The teenager and mother who were run over by a U.S. Navy paratrooper in a crash landing at Fleet Week in San Francisco have broken their silence about their injuries.
Millicent ‘Mia’ DeGuzman, 17, and her family attended the air show on October 13 and were sitting on Marina Green when the horrific crash occurred.
“This was my first air show and I had no idea I was in danger,” Mia said in a statement. “Now I can’t move without your help and the doctors say I may never be able to do the things I could do before.”
Several videos, including one from Mia, captured a skydiver missing the landing zone and veering into the crowd. Incredibly, Mia continued filming and only turned around when the man collided with her and her mother, Jhoanna.
Mia suffered two fractures to her pelvis, while her mother was diagnosed with a concussion and a bruise on her upper arm, according to the personal injury law firm the family hired.
Millicent ‘Mia’ DeGuzman, center, takes a selfie with her family
Pictured: The giant screws that had to be surgically implanted into Mia’s pelvis to hold her together.
After the incident, doctors operated on Mia, surgically inserting large screws into her body to hold her pelvis together.
Mia also revealed that she and her family had just immigrated to the United States two days before the show.
“Beyond the physical pain, the emotional trauma is overwhelming; what was supposed to be a happy start to a new life here has turned into a nightmare that I relive every day,” he said.
Tanya Gomerman, the teen’s attorney, said her family faces “a mountain of medical bills.”
“There is no doubt that this is not what this paratrooper or the Navy wanted to happen, but unfortunately a young woman was injured,” Gomerman said.
He continued: ‘He faces a long and difficult recovery and is unable to carry out even the most basic tasks without the support of his family. “It is a tragic incident that raises questions about safety protocols and liability at events involving such high-risk exhibits.”
It is unclear if the family intends to file a lawsuit.
A snippet of video from the Mia incident captures the stray skydiver veering toward disaster. A father appears to be pulling off the road while carrying his son
This was approximately three seconds before Mia and her mother were hit by the skydiver.
Another point of view shows the skydiver about to land in the crowd.
During the event, the first person of the Navy’s Leap Frogs parachute team made a graceful landing on the grass, with crowds on both sides of the landing zone.
People could be heard shouting “ohhhh” and “oh no” as the second skydiver hovered before making the accidental landing.
The parachute error occurred around 12:35 on Sunday at the Armed Forces event.
“Our thoughts are with the individual and his family,” the Navy said in a statement about the incident.
‘Safety is our number one priority. We cannot immediately assess what happened; however, we will review this incident to determine the cause.’
The paratrooper was not injured, according to the US Navy.
San Francisco Fleet Week is an annual celebration of the country’s Armed Forces.
Members organize air shows, flight demonstrations, and boat tours, among other attractions, for locals and tourists to enjoy.
Fleet Week is the grand finale to the summer event, which concluded on October 14 this year.