Eight months since they pulled him from the rubble, Jacob Hurl is getting the chance to meet and thank some of the firefighters who saved his life.
Hurl was one of six construction works trapped in the partial building collapse just before noon on Dec. 11 at 555 Teeple Terrace., the site of Nest on Wonderland.
Walking up to the station to greet the firefighters, you would not know it was less than a year ago that he was trapped on the ground floor after a four-story partial collapse, unable to move, and facing a possible amputation.
“Months ago, I was in that building, I did not think I was going to be able to (walk), so it’s kind of weird and it’s a really good feeling.”
“I am really appreciative just to be able to be near them,” Hurl said.
“I thank everyone for getting me out of there and not letting me die.”
The thank you was delayed due to the ongoing pandemic, but Jacob and his family are grateful the City and London Fire made the meeting possible.
“It’s a lot for me, it’s nice they made the exception for us because I think that day was a lot bigger than a lot of people think it was.”
To show his appreciation, Hurl presented the firefighters of Station 3 with a handmade wall plaque, made from wood and metal donated by local businesses. The sign says thank you with the date of the accident and the London Fire logo. Hurl said he and a friend had been working on it for several months.
“I can speak for all of the firefighters that were on scene, it will never be forgotten, this day helps with the process of moving away from the event,” said Rob Vermeltfoort, platoon B captain at Station 3.
Vermeltfoort said although they don’t usually personalize issues, seeing Hurl and hearing about how other survivors are recovering helps.
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“It’s a tremendous privilege to meet Jacob and see him in person.
“We spent a lot of time getting Jacob out of his situation with the others, and spending several hours at victim level in a catastrophic event does get personal,” Vermeltfoort said.
Hurl was the last of four pulled out alive. Henry Harder, 26, of Tillsonburg, and John Martens, 21, of Langton, both passed away.
Hurl was on the ground floor of the four-storey building, his legs trapped under three floors of rubble.
Speaking with Global News after returning home from the hospital back in January, Hurl relived the moment everything changed.
“My left thigh got the most impact, and basically everything in my left leg or left thigh broke or blew up inside my leg,” he said.
Hurl’s legs acted as a wedge, keeping the concrete in place, creating a difficult situation for first responders trying to free him from the unstable structure.
Hurl was trapped under the rubble for over four hours, with doctors talking about having to amputate his legs to free him.
Hurl suffered spine damage — a broken sacrum and vertebrae t3 to t5 have compression fractures — as well as a concussion and a cracked skull, which needed nine stitches.
While in hospital, Hurl endured two fasciotomies, where doctors cut his legs open to relieve the pressure from the swelling.
After a broken femur, broken hip, massive chemical burns, and a skin graft, Hurl is up and walking on his own. Although the scars are still noticeable, he has come a long way from where he was last December.
“Bone-wise, I am fully recovered, but, mentally, it’s still kind of a process,” Hurl said.
For Jacob’s parents, there are still parts of this story that are unresolved.
They want to know how this happened to their son in the first place and what will be done to ensure it does not happen to others.
“We want a resolution for our son but we also want a resolution for John and Henry’s family and also for all the construction workers going our there every day, working long hours. We need to know they are safe and the Ministry of Labour is there for them,” Mary Keetch, Jacob’s mother, said.
“What caused it? How did you deem it safe to go back and finish it but you can’t tell us to this day what happened that day? That is the last open wound left,” said William Hurl.
“Somebody needs to tell me and the families of these two kids — if we can’t get that answer as to what did this to him.”
For Jacob’s father, what happened is a question that still plagues him every time he sees the site, so much so that he avoids the area.
“I can’t start putting this to behind me until I get that answer.”
The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development told Global News in April that its investigation is ongoing but that the requirement to secure the scene was removed April 12.
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