Plane crash survivor Jason Flood, his father Joe Flood and his mother Janet Flood attend the Scullville Volunteer Fire Company’s Jan. 21 installation dinner to thank the firemen their work during an August plane crash that left Jason with very little chance of survival.

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – The members of the Scullville Volunteer Fire Company were treated to a very special guest during their annual installation dinner Jan. 21 when Jason Flood walked through the door.

“It knocked the wind out of us. Everyone welled up with tears when he walked through that door with only a slight limp and with a gleam on his face,” said Chief Mike Feidor. “We don’t ever really get to experience this, to get to communicate with the people we save.”

The 21-year-old Franklinville pilot crashed his banner plane Aug. 2 on a small grass airfield off of Steemanville Road. Flood was attempting to pick up a banner at the field, but missed. He attempted to come around for another attempt when he either lost control of the plane or had a mechanical problem, causing the plane to crash in an area of the property covered in dense brush.

The plane had extensive damage and Flood was trapped in the wreckage. Feidor said his men relentlessly worked on extricating him from the plane for forty minutes in the 90-degree August heat in full turnout gear, but had little hope for his health as they placed him aboard the helicopter that was transporting him to the hospital.

Flood was airlifted to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center City Campus by a medevac helicopter, but was eventually sent to CooperMedical Center for treatment. By the time he arrived in Camden, he barely had any blood left in his body, according to his father, Joe Flood, who was also present at the dinner.

To him, his son is a walking miracle.

He was there to award the firemen a Green Cross Award, the symbol of recognition for those who have used Hurst Jaws of Life products to save lives.

“He had a broken back, in a number of places. He lost his kidney, his spleen and ruptured his aorta. It was so torn it was causing massive internal bleeding. His leg was broken from the hip all the way down,” he said, adding, the report of his son’s injuries was 4,500 pages long.

“The doctors even told us they didn’t think he was going to make it. I’ve never been through anything like that in my life.”

Capt. Steven Prisament, who was the incident commander of the rescue effort, said seeing Flood walk in on his own two feet was an amazing experience.

“It was a very emotional night,” he said. “It really touched a lot of our guys.”

Mayor James “Sonny” McCullough, Committeemen John Carman and Joe Cafero and Atlantic County Freeholders Frank Sutton and John Risley attended the dinner as well.

“I think they were more proud of what we did than we were,” Feidor said, noting that without the Township Committee’s partial financial support, his department would not have been able to purchase the life-saving tools that rescued Flood.

Flood’s father said experiences like these should clarify people’s priorities.

“We get so lost in this Snookie, Real Housewives business,” he said. “But this is real life. They saved his life. This is what it is all about.”