Apr 14, 2006 2:18 pm US/Eastern
Dodds Leaves Portsmouth Hospital In Wheelchair
by Peg Rusconi
PORTSMOUTH, NH (CBS4) ―
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Gary Dodds left Portsmouth Regional Hospital on Friday
CBS
The New Hampshire congressional candidate who was stranded in the woods for more than a day after a car accident, spoke to the public for the first time Friday.
Gary Dodds was released from the Portsmouth Regional Hospital late Friday morning. He was admitted to the hospital a week ago, and emerged Friday in a wheelchair. His feet are still recovering from frostbite.
"This has been a great ordeal I've gone through and I'm thankful to be alive and thankful to be going home," Dodd told reporters outside of the hospital.
He kept his remarks brief, and took no questions.
On April 5, Dodds went missing overnight when his car crashed into a guardrail on a snowy Spaulding Turnpike. Police found the airbags deployed, but no sign of Dodds.
A search dog found him under a pile of leaves a day later.
Today, he tried to explain what happened. "I was alone, driving to meet with my campaign treasurer," he said. "It was snowing; I lost control and slipped and hit into the guardrail. I remember the airbags; I remember next cold deep water; I remember getting out of the water, and I remember being tired and exhausted."
He said he didn't remember much about the following 27 hours, except covering himself with leaves to stay warm, hearing helicopters and then seeing a light and hearing a whistle from rescuer.
A hospital spokesperson says upon admission, Dodds showed no signs of drug or alcohol use. "His blood sugar levels were in the normal range," said Nancy Notis. "Mr. Dodds suffered a concussion with some situational amnesia. There is no permanent damage to his brain,"
"I'm going to be taking each day one day at a time," Dodd said Friday. "At this time I'm unable to walk and drive."
Dodds remains in a wheelchair for the time being and faces extensive rehabilitation. He has significant nerve damage in his feet, but doctors say he will walk again. Dodds says he will need to scale back his campaign.
The crash is still under investigation. State Police tell CBS4 they still need to interview Gary Dodds.
Dodds is the chief financial officer of Accent Magazine, a home and garden publication. He was little known to voters before the crash and ensuing search.
He is one of four Democratic hopefuls seeking to unseat two-term Republican Rep. Jeb Bradley in the 1st Congressional District. His Democratic rivals are Carol Shea-Porter of Rochester and state Reps. Jim Craig and Peter Sullivan, both of Manchester.
(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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