An evening that began as a barbeque among three old hockey teammates and their significant others nearly turned fatal when a fuel accident left one of the guests engulfed in flames and fighting for her life.
The incident occurred May 9 at the home of Senators defenseman Cody Ceci. It was there where Ceci and his partner, Jamie Thompson, hosted Ceci's former Ottawa 67's teammates Ryan Van Stralen and Jake Cardwell, and their significant others, including Cardwell's girlfriend, Hana Engel.
According to The Ottawa Sun, Thompson went to refuel a fire and began to squirt fuel from a bottle onto the flame. But the stream ignited and Thompson instinctively threw the bottle away, accidentally hitting Engel.
The 24-year-old Engel became engulfed in flames, some of which Cardwell was able to put out using water from a dog's bowl a dog bowl that had been moved outside about 10 minutes earlier.
Some of Ceci's neighbors heard the commotion, including one off-duty firefighter and paramedic.
“She was a human candle,” said Marc-Antoine Deschamps, spokesman for the Ottawa Paramedic Service, according to The Sun.
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In the nearly two months since the accident, Engel has begun her recovery, having sustained second- or third-degree burns on 35 percent of her body. The details, outlined in The Sun story, paint the picture of a gruesome three weeks during which doctors attempted to do whatever they could to help Engel.
The next morning, Engel was airlifted to the Ross Tilley Burn Centre, a world-class facility at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. Officially cited as having second and third degree burns to 35 per cent of her body, including, arms, legs, torso and face, her situation was critical. The family was told, rather clinically, that her condition was “survivable,” but with no assurance she would make it.
Medical staff induced a coma that would last for three weeks. During that time, plastic surgeon Dr. Robert Cartotto performed roughly 18 hours of surgery, in three separate operations. The first lasted 12 hours.
Engel underwent 19 to 20 skin grafts, most of them sheet graphs, for better aesthetics, in which sheets of skin were removed from her legs and onto her arms, hands and chest. And some on the stomach.
Engel regained consciousness from a medically induced coma a day before her 24th birthday, The Sun reported.
Ceci himself has not made any statements, and declined an interview from The Sun. But his agent, J.P. Barry, provided a statement on his behalf Friday.
“Earlier this spring, there was an unfortunate accident at my home that resulted in a close friend being injured. I want to take this opportunity to express my sorrow over this accident and sincere concern for the health and well-being of my friend. I hope the entire community can join me in praying she will make a full recovery,” the statement says.
“I am deeply sorry that this unfortunate accident took place. My girlfriend and I have visited and texted with our friend to offer our support and convey directly to her our thoughts, prayers and best wishes for a complete recovery.
“At this most sensitive time for her and her loved ones, I hope that others, including the media, will join me in respecting the privacy of my friend and those affected by this accident by not commenting further, including online and through social media.”
Engel's father, Bruce Engel, is a renowned Ottawa criminal laywer. The family has also retained the services of Howard Yegendorf, a laywer who deals with catastrophic injury cases.