Update: Senator Garlan Gudger from Alabama injured in jet ski accident, flown to hospital by helicopter | News

Update: Senator Garlan Gudger (R – Cullman) issued a public statement Sunday from UAB Hospital, where he remains receiving treatment following a serious jet ski accident on July 4 that resulted in three fractured vertebrae, six broken ribs, a ruptured lung and internal bleeding.

He was flown by helicopter to UAB Hospital on Thursday following the accident on Smith Lake in which his watercraft was struck from behind by another, and upon arrival underwent brief surgery to treat internal bleeding.

The statement from Gudger, a two-term senator who represents parts of Cullman, Marion and Winston counties, said:

“Without the bystanders on the dock, the first responders who treated me on the lakeshore, the emergency helipad set up by Trident Marina, Alabama’s Air Evac Flight Team, and a great group of doctors, nurses, and administrators at UAB, the outcome of this accident would certainly have been very different.

I remain under observation in the ICU at UAB, but was able to walk down the hall.

The physical recovery will be difficult for our family, but will be made easier by the intercessions of friends, family, constituents, coworkers, and even complete strangers who understand that healing comes from God.

At the moment I have to concentrate on my recovery and cannot receive visitors. But you can be sure that my family and I are grateful to everyone who offers me their help and sympathy.”

CULLMAN, Alabama (AP) — Alabama state Sen. Garlan Gudger was flown by helicopter to a Birmingham hospital Thursday after being injured in a jet ski accident on Smith Lake during the Fourth of July holiday.

The Cullman Republican is in intensive care at UAB Hospital after undergoing surgery to treat internal bleeding and other injuries, according to a statement from the Alabama Senate. The statement said doctors believe his prognosis is good.

Gudger’s wife, Heather Gudger, thanked first responders and doctors and nurses in a statement who “prevented a difficult situation from becoming even worse.”

“Anyone who knows Garlan knows he is a strong, tough and energetic man who will recover from these injuries and continue to serve the citizens of his district while promoting the conservative Alabama values ​​that so many of us hold dear,” she said.

Gudger, a former Cullman City Council member, was elected to the Alabama Senate in 2018 and is currently serving his second term.