Regilaneo da Silva was training at a local gym in Juazeiro do Norte, Ceara on leg day when tragedy struck. In a video shared on Twitter, da Silva can be seen sitting in between sets on a squat machine before the lever collapsed, which caused the weight to crush his neck.
During the video, three men rushed over to help da Silva after being trapped under the weight. Transported to the Santo Antonio Hospital for emergency surgery, da Silva’s operation was successful. He remains in stable condition and can move his arms but not his legs.
Da Silva survived the operation, but his prognosis was grim. He lost all sensation and movement in his lower body, and doctors told him he had less than a 1% chance of ever walking again. Dr. Jose Correia, a neurosurgeon who treated da Silva, said that his injury was one of the most serious cases he had ever seen. He explained that there were no motor or sensory components left in da Silva’s spinal cord and that it was unlikely that he would recover lower body function.
Man Fighting in Recovery After Freak Gym Accident Leaves Him Paralyzed Waist-Down
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“SERIOUS – App driver Regilaneo da Silva Inácio, 42, was hit in the back by a weight machine that came off in the gym and will have to undergo surgery. The case happened yesterday (4) in Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará.” InterFatos Twitter account shared.
According to Dr. Jose Correia, he believes it’s highly unlikely da Silva will walk again.
“It depends a lot on the degree of injury at first, the level of return of previous functions.
There are neither motor nor sensitive components, unfortunately. It is the most serious injury there is from the point of view of neurological damage. The chance is, statistically, less than 1% of the return of motor or sensitive functions.” per the Brazilian News Outlet G1.
This wasn’t the first freak gym accident of 2023. Last month, bodybuilder Justyn Vicky lost his life after attempting a massive back squat. During the movement, the bar weighing 396.8 pounds fell on his neck in Bali, Indonesia.
Regilaneo da Silva used a squat machine that was supposed to make his exercise safer and more secure. The machine had plates on each side to adjust the weight, and a lock in the center to secure the lever. It was designed to allow users to perform squats without the risk of dropping the barbell or losing balance. The gym claimed that the machine was a recent addition, installed less than two months ago.
In the end, da Silva’s operation cost $7,000 which the family and gym contributed to. The gym also set up a Vakinha account to raise money for his ongoing recovery efforts.
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