Huddersfield student Joe Pugh was on his first date with girlfriend Leah Washington when they were badly hurt in a rollercoaster tragedy.
And he has told friends he was “overwhelmed” by messages of support after the ordeal.
Friends of the teenage couple have told how the trip to Alton Towers on Monday was their first “proper” date.
Now both are in hospital and both are believed to have undergone surgery for their injuries.
It is thought Joe, 18, who is studying at the University of Huddersfield, has broken both his legs.
Joe tweeted he was “overwhelmed” with the response since news of his injuries was announced.
He tweeted: "So overwhelmed with the response I’ve had from my accident at Alton towers. Thank you for everyone’s concern."
Joe was on the front row of The Smiler with his girlfriend Leah Washington when it smashed into another carriage and injured both of them.
Two other people were seriously injured and 14 others hurt when their car on The Smiler thrill ride crashed into an empty carriage.
The injured were stuck on the ride for hours as emergency services worked to rescue them.
A total of 16 were hurt in the calamity on the £18 million Smiler ride at the famous Staffordshire theme park on Tuesday.
The park remained closed again today.
Friends of Joe and Leah, 17, said the pair had been going out for just four days – and Joe couldn’t wait to take Leah to the park.
As more details of Alton Towers worst-ever accident emerged, Nick Varney, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, which owns the attraction, reportedly told Channel Four News he would not rule out human error as a cause of the tragedy.
Joe and Leah were sitting at the front of their roller coaster carriage when it rammed into a stationary car at 50mph.
Witnesses below the 14-loop Smiler reported people’s faces had been “smashed in” and that “blood was everywhere”.
Joe, is a textile design student at Huddersfield University and also works at Oaks Working Men’s Club in Barnsley, his home town.
Horrified colleagues spotted the popular barman being stretchered from the carriage in TV footage.
Alice Holmes, 18, recognised Joe’s distinctive blue jacket.
She said: “Joe had been a few times before and had even been on that ride. He texted me at 1:34pm joking that there were lots of attractive guys that I would be interested at Alton Towers.
“That would have been about 40 minutes before the crash. I didn’t hear about it till later and my first thought was ‘Joe was at Alton Towers’.
“I checked the news and straight away I saw the blue jacket. I was devastated.
“I can’t even watch the footage on the news because it is too upsetting.”
Make-up artist Alice said Joe is an only child and that his worried parents had rushed to his side in hospital.
She added: “I’ve been told by friends that he has broken both his legs.
“I’ve known Leah since we were at school together. I’ve just been told she was going into theatre last night for an operation. She is very intelligent and had only just passed her driving test.
“I’m not sure how she and Joe met but I know they used to walk their dogs together sometimes.”
