5 January 2007

Statement from the family of Kelly James

On Kelly’s behalf, we would like to express our thanks to those members of the public who helped with the transfer of our daughter and Dion’s partner, Kelly, to Auckland City Hospital on Boxing Day.

Our special thanks goes to; members of the public on a launch, who were first to arrive and offer support, to Steve Taylor and crew of the Pauanui Coastguard Jet Rescue and Chris Deacon and crew of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter. Thank you for your quick actions and continuing support.

The medical condition of Kelly has been reported extensively and we take this opportunity to advise that Kelly did not suffer from two cardiac arrests nor did she suffer significant facial injuries as has been reported.

Kelly is currently in the Auckland City Hospital ICU and remains in a stable condition with no sedation.

Though confident that her injuries are no longer life threatening, we are concerned with her chest and pelvic injuries but we are encouraged from our conversations with Kelly that she is determined to recover from this unusual event. We are fortunate that Kelly was healthy prior to this incident and that she does not have other traumatic injuries.

We would like to thank the staff at Auckland City Hospital for their dedicated care.

Together with the medical care that Kelly is receiving and her determination to recover, we look forward to Kelly transferring from the intensive care unit but there will be some months of healing and rehabilitation that lie ahead of Kelly as she receives treatment in progressive stages.

Kelly has the support of her family and we would like to thank the unfailing support of her friends.

We will be making no further comment to media and ask that media respect our privacy and do not make further contact with Kelly or ourselves, as we concentrate on Kelly’s recovery.

George and Michelle James and Dion Lawson

Released on behalf of the James family by Network PR

ENDS

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