The wife of a Penticton man who was brutally assaulted on an Okanagan beach in early May released a video on Thursday of her husband, Bradley Eliason, awake and talking from his hospital bed.
Chelsea Townend said Eliason, 28, was enjoying a bonfire with a friend on Okanagan Lake beach near Lakeshore Drive in the south Okanagan town around 11:30 p.m. when two intoxicated and unknown men approached.
WATCH: Penticton beach assault victim awakes from coma (May 2019)
The men allegedly harassed a group of nearby teenagers and Eliason and his friend attempted to intervene.
The altercation moved to the boardwalk and the Penticton resident was allegedly punched in the face. He fell to the ground and hit his head on the concrete.
Eliason required 56 stitches to his skull and he was placed in a medically-induced coma because of the swelling on his brain.
Eliason recently awoke from a coma and Townend said he is making a remarkable recovery at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) but still has a long way to go.
On Thursday, Townend posted an update to a GoFundMe page, launched by a friend to assist with expenses as she takes time off work to support her husband in recovery.
“He is doing well. His trachea tube is removed. He is eating soups and sandwiches now. He can talk but still has trouble with words and sentences,” she wrote.
WATCH: Wife of Penticton beach assault victim speaks out (May 2019)
Townend said Eliason must still undergo another major surgery to reattach his skull flap.
When Eliason initially underwent brain surgery, doctors had to remove part of his skull because of the swelling on his brain.
“The doctors want him to gain back his strength and remain healthy before this happens,” she said.
Meanwhile, 21-year-old Thomas Kruger-Allen will appear in Penticton provincial court for a bail hearing on June 17. He remains in custody.
Kruger-Allen is facing charges of aggravated assault, sexual assault and two counts of common assault stemming from the May 3 incident involving several alleged victims.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
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