Italian golfer Andrea Pavan said it feels “like a miracle to be able to walk” following his release from hospital after a fall down an open lift shaft.
The accident occurred before the recent South African Open at Pavan’s private accommodation near Stellenbosch Golf Club when the lift doors opened but there was no lift car in the shaft, causing him to tumble three stories down.
The 36-year-old was taken to a local hospital with severe shoulder damage and fractures to several vertebrae in his back, and had major surgery.
In a message on social media, external on Wednesday, he said it was a “big day” as he “got discharged from the hospital to continue my rehab at an accommodation nearby”.
He added: “It truly feels like a miracle to be able to walk and start to do some basic activities, although at a very slow and careful pace.
“I would like to thank all the Mediclinic staff, all the surgeons, nurses and everyone who has made this incredible recovery a possibility.”