Sebastian Joshua Grewal is eight years old.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: A horrific plane crash in southern California has left an eight year-old Indian American boy in critical condition.
Sebastian Joshua Grewal has undergone two surgeries over the course of the week, after being injured in a plane crash that occurred on around11 AM on the morning of June 9. Grewal was being flown by 47 year-old pilot and Los Angeles Fire Department paramedic Brian Lee, who died in the crash.
A San Bernardino Fire Department official told the Los Angeles Times that the plane, a single-engine Grumman AA-1A aircraft, experienced engine problems and went into a sudden nosedive, crashing into the ground and flipping several times before coming to a stop. Lee died on the scene, while Grewal – miraculously, as many as saying – survived and was immediately taken to a local hospital.
On Tuesday, Grewal underwent a second operation to relieve pressure on his brain, and is still in critical condition as he fights for his life. His father – Josh Grewal, a local small business owner – told local reporters that his son has always wanted to be a pilot when he grows up.
The Victorville Daily Press, a local newspaper, reports that the Grewals were good family friends with Lee, and that the pilot had taken the junior Grewal in his plane as part of a camping trip. Grewal’s father has taken to Facebook several times over the course of the week, thanking people for their support and asking to keep his son in their prayers.
Now, questions remain as to what caused the crash that claimed one life and has come dangerously close to claiming another. To that end, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into what happened that caused Monday’s fiery, tragic wreckage.
Lee, who had been with the LAFD for 25 years, is remembered as a kind and caring man. He is survived by his twin girls, whose age has not been disclosed. His sudden death has left the local community reeling, as they cope with his loss and continue to pray for the survival of Grewal, who just turned eight in March.