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Fond du Lac man dies after suffering injuries in plane crash

Dec 27, 2017 | 1:00 PM

19-year-old Fond du Lac man has died after suffering significant injuries in a plane crash two weeks ago.

Arson Jr. Fern, who suffered from cerebral palsy, was travelling South for a medical appointment when the ART-42 crashed shortly after taking off from Fond du Lac Dec. 13. According to his father Arson Sr., Fern was left with several broken bones, a collapsed lung, and internal bleeding. Arson Sr. said his son was trapped in the freezing wreckage for three hours before he could be removed.

Fern was transported to Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon for treatment, and a GoFundMe crowdfunding page was set up online to help the family stay together over Christmas. According to an update posted on the fundraising page this morning, Fern has since passed away. According to the update, the remaining funds from the nearly $3,000 raised will be used to purchase a headstone.

A Transportation Safety Board investigation into the crash is ongoing, though engine failure has been ruled out as a possible cause. Twenty-five people were onboard during the crash, though Fern is the only passenger to have died.