SPRINGDALE, Ark. — David Stout and his father James Stout were badly injured in the EF-3 tornado that hit Springdale Wednesday, March 30.
James is out of the hospital and recovering while David is now off his ventilator but remains in critical condition at UAMS in Little Rock.
Overall there were seven total reported injuries from the tornado, and looking at this mobile home park, it’s surprising it wasn’t more.
"My brother is doing much better and that's all that matters to me right now," said Karrie Stout, David’s sister.
They say the tornado hit without any warning.
"We didn’t have a warning at all until it hit,” James said. “All we heard was like a freight train."
Within seconds, they say the sound was gone. In the distance, some of the family members heard David’s faint voice.
"We heard him cry for help,” Karrie said. “You could barely hear it."
David was found outside their home. David and James both had to be taken to the hospital for their injuries.
"The tree hit me in the head," James said. “I got a big knot.”
David received three broken ribs, a broken jaw, and bruised lungs from the tornado.
"So, that's why he was bleeding out his nose, his mouth,” Karrie said. “He couldn't breathe."
David was quickly moved from a hospital in Springdale to one in Fayetteville and was listed in critical condition. Then, he was moved to UAMS in Little Rock.
"They had to repair his esophagus and his trachea because they said it had a rip in the back,” Karrie said.
He is now off the ventilator and can speak. James left the hospital in Springdale to visit his son.
"I wasn’t going to let him be alone,” James said. “I love my kids."
Once David saw his family, he told them what happened.
"I was coming to warn you that there was a tornado,” said James recalling what David said. “I seen it on my telephone."
He says he rushed to warn the rest of the family. The family explains that he tried to get in through the back door but it was locked. As the tornado passed by their home, he was sucked into it.
"He said I went round and round and round and it threw me out," James said.
"And it threw him under the porch as a tree hit him in the face," Karrie said.
The family is now back at the home cleaning up the damage. Even the trees that almost claimed the lives of two loved ones.
"All we can do is clean up and try to start over and move on with our lives and be grateful that we are here to do it," said Karrie.
The family is now asking for donations to rebuild. To donate, click here. To donate to David's medical needs, click here.
RELATED: Washington County Emergency Declaration issued to bring relief to Springdale tornado victims
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