THE 19-year-old Forest Reefs bull rider who was crushed by a 680 kilogram bull at a rodeo in Orange last month has spoken publicly for the first time about the event that changed his life forever.
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In a wheelchair and paralysed largely from the neck down, John Crasti told Fairfax Media he doubts he will ever ride a bull again.
“I’ve been in the ICU (intensive care unit) for eight days,” he said, speaking from the spinal ward at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital.
Recounting the horror of the events that led to his injuries, Mr Crasti said he doesn’t remember much from the night he was crushed by a bull inside the bucking chute.
“I don’t remember all of it but what I do remember wasn’t real pleasant ... just seeing legs come down and hearing everyone yell out ‘open the gate’,” he said.
“The [bulls] front legs were over the gate so he couldn’t open it immediately and then the back legs squashed me a bit.
“Then I blanked out for roughly 30 seconds and woke up and it was still squashing me.
“And then the front legs ended up getting back off the gate on the ground and then they could open the gate to let it out.”
Mr Crasti said he was lucky he had a helmet and vest on when the incident occurred.
“I was first sent to Orange then I was airlifted down here by helicopter.”
Mr Crasti is now in a stable condition and undergoing rehabilitation treatment in Sydney.
