A man cut in half by a forklift truck was ‘disappointed’ by the way his friends reacted to his horrific injury
- Loren Schauers drove a truck over a bridge in Great Falls, Montana in 2019
- He revealed that some of his friends have “retired” in a YouTube Live video
- He and his wife Sabia Reiche have nearly 600,000 subscribers to their channel
A man who was cut in half by a forklift truck said he was “disappointed” by the way his friends reacted in 2019 after his horrific injury.
Loren Schauers was driving the industrial truck over a bridge when it veered off, plummeted 50 feet and became trapped under the massive vehicle in Great Falls, Montana on Sept. 27, 2019.
Despite the accident leaving Mr Schauers paralyzed from the waist down, he revealed at the time how some of his friends had become ‘withdrawn’ after the incident.
In a YouTube Live video posted on Dec. 18, 2019, Mr. Schauers and his wife, Sabia Reiche, responded to questions from followers.
One user asked, “Do your friends still treat you the same way they did before the accident?” Are you happy, surprised or disappointed by some?’
Schauers is pictured with partner Sabia, who was told six times that he would not be able to get through after the accident
Loren replied, “I’m mostly disappointed by most of them, I’d say.”
Sabia continued, “I’m a bit surprised by some of them.”
Loren went on to explain that “a couple of friends came from woodworking and really supported me.”
“However, other friends have completely returned and have withdrawn,” he added.
In September 2022, the couple shared a youtube video featuring a compilation of images from their life together after Loren’s accident – including their February 2021 wedding.
The couple has also bought their own home since the terrifying incident.
The accident itself occurred when Loren was working as a laborer on a construction site during the repair of a bridge in September 2019.
He was driving a forklift over a highway bridge outside of Wilsal, Montana, when cars began illegally overtaking him through the traffic lights.
Schauers is pictured with Sabia after his operation
The single lane had narrowed dramatically, and as a car passed it, Loren swerved too close to the edge of the bridge and the ground collapsed beneath him.
He attempted to jump off the falling forklift, but his leg was caught by the seat belt, causing him to swing off the machine as it plummeted 50 feet down a steep hill.
An air ambulance landed on the bridge and pulled Loren up the hill on a stretcher before flying to a hospital in Bozeman, Montana, where he met his loved ones.
Loren completely lost his right forearm and hand in the accident, and also broke his right collarbone and shoulder.
He suffered a pulmonary embolism – a blockage in his pulmonary artery – and required a breathing tube.
The couple are now married and have their own home
His lower body was crushed in the accident and Loren made the courageous decision to have a hemicorperectomy, amputating everything below his waist.
A month after his accident, Loren was transferred to a hospital in Montana so that family could visit him, as doctors still thought he was going to die.
But his health began to improve at an incredible rate.
Doctors had thought he would be hospitalized for at least a year and a half, but he stayed for three months, before convalescing for four weeks, and then he was home.
Loren has taught himself how to put on his ‘bucket’ prosthesis and get into his wheelchair unassisted.