A teenager from Montana has defied all odds to survive a horrific forklift accident that left him with devastating injuries and forced doctors to amputate the lower half of his body to save his life.

Loren Schauers, 19 at the time, was working on a construction site near Wilsal, Montana, when tragedy struck in September 2019. He was driving a forklift across a bridge during a highway rehabilitation project when cars began illegally passing him. As he tried to move aside, the edge of the bridge gave way, and Loren plunged 50 feet down a steep embankment.

The four-tonne vehicle rolled several times before landing on top of him, crushing his body and exploding his right arm. Miraculously, Loren remained conscious throughout the entire ordeal. “I watched as the forklift fell on top of me and crushed my body,” he recalled. “It wasn’t a hard choice to have half of my body amputated. It was basically a choice of living or dying.”

Rescue teams airlifted him to a nearby hospital in Bozeman, where doctors discovered his pelvis had been completely destroyed and his right forearm lost. After assessing the extent of the injuries, they determined that Loren would need a rare hemicorporectomy — a surgical procedure that removes everything below the waist.

Doctors warned his family and girlfriend, Sabia Reiche, that he was unlikely to survive. Sabia, who was only 21 at the time, said goodbye to him six times, fearing each moment could be their last. “The night before his surgery, he wrote ‘I love you’ on a piece of paper because it could have been our last night together,” she said. “I still have that piece of paper today.”

Miraculously, Loren pulled through the surgery and began his long recovery. The young couple, who had been together for just 18 months before the accident, say the tragedy brought them even closer. Sabia explained, “If the dirt under the bridge hadn’t been soft, Loren would have died instantly. The soft ground actually saved his life.”

Doctors initially believed Loren would spend more than a year in hospital, but his determination and willpower proved them wrong. He was discharged after only three months and completed a month of rehabilitation. Since then, he has learned to use a “bucket” prosthetic and move independently in his wheelchair.

“Throughout it all, Loren has been incredibly resourceful,” Sabia said. “He finds creative ways to overcome every challenge. I’m really proud of him — he’s beaten all odds, both mentally and physically.”

Loren and Sabia got engaged two years after the accident and plan to marry on their anniversary, July 17. Despite the life-changing injuries, Loren remains positive and focused on the future. “It took me about three months to fully understand how miraculous it is that I’m still alive,” he said. “We want to travel the world, start a family, and live a simple, happy life.”

What began as a tragedy on a construction site has become a story of courage, resilience, and the unbreakable bond between two young people who refused to give up — on life, and on each other.