Barrie, Ont. construction worker survives being tossed in trailer when EF-2 hit
Stephen Galyen was at a construction site in Barrie, Ont. on Thursday when the trailer he was in started to shake before being hurled into the air.
The powerful storm, later determined to be an EF-2 tornado, had picked up the trailer and tossed it two streets over.
"We were basically just flying around through the air. It was like barrel-rolling over and over," Galyen recalls.
As the winds tore the trailer apart, Galyen says he and two others were ejected, landing in a muddy area of the job site.
The construction worker admits there was a moment he didn't think he would survive.
"I remember being on a desk at one point, things are spilling, you're hitting the ceiling, off the floor, off the wall," he describes.
Galyen remained conscious, but his two colleagues suffered serious injuries and were initially unresponsive and bleeding.
He says he jumped into action, dragging his coworkers through the mangled construction site to the still-standing office.
Galyen brought one of the men, Chris Russo, to a bin where he could rest his injured leg and broken ribs.
"I got Eddie on my shoulder," Galyen says he carried another worker, Eddie Ameland, to the front door of the office before using his belt to tie off his arm "to stop the bleeding."
The three men were soon rushed to the hospital to be treated for their injuries. Both Ameland and Russo have since been released.
Thursday's twister left a trail of destruction in the Prince William Way area five kilometres long and up to 100 metres wide in the city north of Toronto.
No one was killed in last week's tornado, but 11 people were injured, 10 of those were hospitalized.
The city said more than 100 residents were displaced, and 71 homes were deemed uninhabitable.
Galyen has since returned to work and continues sorting through the debris looking for his belongings.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.