Teen injured by frozen cod still in critical condition

Vicky England is very worried about her brother.

Gatlyn England, 18, of Marysvale, Conception Bay is in critical condition in a St. John's hospital after he was injured in an industrial accident on July 5.

England was in the hold of a boat at the wharf in Harbour Grace offloading fish when a large frozen cod fell about eight metres and hit him in the head.

Vicky England said roughly 15 to 20 kilograms of loose frozen cod were being lifted on pallets out of the boat and onto the wharf, when a fish slipped off the pallet, plummeted back into the hold, and knocked her brother unconscious.

Gatlyn England was rushed in an ambulance to hospital in Carbonear, and then transferred to the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's in critical condition. He had a blood clot in his brain, which has since moved to his chest. He developed an infection in his arm from his I.V., and has caught pneumonia.

"We [his family] haven't left the hospital. We've been sleeping on chairs in the waiting room," said a stressed Vicky England.

England added that her brother was wearing no personal protective equipment, no hardhat, and had received no special training for his job.

Gatlyn England has been too ill to talk to police or occupational safety investigators.

Gatlyn England had graduated from high school in June, and was hoping to do some training in scaffolding work this fall. But Vicky England said until her brother's condition improves, all his future plans are on hold.

"The doctors are saying that he's a very sick boy, and he's far from out of the woods yet, but all we can do is pray."

Occupational health and safety officials are investigating the incident.