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WEST JORDAN -- A West Jordan teen got a special surprise from the firefighters who came to his rescue after a freak accident.
Last month, a woman called 911 when a boy fell off his bike and couldn't get up. When firefighters got to the scene they discovered the brake lever had impaled the boy's leg.
Rylan Shanks said, "I rode my bike to and from school a lot."
Thirteen-year-old Rylan Shanks never thought he'd get on his bike again, but he faced his fear Wednesday.
"I was pretty scared, but today I rode my bike to Subway and got lunch," he said.
That was a big feat after a freak accident on May 10 when Rylan was riding his bike home from school.
"I was trying to pass a girl on the sidewalk, and I went off to the grass and I tried to get back up and my tire slipped on the sidewalk," he explained.
Rylan flipped over his bike and found himself in a situation even firefighters who responded to the scene couldn't believe.
Capt. John Gunderson said, "This is one of the most unusual calls I've ever been a part of."
The bike's left brake lever went through Rylan's shorts and into his right leg.
"It went in about ‘til there, and this curve saved it, I think, from breaking my femur," he said.
This x-ray shows the handle resting against the bone.
"I thought that it was stuck in my belt loop. I didn't know for sure it was in ‘cause I didn't feel it go in," Rylan said.
West Jordan firefighters cut apart his bike and wrapped the brake in Rylan's leg so he could be flown to the hospital.
His mom Kathy Shanks said, "Just seeing that x-ray put it all into reality for us, and seeing how close it actually came to his bone, and realizing how lucky he was."
Rylan and his mom were so grateful to firefighters that on Monday they paid them a visit.
"He brought us a big plate of brownies with a poster board thanking us for what we had done," Gunderson said.
But the real surprise was on Rylan, who got a brand new bike from the firefighter's union.
"I was so excited ‘cause my old bike is all cut up and stuff, and I got a new helmet," he said.
Firefighters say the reunion with Rylan was a treat because they rarely get to follow up with patients. As for Rylan, he's still healing, but he's OK. He's thinking about keeping this brake lever in a special frame.
If you would like to help the family pay for medical expenses, you can donate to the "Rylan Shanks Fund"* at any America First Credit Union.
E-mail: syi@ksl.com
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