Louisiana bull rider survives ‘freak accident’ during Palmetto competition
Bull rider's brush with death caught on camera
FOX 13's Kim Kuizon reports on Zach Naegele, who was seconds into his ride on February 7th at the Conley Invitational in Palmetto when the bull's horn slipped under his helmet and sliced his neck open.
PALMETTO, Fla. - Zach Naegele was seconds into his ride at the Conley Invitational Bull Ride in Palmetto Saturday evening when a freak accident nearly killed him. It happened in front of a packed house, and he credits God and first responders, who were a part of the crowd.
The backstory:
Every time the bull rider gives the signal to open the chute, he knows that anything could happen.
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"If you don’t know God and you’re getting on bulls, you are walking on a very thin line," Naegele told FOX 13.
Seconds into his ride on February 7 at the Conley Invitational in Palmetto, the bull's horn slipped under Naegele's helmet and sliced his neck open.
"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.’"
Medical members of the Manatee County Search and Rescue team were already gearing up.
"It was just 1, 2, 3. You had to move," said Volunteer Sharon Litschauer.
The bull nicked Naegele's jugular and the bleeding continued, but Paramedic Max Pollack immediately applied pressure to try and get it to stop.
"We are just putting as much pressure as we can on his neck without trying to choke him out," said Pollack. "That’s how close it was. It was a pretty long and deep cut."
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What they're saying:
Litschauer credits training for saving his life.
"I’ve been in nursing for 50 years," she said. "I have to attribute the training to the stop the bleed classes."
EMT Emma Hubbard agreed.
"I was just hoping and praying he would be okay and did everything we could," she said.
Stationed across from the rodeo, North River Fire Rescue took Naegele immediately to the hospital by ambulance. Naegele said he could feel himself fading.
"It’s different whenever you ask God for another day, and you thank him for every day, but it’s a whole new ball game when you ask for another breath," said Naegele.
Dig deeper:
He went into surgery after arriving at the hospital, and a few days later, he returned home to Louisiana. From the first responders at the rodeo to those at the hospital, Naegele is thankful to everyone who played a role in saving his life.
"I thank them so much for what they did. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today," he said.
Manatee Search and Rescue members are glad they were there to help.
"In my 50 years of experience in public safety, this was likely one of the most immediate lifesaving events I have seen in my career," said Deputy Chief Steve Litschauer.
"He had a lot of people rooting for him that night for several reasons. A lot of people were in the right place at the right time," said Pollock.
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What's next:
Naegele has been riding bulls since he was 15, and once he heals, he plans on getting back up.
"Whenever I get on, I always know it could be my last time, but you never really think about it when you’re there," he said.
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