A Louisiana rodeo star is lucky to be alive after having a close call with a bull. The animal's horn ended up goring the rider through the neck in a freak accident.
The incident happened in Florida at the Conley Invitational Bull Rideon on February 7. 24-year-old Zach Naegele ended up in the hospital after the bull horn caught him under the helmet.
He wrote in a GoFundMe, "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 continued, "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."
Rodeo Star Lucky To Be Alive After Bull Attack
He is thankful for people's prayers and thoughts.
"I'm beyond blessed for the prayers, messages, and constant phone calls, but even more so to be alive. Due to the circumstances, I will be out of work for a while to properly recover, which now leaves me with no sources of income," Naegele wrote.
Following the goring by the bull, the rodeo star ended up leaving the hospital. He's now back in Louisiana and on the mend. In a Facebook post, he provided an update on how he's doing.
He wrote, "I'm happy to say that my recent CAT scans, MRI, and blood work results were all on a positive, and I'm now gearing up for a follow-up appointment today where my doctor will remove the drain tube from my neck. This will mark a crucial step forward in my recovery, and I'll be ready to focus on healing and rebuilding my strength over the coming weeks."
He continued, "I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has sent messages, made calls, offered help around the house, and have sent donations to support me during this time. Your kindness, generosity, and encouragement have made a huge difference in my journey, and I am very fortunate to have such an amazing and supportive community behind me. To those I haven't yet had the chance to thank personally, please know that I appreciate your thoughtfulness and will be in touch soon."
