A Trucker Accidentally Sat On An Air Hose And Literally Inflated Like A Ball — Yes, This Actually Happened

Look, we’ve all had rough days at work. Maybe you’ve spilled coffee on your keyboard or sent an embarrassing email to the entire company.

But trust me, whatever workplace mishap you’re cringing about right now probably doesn’t compare to what happened to Steven McCormack, a truck driver from New Zealand who experienced what might be the most bizarre workplace accident ever.

It’s May 21, 2011, and McCormack is just doing his usual trucker thing. Then, in a split second that would make anyone question their life choices, he slips and falls between his truck’s cab and trailer.

But here’s where things get wild – he lands directly on an air hose, breaking it in the process. And not just any air hose – we’re talking about one that pumps air at 100 pounds per square inch.

For reference, that’s about three times the pressure in your car tires!

When “Blowing Up” Isn’t Just A Figure of Speech

“I felt the air rush into my body and I felt like it was going to explode from my foot,” McCormack, who was 48 at the time, told AFP.

In what sounds like a scene from a cartoon gone horribly wrong, he literally started inflating like a human football. Unable to move, he could only lay there as his body continued to expand.

The compressed air actually separated McCormack’s fat from his muscle (yes, you read that right), and doctors were shocked his skin didn’t burst from the pressure.

His colleagues, thankfully thinking fast, turned off the air supply and positioned him on his side to help him breathe, likely saving his life in the process.

In what might be the most memorable hospital description ever, McCormack compared his post-inflation body to a pork roast – crispy on the outside and squishy underneath.

New Zealand truck driver Steven McCormack gets treatment at Whakatane Hospital after an accident with an air hose in Whakatane, New Zealand.

While recovering in the hospital in Whakatane, he needed his lungs drained and spent time in intensive care with his head and neck swollen to cartoonish proportions.

The Happy (If Slightly Deflated) Ending

Despite what sounds like a literal human balloon experiment gone wrong, McCormack made a full recovery.

He gradually deflated under medical supervision, probably making him the first person in history to include “successful deflation” in his medical records.

The next time you’re having a bad day at work, just remember: at least you didn’t accidentally turn yourself into a human balloon. Sometimes perspective is everything.


Editor’s Note: This article was sourced from an AFP news report and subsequent medical accounts from Whakatane Hospital, New Zealand, dated May 21, 2011. All quotes are directly attributed to Steven McCormack’s statements to AFP.