A man from Arkansas who was almost beheaded during a horrible duck hunt accident remains seriously ill in the hospital.
Ben Whorton, 21, walked up a traumatic brain injury when the boat he sat on under a bridge and he lifted his head too quickly, making him fought for his life.
His best friend Zac Raines spoke with FOX16 about the horrible moments immediately after the accident in Little Rock on January 10.
“On the way outside we went up under a bridge and I lifted his head a little too fast,” Raines told the local news exit.
Raines said he started with word of mouth immediately after Whorton was struck through the bridge.
He then had to make a heartbreaking call to Whorton's parents who informed them about the tragedy.
Because it was snowing, it was difficult for first responds to reach the scene and decide which hospital to bring.
Doctors at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences initially were not sure whether Whorton would make it.
His mother told ABC 7 that the weeks in the ICU 'hang a little precarious and somewhat hanging on the life where we had lung problems that were life threatening.'
Duck Hunter Ben Whorton, 21, recovers after he was almost beheaded when he lifted his head too fast when the boat he sat on under a bridge in Little Rock, Arkansas went
Whorton spent seven weeks in the ICU, where doctors were not sure if he would survive
After showing improvement, last week Whorton received the green light to travel to a prestigious rehabilitation facility in Houston, Texas
Whorton eventually started to show gradual improvements and became more responsive. After seven weeks in the Intensive Care Unit, Whorton got the green light to switch to a world-famous rehabilitation center in Houston, Texas, the Tirr Memorial Hermann Rehab Center.
Since he was transferred last week, Whorton was able to communicate with his family by pointing out his head to signal yes and no, according to his father Greg.
“They will actually get him out of bed and place him in a wheelchair and that is part of the awake process,” Greg added to the prestigious rehabilitation center.
“It has been amazing and has certainly lifted our mind and helped to strengthen our faith.”
Whorton's girlfriend Macie Petty has been on his side since the accident and often shares images and updates of his recovery.
“One thing we learned at Tirr is that Ben was not in a coma in weeks,” Petty wrote on Wednesday.
'According to the neuropsychologist, Ben had not received the optimum situation to show how awake he is. I am so grateful that God entered and gave us the confidence to trust Him despite what we were told.
“I hope that the story of Ben encourages other families to do the same for the person they love, because God always has the last word.”
Whorton's girlfriend, whose hands are depicted, said she was informed that he has been more awake in recent weeks than his family believed before
Whorton's girlfriend Macie Petty stayed by his side during his recovery
The Whorton family hopes that his treatment in Texas enables him to eventually walk alone
Whorton's family now wants to spread awareness about sailing and hunting on dangers
The young man's family now wants to warn others about the dangers of sailing and hunting.
“If you go under a bridge, that's a no-way zone,” Greg told Kark. “Ben is probably where he is because they probably went too fast when they went under it.”
Whorton's family has made a Facebook page with the name 'Ben's Army' that has grown to more than 25,000 members.
A GoFundMe page has collected more than $ 90,000 for Whorton and his family.
