US actor Jeremy Renner has said he wrote his “last words” to his family while lying in a hospital bed in a serious condition after a snowplough accident.
The Hollywood actor, widely known for playing Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, broke more than 30 bones and sustained blunt chest trauma in the incident on January 1.
The 52-year-old was accidentally run over by his own six-tonne snow ploughing machine, while trying to help his nephew Alexander Fries dig out his car.
Renner had to be airlifted to hospital with serious injuries, where he spent some time in an intensive care unit (ICU) before announcing on January 17 he had returned home.
In a clip from an upcoming interview with US broadcaster Diane Sawyer for Good Morning America, the actor revealed he wrote his “last words” to his family in the ICU.
“So I’m writing down notes on my phone (which are the) last words to my family,” he says, before breaking down in tears.
A previous clip saw the star reveal he was “awake through every moment” of the incident and the clip also said the programme will feature a recording of the emergency 911 call made in the aftermath.
“I was awake through every moment,” he told Sawyer, but added: “I’d do it again – because it [the snowplough] was going right at my nephew.”
Renner’s nephew is also believed to be appearing on the interview, set to air on Thursday, to recall how he found his uncle at the scene.
In the clip, Renner said: “If I was there on my own, it would have been a horrible way to die and surely I would have, surely.
“But I wasn’t alone, (there) was my nephew, sweet Alex, and the rest of the cavalry came.”
A police report, obtained by PA in January, said Renner had been helping Alexander Fries free his car from the snow when the plough began to roll down the hill.
The actor was trying to stop the PistenBully vehicle when he was “pulled under” and “run over”, the document also said.
Since the incident Renner has kept his followers updated on his recovery, which has included using an anti-gravity treadmill and strengthening exercises.
He also told Sawyer that he “chose to survive” after the accident and refused to let it kill him.
When asked about his hope for the future when it comes to stunts that come with action-packed roles, he said, “I’ve lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience, but I’ve been refuelled and refilled with love and titanium.”
Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview – A Story Of Terror, Survival And Triumph will air on April 6.
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