tyndall, Manitoba, hospitalized after a tree fell on his tent while camping with his children. The incident occurred last Thursday around 6:30 AM when heavy rain began to fall.

Leschied and his 11-year-old daughter were inside the tent, while his two young boys were in a camper with their grandparents. He awoke to his daughter’s screams and the crushing weight of the tree. “I started screaming,” Leschied recounted from his hospital bed in Winnipeg.

Thanks to the quick action of another camper who heard their cries, Leschied’s daughter was rescued unharmed. However, getting Leschied out proved more challenging. “They cut the tent open and had to wedge logs under the tree and cut my air mattress,” he explained. “I pushed myself from underneath the tree and knew immediately my hip or my pelvis was broken.”

Leschied sustained serious injuries, including a broken pelvis in three spots and a ruptured bladder. He was airlifted to the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, where he underwent surgery and now faces a long recovery. He has a foot-long incision and is expected to be out of work for at least six to eight months.

As of Tuesday, Leschied took his first steps towards recovery with the aid of a walker, surrounded by family who were visibly emotional. His wife, Jennifer Leschied, expressed profound gratitude, stating, “It could have been a very different story.”

Jennifer, who was at home during the incident, emphasized their strong faith and thanked God for their survival. “Everything looked safe in that campsite, so you didn’t really think of any of those risk factors,” she noted.

The accident comes amid a troubling trend of similar incidents across Canada. Just this year, a young mother and her five-month-old son tragically lost their lives due to a falling tree at a Vancouver Island campground. Additionally, an Ottawa man was killed in June when a tree crashed onto his tent during a severe thunderstorm.

In response to the Leschied family’s situation, a GoFundMe page has raised over $10,000 to assist with medical expenses and recovery. “It’s hard for us to actually look at it without being overwhelmed with emotion,” Jennifer remarked, highlighting their gratitude for the community’s support.

While none of their children were injured, the experience has left its mark. Leschied mentioned that his daughter is hesitant to camp in a tent again. “We’ll just go in a camper from now on,” he quipped, trying to lighten the situation.

As the family begins to heal, they remain thankful for their safety and the love surrounding them during this challenging time. The full impact of this incident serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable dangers that can arise in nature, urging fellow campers to remain vigilant.