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'Miracle to walk' says golfer after lift shaft fall / Photo: © AFP/File
'Miracle to walk' says golfer after lift shaft fall
Italian golfer Andrea Pavan said it felt "like a miracle" to be walking again after leaving hospital just a week after plunging down an empty lift shaft.
The 36-year-old Pavan fractured several vertebrae after tumbling down multiple floors inside an empty lift shaft at his accommodation where he was preparing for the South African Open in Stellenbosch last week.
On Wednesday, he posted photos of himself smiling with his wife - one with Pavan in a wheelchair and another showing him standing with the help of crutches, after requiring major surgery for his injuries.
"It truly feels like a miracle to be able to walk," Pavan said in an Instagram post.
He thanked medical staff, his fellow golfers, the event organisers and all the people who reached out to show their support.
"God has answered many prayers," he said. "The road is very long but this small step feels very good.
"I will need to stay in South Africa another five weeks and rehab both shoulder and back, and heal other bruises and secondary injuries and once home continue the rehab journey."
Pavan, who lives in the United States, is a two-time winner on the European Tour. He won the Czech Masters in 2018 and the BMW International Open the following year.
L.Sawicki--GL
