'It was just misery': Jeremy Renner recalls harrowing experience of being trapped under snowplow, thanks nephew for saving his life

'I'm grateful to my nephew, he saved my life. If I was there on my own, it would have been horrible way to die. And I would have,' said Jeremy Renner
UPDATED APR 5, 2023
Jeremy Renner had written a goodbye note to his family, fearing that he would not survive the accident (Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images)
Jeremy Renner had written a goodbye note to his family, fearing that he would not survive the accident (Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In a recent interview, actor Jeremy Renner opened up about the harrowing experience of being trapped underneath a seven-ton snowplow near his home in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. He revealed that he had written a goodbye note to his family, fearing that he would not survive the accident.

Recalling the incident, Renner expressed gratitude for his nephew who was with him at the time and played a critical role in saving his life. He said, "I'm very grateful to my nephew, he saved my life. If I was there on my own, It would have been a horrible way to die. And surely I would have. Surely." The 'Avengers' star described his pain and desperation as he lay crushed beneath the massive machine, saying, "I remember moaning and screaming, it was just misery. I was in a lot of pain." He suffered multiple injuries including 30 broken bones, a collapsed lung, and a pierced liver.

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'I chose to survive': Jeremy Renner gets emotional while talking about surviving near-death snowplow accident

Inside the emotional interview

In a recent interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC, Renner recounted the terrifying incident in which he was crushed under a seven-ton snowplow. Despite sustaining multiple injuries, Renner remained conscious throughout the ordeal and can recall the excruciating pain. Renner expressed gratitude for the presence of his nephew, Alexander Fries, who played a crucial role in saving his life. He said, "I'm grateful that my nephew was there, or I would have surely died. But I wasn't alone, it was my nephew, sweet Alex and the rest of the cavalry came." Renner revealed that he began frantically writing notes on his phone, believing that he was going to die. "So I'm writing down notes on my phone and last words to my family," he said, pausing to hold back tears.

In a surprising moment during the interview, Renner declared that he would do it all over again to protect his nephew. "It was coming right at my nephew. I would do it again," he firmly stated. The interview also features Renner's nephew recounting the traumatic experience, including the moment when he first saw Renner after the accident. "I just perfectly see him in a pool of blood coming from his head. I ran up to him, I didn't think he was alive," Fries revealed. Harrowing 911 dispatch calls were also included in the interview, where Renner can be heard groaning in the background. The caller reported, "There is a lot of blood here. He is in rough shape." Despite suffering 30 broken bones, including both ankles, his right knee, his right clavicle, and eight ribs, Renner remains optimistic and grateful. He joked, "I've lost a lot of flesh and bone but I have been refueled and refilled with love - and titanium." Renner considers himself a "lucky man" and reflects that he "chose to survive," thinking to himself, "You're not going to kill me." The full interview is set to air on April 6th.

Tragic accident on New Year's day

During a recent interview, Jeremy Renner revealed the details of the tragic accident that occurred on New Year's Day, resulting in multiple injuries for the actor. Renner was attempting to help his nephew, Alexander Fries, who was stuck in deep snow with his car. Renner had been using a Snowcat plow to assist Fries when he jumped out of the vehicle, forgetting to engage the emergency brake.

The plow began to roll uncontrollably towards Fries, prompting Renner to attempt to regain control of the vehicle by jumping back in. Unfortunately, he was unable to stop the plow and was subsequently pulled under it, sustaining multiple injuries. Renner suffered a collapsed lung and had his liver pierced by a broken rib.

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