Harrison Ford has reportedly been released from the hospital weeks after a harrowing plane crash, and experts say he might have to learn to walk again while he recovers from a broken pelvis.
Ford also suffered lacerations to his head and a broken ankle on March 5 after the small aircraft he was piloting had severe engine trouble; the actor received praise from authorities after news broke that he had steered the plane onto a golf course and away from homes. Ford was given initial first aid by doctors who happened to be on the golf course that day.
“He had no other choice but to make an emergency landing, which he did safely. He was banged up and is in the hospital receiving medical care,” said Ford’s spokesperson, Ina Treciokas.
Harrison Ford’s injuries mean he’ll more than likely need to continue therapy for a while to learn how to walk while keeping the pain to a minimum, according to the founder of the Joint and Spine Institute in Beverly Hills.
“The therapy is primarily stabilization exercises and also gait training, like actually getting the patient up and moving again – pretty much just learning how to walk while minimizing the pain,” says Dr. Beny Charchian, who did not treat Ford.
Harrison Ford didn’t just receive kudos from emergency personnel; he’s getting praise from other pilots, who say he did the exact right thing. Christian Fry of the Santa Monica Airport Association said that Ford’s emergency landing was “absolutely beautifully executed…by an unbelievably well trained pilot, which is the kind of thing we like to see out of the Santa Monica Airport.”
Earlier this month, it was reported that Ford would be partnering with National Geographic to narrate their documentary Living In The Age Of Airplanes, although it’s not clear if he will still take on the role.