The teenager who is believed to have jumped from the rooftop of the Loch Logan Waterfront shopping complex is on the road to recovery.
He is still undergoing treatment at the Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital.
The teenager, who has been identified as a Gr. 11 learner of Grey College, was admitted on 19 May, after miraculously surviving a fall from the rooftop of the shopping centre. In the process, he sustained severe injuries to both his legs, his pelvis, and neck.
Mondli Mvambi, spokesperson for the Free State Department of Health, said the teenager was no longer receiving treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU).
“He was transferred two weeks ago from ICU to the Trauma B unit, where he is recovering well. The patient is responding well to treatment,” said Mvambi.
Monyatso Mahlatsi, Free State MEC for Health, attributed the patient’s recovery to the excellence of the medical care administered.
“The recovery of the patient, who had suffered multiple fractures, including severe head injuries, is a demonstration of the high level of excellence in medical care that our public health services can provide,” said Mahlatsi.
“Whilst more work still needs to be done towards full recovery, there is a cause to celebrate this as an ongoing case of extraordinary medical excellence.
“Keep it going, Pelonomi Hospital, and continue to excel,” said Mahlatsi.
The reason behind the 17-year-old’s suspected jump is still unknown.
Shortly after the incident, Meryl Henning, spokesperson for the mall, had explained the teenager accessed the roof, as any member of the public is able to do, by the stairs or lifts. Recovered CCTV footage apparently showed him climbing the pyramid wall and jumping off the building.
The incident unfolded at about 14:56, on the side of the premises closest to First Avenue.
The paramedics of the government emergency medical services (EMS) attended to the boy and thereafter transported him to hospital.
