A rodeo star is counting his blessings after almost dying on the job. Being gored is certainly a risk of the rodeo, but this injury was particularly gnarly.
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One lucky rodeo star got a second chance at a career change after being impaled through the neck and survived. He's very lucky to be alive!
At the Conley Invitation Bull Riding competition in Palmetto, Florida, Zachary Naegele was set to do his thing. In front of hundreds of spectators, he mounted the rodeo bull and started the show. However, it wasn't going to end well.
As he rode the bucking bull, he was quickly thrown. Despite the horn tipping, which blunts the horns, the rodeo star was still impaled through his neck. The blunt horn had punched straight through his skin, tearing his neck and the carotid artery. At first, he didn't even realize he had been injured, but the damage quickly became evident.
Looking back on the incident, he said "'At first I didn't know it impaled me in the neck. I saw the blood when I ran away and as soon as I got behind the chute I grabbed my chin because I thought the bull had busted my chin or jaw. But when I grabbed my jaw, the blood was still pouring out. If you've ever taken a syringe full of water and squirted it, that's how it looked coming out of my neck."
Impaled Rodeo Star Dodged Death
After the incident, Zachary Naegele looked back on his near brush with death. Even the doctor told him that he had no idea how he survived. The rodeo rider was remarkably conscious after being impaled, and able to remember everything.
"During the 20-minute ride to the hospital, I felt myself slowly losing breath and going in and out and slowly dying," he said. As he lost consciousness, he felt himself slipping further away. "'All I could do was listen at the moment in time. I could hear the ENT telling me to keep breathing and to not give up"
Despite being impaled by the rodeo bull, Naegele is looking to get back into it. He has had his jaw and artery repaired and is making a decent recovery. He never thought he would wake up, but this wasn't his time to go.
The man is built different. When asked if he's going to find another job after, he said "I am very shocked at myself that I am making a recovery this fast. Within a few months, I plan on getting back [into bull riding] and chasing my dream. This hasn't put me off being a rodeo athlete, bull riding is my main source of income."
