Annie Walton Doyle
A man who was cut in half by a forklift has revealed how managed to survive the terrifying accident.
Loren Schauers, from Montana, lost control of a forklift truck he was driving in 2019.
The vehicle then fell off a bridge and plummeted 50 feet to the ground.
Schauers was crushed in the impact – but, miraculously, survived.
And now, he’s explained exactly how…
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People have been left horrified by Schauers’ story and shared their words of support for the brave survivor.
One writes: “How brave is this, someone was looking down on you young man, good luck for the future.”
Another adds: “Brave man. Prayers. Good luck in the future.”
While a third agrees: “I’ve seen his full story on a documentary, he’s truly an amazing young man, showing how he does his day-to-day living. He is an inspiration, good luck to you both for the future.”
Schauers and his wife Sabia set up a YouTube channel following his accident.
Speaking of the day his life changed forever, he explained: “As the edge of the bridge collapsed and the forklift started to tip up, I unbuckled my seatbelt and went to jump out.
“I now know that was the wrong idea but it was just fight or flight.
“The seatbelt ended up wrapping around my leg as I jumped out so I actually swung out instead and broke one of my ribs off the floorboard of the forklift.
“I tried staying on top of the forklift as much as I could as it rolled and then I was thrown from the forklift at the end of the hill once it finally landed.
“I was conscious the whole time. My eyes were wide open and I saw the forklift come down and land on my hips and my right forearm.
“I remember looking to my right with the forklift on top of my body and there was big old piece of muscle from my arm just lying on the ground next to me. It had just blown apart instantly from the impact.”
The couple also share their experiences and how their lives have changed.
“Going through this together has definitely strengthened a lot of the aspects of our relationship,” Sabia recalled in one Q&A session.
Schauers quipped that their life is ‘much simpler compared to what it used to be’, and added that there is a ‘lot more laying around than before’.
He also revealed that many of his relationships have fallen by the wayside following his horrific accident.
Schauers continued: “A couple of friends came out of the woodworks and have been really supportive, [others] totally reverted and have been reclusive.
“But it’s whatever to me, you know, I got Sabia, that’s all I need.”
And now, Schauers has opened up about how he survived his terrifying ordeal.
He says in a YouTube video: “I was conscious throughout everything so I actually watched as the forklift fell on top of me and crushed my body.
“Every medical professional I come across is pretty amazed by everything, especially with the story that comes along with my injuries.
“It wasn’t a hard choice to have half of my body amputated – it was basically a choice of living or dying.
“With Sabia assuring to stay by my side no matter what and all my immediate family being around me, it really wasn’t a hard choice for me!”
Schauers managed to avoid death by undergoing a procedure known as hemicorporectomy, a surgery in which everything below the waist is amputated.
According to the National Library of Medicine, the surgery is a rare procedure, with under 100 reported cases at the time.
Sabia adds: “We later found out that because the ground was so soft as Loren’s team had just been moving it, that’s how he ended up surviving.
“If the dirt hadn’t been messed with earlier, it would have been hard so Loren would have been cut in half and would have bled out before the air ambulance even got there.
“The dirt being soft is what saved his life in that situation.”
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