KEVIN MENZ
Associate News Editor

Two University of Saskatchewan students are recovering in a hospital after being seriously injured in an earthquake that shook Christchurch, New Zealand on Feb. 22.

According to the Globe and Mail, Jenna Benoit, 21, and her boyfriend Patrick Lee, 22, were walking on Columbo Street when the earthquake hit and trapped them under a collapsed two-story brick building.

Nearby residents pulled the severely injured pair out of the debris.

Lee suffered a skull fracture, breaks in his spine, neck and arms. Benoit, whose injuries are considered less severe, suffered a fractured skull, spinal fractures, a lacerated liver and a broken foot.

According to witnesses, Lee was disoriented when he was freed from the debris. He kept calling for Benoit and was reluctant to go to the hospital because he thought she was still stuck under the debris.

The rescuers managed to get Lee into the back of a pick-up truck and transferred him to the hospital. Benoit was transferred to the hospital in a separate vehicle.

The Edmonton Journal spoke with both students’ parents about the incident and reported that Lee underwent surgery Feb. 23 to remove bone fragments from his skull that had been putting pressure on his brain.

Lee’s father Larry Lee was able to speak to Patrick the day after the surgery.

“We just spoke to him briefly. He was very incoherent. He doesn’t know what’s happened. He’s quite confused,” said Larry.

He said that Patrick has no recollection of where he was or what he was doing when the earthquake occurred.

Benoit’s parents were able to talk to her the day after the incident, reported the Globe and Mail.

“It was a very big relief,” said Jenna’s father Chris Benoit.

“Once Brenda Lee [Jenna’s mother] heard Jenna’s voice it was just a God send.”

The Edmonton Journal also reported that both the Lees and the Benoits flew to Christchurch this past weekend. Both emphasized their appreciation for how the incident has been handled, including the great care their children have received and the strong support they’ve received from the community.

However, they are especially grateful for the people who rescued their children.

“All we know is that we’re very, very grateful that somebody found them as quickly as they did. They were some of the first casualties who were brought to Christchurch hospital, and they’ve been there since very early after the earthquake took place,” said Larry.

Patrick and Jenna have been in New Zealand since November and had planned to return home in August.

More than 100 people have been killed in the quake and approximately 240 more are missing.

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photo by Dave Manthei/Flickr