Father of Humboldt Broncos player says survivors will be 'bonded for life'
'He keeps asking about his teammates and coaches, so I don't think he knows quite everything yet'
For a few hours on Friday evening, Tom Straschnitzki didn't know if his son Ryan had survived the terrible highway crash involving the Humbolt Broncos Junior Hockey Team.
Ryan is a defenceman with the team and he was among the 29 people on the team bus when it collided with a semi-trailer near Tisdale, Saskatchewan.
Fifteen of the people on the bus died and the rest were injured, some of them badly.
Ryan survived the crash. His father Tom spoke with Day 6 host Brent Bambury on Saturday morning, as he prepared to fly to Saskatoon to see his son.
Tom, how is Ryan today? What are you hearing from him?
We talked to him and he keeps asking about his teammates and coaches, so I don't think he knows everything yet.
What's the extent of Ryan's injuries?
What we're told is he has a broken back, can't feel anything from his waist down as of now and he might be going into surgery this afternoon.
Did he tell you that he remembers the collision or the crash?
He remembers being brought out of the bus. And then it was just a blur.
Has he been talking to anybody else other than you? Is he in contact with with other teammates who survived?
Nope. There's some teammates in Regina, some in Tisdale [and] some in Saskatoon. Again, I don't think he knows who survived and who hasn't.
You must be so happy that he's among the survivors.
We were very happy when we finally got to talk to him last night. But then, devastated for the other families.
How did you find out about the accident, Tom?
A friend of mine called me. He was on social media and asked if I heard about a bus crash. It was about 6:00 p.m Airdrie, Alta., time and I said, "No," and then Twitter started going and going. Then we had a call from one of the player's parents a couple hours after that. They said Ryan is alive.
When you found out that he had survived, how long did it take before you could talk to him?
They made a central call centre and I believe it was [in] Melfort. All the parents could call there and then, if they knew which hospital the kids went to, they would direct you to that number. That was within two, three hours of the accident.
What was the first thing you said to Ryan when you reached him?
I said, "How was the game?" And then he kind of chuckled and went, "Dad, the game was cancelled." I went, "I know, son. So happy to hear your voice." And then, we just all broke down.
I don't know how anyone gets over this. I don't know how people will deal with this scale of tragedy. What are you thinking today about the individuals that are lost?
Heartbroken because [there's] so much going on and this was a really, really bonded team and everyone loved everyone. My first thought was those that survived and what they saw, they will never forget that and they will need a lot of help and support because I couldn't imagine seeing all that.
...hopefully they can all get through it together because now they're really bonded for life.- Tom Straschnitzki, father of Humboldt Broncos defenceman
What are your plans for the next the next few days? Will you stay in Humboldt or will you stay in Airdrie?
Ryan's in the Saskatoon hospital so we're just going to go be with him for as long as we can.
In Western Canada, teams spend long hours on the road and everyone remembers what happened in 1986 when the Swift Current Broncos had their crash and four people died then. Is that always on your mind when you put Ryan on a bus?
As soon as he was traded, that was the first thing that came to my mind. And, there's been accidents after that also so I think it's on everyone's mind.
What do you want people to know about Ryan?
He's strong and he is there for his teammates and coaches. He's just a team player and he's really worried and hopes everything's OK and hopefully they can all get through it together because now they're really bonded for life.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity. To hear more from Tom Straschnitzki, download our podcast or click the Listen button at the top of this page.