Killed at the gym

[mryar]

Buddy I work with has been going to to the same mom and pop gym for 15 years in upstate NY. He got their yesterday afternoon and no one around. He started lifting, then he went to use a machine in the next room and found a 19yr old kid who just signed up the day before was blue in the face with his throat pinned under the bar on the smith machine trying to put up a 225 bench. He didn't have the safeties in place. Found out they stopped life support this morning. Later it came out the lady who owns the gym left for a quick break.

 

[ramnares]

RIP, that's a sad incident. Possible lawsuit on the way I guess :/

 

[twenty47]

damn that would be a horrific thing to see.

 

[axismundi]

Rule #1. Spotter, machine or not worst case they critique your form.

 

[awshopskater14]

whats the name of the gym i live in upstate new york. in the syracuse area

 

[mryar]

The state police officer interviewing my buddy told him the kid had heart trouble and its possible he had a heart attack during the lift, but its probably more likely it was just too much. And of course with the smith machine the bar can't be rolled down your stomach if you're alone and have to bail.

He's fairly shaken up, he's got a long drive (~2 hours) from work to the gym and if he hadn't hit one traffic light, or got behind a slow driver he could have been there to save the kid. Lots of what if's I guess. Like ramnares said, I would expect a lawsuit from the family, either for her not being there or not showing him the safeties on some of the equipment. Not sure if she has people sign waivers in case they get hurt while alone.

 

[stevesmi]

yup this stuff happens more then you think. I actually had lunch with a doctor a week ago and I told him about how one time i lifted 225 very quick (i like to do 8-12 reps to warm up) and it flew out of my grasp and landed on my chest, then I pushed it forward and racked it. lucky for me it wasn't heavy weight and i was able to push it up and rack it and also that it happened to land right smack on my chest and not on my throat.

the doc told me that is common for the weight to fall on the neck and it will choke you to death very quickly. these types of things happen more then people think.

be careful out there. have a spotter or atleast someone in the room in case something goes wrong.. ya never know

 

[mryar]

whats the name of the gym i live in upstate new york. in the syracuse area

Achieve Fitness in Crown Point NY.

 

[stevesmi]

The state police officer interviewing my buddy told him the kid had heart trouble and its possible he had a heart attack during the lift.

19 years old with heart problems? either he is incredibly obese or he has an existing heart ailment and shouldn't be weightlifting without a first aid kit close by.

 

[kx250rider]

Very sad, and very unnecessary. It goes to show how important it is, to understand basic safety. At 19 I suppose I didn't have the common sense and wisdom I might hope to have now at 43, but how did this kid get in that position? And on a Smith? I don't get it. Safety catches not there, and couldn't twist the bar back into the hook holes somehow? Makes as much sense as getting killed in a car accident in a Volvo with the best air bags possible, because you were driving from a chair ontop of the car and steering through the sunroof. When you think about it, if you're not go to use the Smith machine as it was intended, it's probably safer to bench the old way and dump off the plates if you get in trouble. A Smith machine without the stops set, is nothing but a 500-lb version of an old-style mouse trap; but for humans. I don't know... Sounds like I'm blaming the kid, and maybe I am, but God rest. Let it be a lesson to the rest of us, and maybe the story will save someone else at least. Maybe the experience goes in the same category as when you hear about a teen who kills himself on a motorcycle at 175mph. So preventable.

Charles