Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay says he is lucky to be alive after suffering a serious bicycle accident in Connecticut last week.
Ramsay told fans about the scary accident on his Instagram and had a message to everyone who might want to go bike riding.
“I have very important message for all the dads out there…WEAR A HELMET!” he wrote in his Instagram caption.
“This week I had a really bad accident while riding my bike in Connecticut. I’m doing ok and did not break any bones or suffer any major injuries but I am a bit bruised up looking like a purple potato,” he added.
In his video accompanying the message, the chef raised his shirt to reveal a very nasty bruise that covers his entire left side.
“I’m thankful for all the doctors, nurses and staff at Lawerence Memorial Hospital in New London who looked after me and checked me out, but most thankful for my helmet that saved my life,” Ramsay explained.
“Have a great Father’s Day and be safe.”
“It really shook me,” Ramsay, 57, said in his video. “Honestly, I’m lucky to be here. Now, from those incredible trauma surgeons, doctors, nurses and the hospital that looked after me this week, they were amazing. But, honestly, you’ve got to wear a helmet. I don’t care how short the journey is. I don’t care [about] the fact that these helmets cost money. But they’re crucial. Even with the kids, a short journey, you’ve gotta wear a helmet.”
“Now, I’m lucky to be standing here,” he added. “I’m in pain. It’s been a brutal week. And I’m sort of getting through it. But, I cannot tell you the importance of wearing a helmet.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about 800 Americans die every year from bicycling accidents and upwards for 45,000 people are injured every year.
The time of day most prone to bike accidents is between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., the NHSTA adds, and 86 percent of those killed were males averaging 49 years of age.
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