“Some stupid thought, ‘I'll hold it up,’ then the rest of me was trying to get away from it, then I couldn't get away from it. Once it did come down on me, it was like a thud,” said Robert Trimmer, the injured mover.
Ivan Martinez heard it happen and reacted. Cell phone video shows him consoling a badly injured Trimmer. With both legs crushed under him, the 56-year-old says he just wanted to call his wife.
“I'm in trouble, I'm going to be at the hospital, cause if it's the last person I see, I wanted to make sure it was my wife because we've been married for 36 years,” said Trimmer.
Thankfully, Trimmer will be ok. He's had five surgeries on his right leg, two on his left leg, and more to come. He's grateful to all who've been by his side, but one memory still haunts him from the accident: onlookers recording his misery.
Dr. Tamyra Pierce, Social Media Director at
“There is this tendency that, ‘Oh I've got to capture this because it may be the next sensation or viral video,’” said Pierce.
Studies have shown that when emergencies happen around many people, some assume others will step in to help. Trimmer appreciates those who did help him. It took eight people to lift the safe off his body.
It'll be a long road to recovery for Trimmer. He'll likely stay at CRMC for another month before going to a rehab center to learn how to walk again. Cal/OSHA’s investigation into the incident will take six months to complete.