A young boy who miraculously survived Sea World’s helicopter crash is now in danger of losing his leg below the knee, his heartbroken father has revealed.
10-year-old Nicholas Tadros broke nearly every bone in his body after two helicopters collided in mid-air before crashing into a sandbank at the Gold Coast theme park on Jan. 2.
The 10-year-old has been treated at Queensland Children’s Hospital since the crash that killed his mother Vanessa Tadros, 36, and three others.
His father Simon Tadros previously said that Nicholas had lost his right foot.
However, on Saturday he revealed that the 10-year-old will have his right leg amputated just below the knee on Monday.
“Nicholas is brave, but he is scared and nervous,” Mr. Tadros told the Courier Mail.
“I’m just asking everyone to pray for my son and it’s going well.”
Nicholas Tadros, 10, broke almost every bone in his body after the helicopter he was in collided with another plane before crashing into a sandbank at Sea World in January
The Sea World helicopter crash, in which Nicholas fell into a coma, killed his mother Vanessa Tadros, 36, along with three others on January 2
Vanessa Tadros (right) was one of four killed when the helicopter crashed. Her son Nicholas (left) was seriously injured and is in danger of losing his right leg just below the knee
Nicholas has since awakened and is in a stable condition, but his road to recovery is still a long one.
Mr. Tadros has remained by his son’s side throughout the harrowing ordeal and has previously revealed the full extent of his injuries.
“He broke almost everything from top to bottom, you know, his arms, his legs, his sternum, his hips, his thighs, his legs, his arms, ribs, lungs collapsed,” he told A Current Affair.
“The only thing I don’t think he really broke was his right arm. How he survived is a miracle.’
Mr. Tadros also shared his last moment with Vanessa and Nicholas before the doomed plane took off.
“I gave them both a hug and a kiss and I said, ‘Enjoy it…have fun,'” he said.
“I’ll see you when you get back down.”
The boy has awakened from his coma and is recovering in hospital after the crash. He gets a lot of support from friends and family
Nicholas was on the doomed joy flight that collided mid-air with another helicopter before crashing into a sandbar in the Gold Coast on January 2
The doting dad said he didn’t join the couple because of his fear of heights.
Minutes later, Mr. Tadros remembered hearing a ‘big bang’ and could only watch in horror as the plane collided with another helicopter in mid-air.
It then crashed into a sandbar, killing Vanessa, British newlyweds Ron, 65, and Diane Hughes, 57, and pilot Ashley Jenkinson, 40.
Mr. Tadros remembered the moment detectives informed him of the horror news.
“Those were the worst words I ever heard in my life,” he said.
‘I was terrified. I lost my wife. To lose my son too, that’s my whole life torn apart, that’s everyone gone.’
Mr Tadros said his son Nicholas was ‘keeping his spirits up’ despite ‘still struggling every day’.
“He’s still trying to understand what really happened to him,” he said.
Mr. Tadros explained it was a “daily struggle” grieving to see his wife and his son in hospital, but said the least he could do was be there for Nicholas.
Mr Tadros (left with his wife Vanessa and son Nicholas) said life has been a “daily struggle” as he stays by his son’s hospital bed every day, grieving for his wife
Nicholas, who is a martial arts enthusiast, has received video messages from students and teachers from his karate class wishing him well and to ‘keep up the spirit’
He added that his son is a survivor who refuses to “give up.”
Nicholas has received a lot of support from friends, family and especially his karate school in Western Sydney.
Queensland Police and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau are investigating the crash, but a final verdict on the cause is not expected until 2024.
SeaWorld Helicopters has suspended flights pending the investigation.
A GoFundMe for Nicholas has been set up by his karate teacher, Mr. Nasr. You can donate here.
