‘A close call’: Parents save 10-year-old son’s life after he flies off dirt bike

WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WCTV/Gray News) - A 10-year-old boy from Florida remains hospitalized more than a week after he flew off his dirt bike and suffered serious injuries.

Wyatt Jones, 10, was riding a dirt bike in his family’s front yard June 29 in Wakulla County when something suddenly went wrong. He lost control and flew off the bike, WCTV reports.

“I just remember screaming his name and running after him, and when I got to him, he was unconscious,” said Ashley Jones, Wyatt’s mother.

She and her husband, Damion Jones, say Wyatt severed his femoral artery in the crash, causing him to lose large amounts of blood. Both parents are volunteer firefighters, and their quick actions helped save their son’s life.

“It was definitely a close call,” Damion Jones said. “A little too close for comfort for me.”

He’s worked in the fire service for more than 10 years but never imagined he’d be saving his son.

“You’ve got your kid sitting there, saying, ‘Dad, I don’t want to die,’” Damion Jones said. “And then, you’ve got to try to figure out how not to let that happen.”

Ashley Jones reflected on the ambulance ride to the hospital.

“I’m just feeling his body go cold,” she said. “Listening to him tell me he doesn’t want to die and that he loves me.”

More than a week later, Wyatt is still in the hospital. He underwent extensive surgery, with one surgeon creating multiple incisions to repair his artery, according to details from the family’s GoFundMe. Because of his injuries, the 10-year-old suffered compartment syndrome, which caused him to lose complete blood flow to his foot and lower leg for a period of time, his parents said.

Wyatt’s recovery is progressing daily, and he has even been able to walk a few steps.

“I cried,” Ashley Jones said. “It was a great moment. It was almost like when I first saw him walk as a baby.”

Damion Jones says he’s looking forward to their son’s return home, but he expects it to be a long process.

“He’s still got physical therapy. He’s still going to have to get his strength back in his leg and all that stuff. Get his mobility,” he said.

Wyatt’s parents say the cost of his treatment is expensive. On top of that, they are missing work to take care of their son, which has caused some financial stress. The family started a GoFundMe to ask for support as Wyatt recovers.