Bull rider Zach Naegele is lucky to be alive after losing lots of blood from a freak injury that could have killed him on the spot.
The 24-year-old was gored in the throat while competing at the Conley Invitational Bull Ride in Palmetto, Florida, last Friday and claims to have lost over two gallons of blood as a result.
He set up a GoFundMe page to help cover his medical expenses, though it’s puzzling as to why riders aren’t insured, considering the fact that they’re participating in something that dangerous.
Naegele reveals having suffered nerve damage, while his carotid artery got cut. He also said he needed plastic surgery to repair his neck.
“I lost over 2 gallons of blood, suffered nerve damage, and nicked my jugular; I was then put into surgery to do plastic surgery on my neck and fix my small carotid artery that was severed,” he wrote. “It was just a freak accident, but it did put me in the hospital unconscious and fighting for my life. I know that God has bigger plans for me in life; now it’s time to get healed up. I also wanna personally thank everyone who was in the arena that night lifting me up in prayer & especially the EMT / medical staff on hand who got me the immediate attention I needed.”
It is worth noting that the average human adult has around 1.2-1.5 gallons of blood in their body, so there’s probably some exaggeration there.
Zach Naegele Thought He’d Broken His Jaw
Zach Naegele told FOX 13 he didn’t realize what happened right away and thought he had broken his jaw until he felt blood gushing from his neck.
“I really didn’t feel it when it first happened,” he said. “I thought I broke my jaw until I grabbed my chin and then I seen the blood squirt out from my neck, and I said ‘this ain’t good.”
Despite coming this close to losing his life, Zach isn’t planning to give up bull riding.
We wish him a speedy recovery, but we’re also hoping he changes his mind.
