Man’s Windpipe Cut While Weightlifting

A weightlifter lost his grip as he was bench pressing a 185-pound barbell and the weight fell on his throat, severing his windpipe.

Cliff Casteel underwent 90 minutes of surgery to rejoin the two-inch gap in his windpipe on Tuesday, and by Wednesday he was talking.

Casteel, 23, was working out at a health club in nearby Orange Park when the barbell slipped. Somehow, enough air was able to get through to prevent him from suffocating.

“I was a little panicky at first and was having trouble breathing. But I knew I had to calm down,” Casteel said.