A man who survived a horrific forklift accident has bravely shared a shocking photo from the day that changed his life forever. Loren Schauers was only 18 when a tragic accident occurred while he was working as a laborer in September 2019.

Schauers was operating a forklift across a bridge in the U.S. when it suddenly veered off course, sending him plunging 50 feet to the ground. Although he survived the fall, the four-ton vehicle landed on top of him, pinning him to the ground and causing catastrophic injuries. Remarkably, Loren was fully conscious throughout the entire ordeal.

With his pelvis completely crushed, Schauers made the difficult but brave decision to undergo a hemicorporectomy—an operation in which everything below his waist was amputated—to save his life. Reflecting on the decision, Loren explained, “It wasn’t a hard choice to have half of my body amputated—it was basically a choice of living or dying.”

Now, years after the accident, Loren continues to share his journey and has posted images from the devastating moment. The photos show the forklift overturned on the side of a steep hill, with Loren trapped beneath it. On Instagram, he pointed out: “If you look closely in the second photo, you can see me still pinned under the forklift. Last photo is exactly what type it was I’m sure of.”