RSS Feed
 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Passingers knew plane would crash
The April 9 crash killed two men, Dr. Damien O'Neill, a Murphy Medical Center emergency room physician and Allen Martin, a physician's assistant from Macon County. Opoliner was found about five to 10 feet from the burning shambles that had been the single engine Piper Lance. He was conscious and talked to rescue personnel before being airlifted to Erlanger Medical Center. Speaking from the Brook Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX, Opoliner said he remembers nothing about the crash or the events immediately preceding the crash. The first thing he remembers is waking up at Erlanger Medical Center. "I remember nothing," he said. "I believe that is God's way of protecting us. " Opoliner said he is burned over 25 to 30 percent of his body and he is sore and hurting. But he said his burns "aren't all that bad". He said he sustained no broken bones. "I believe it is a miracle. I am treating it as a miracle," he said. Opoliner, a general surgeon at Murphy Medical Center, said he is getting fantastic care from the people at the burn center at Fort Sam Houston. "It is a very good burn center," he said. "Erlanger has an excellent burn center too. But I am retired military, so I came here." Opoliner said tissue was cut off parts of his burned body and skin grafts were made from other places on his body. He is undergoing physical therapy and a nutrition program. His hands are burned but he thinks he will be okay and will possibly be able to return to work after a time of rehabilitation. "Time will tell," he said. "I expect to be back in Murphy in a few weeks to a couple of months.It is an arduous process for burn patients. It is a rough process." Opoliner is a retired U.S. Navy surgeon whose last duty station was Bethesda, Maryland, where he was on the teaching staff. He had spent time in Iraq. He had been on the Murphy Medical Center staff for the past three years. Opoliner said Dr. O'Neill was a great guy. Opoliner knew O'Neil well and said his death is a "tremendous loss to the community". He only met Martin on the trip to Orlando, where Opoliner has family. "The community lost a tremendous physician in Dr. O'Neil," Opoliner said. "My heart goes out to Allen (Martin) and his family and to the rest of the community." Opoliner said he will have to make a decision on whether to get back into flying. He owns and pilots his own airplane, although he was the copilot in the plane that crashed. O'Neill was the pilot "I don't know if I will get back in a plane again," Opoliner said. "I used to fly a lot." Opoliner said he plans to come back to Murphy. "I love the people and the community," he said. "I hope to be back in a couple of months. I appreciate all the outpouring and concern." Opoliner said Murphy Medical Center has two other excellent surgeons. Opoliner has an office that he shares with an oncologist. At a press conference, Dr. Henry Meinecke, a surgeon at Murphy Medical Center, said O'Neill was the cheerleader of the Emergency Room and always found ways to cheer people up. The April 9 tragedy occurred when the single engine plane was apparently trying to land at the airport but clipped power lines and skidded cross Airport Road about 400 to 500 feet north of the western end of the airport runway. The wrecked plane ended up just off Airport Road next to a driveway. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident and it may be months before the investigation into what may have caused the crash is completed.
A private memorial service for hospital family members of Dr. O'Neill was held yesterday. Starting today through April 30, the public is invited to share thoughts in writing. Anotebook will be available in the main lobby at Murphy Medical Center and will be presented to the family at a later date.
|
for larger version      |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
