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Horrific moment rocket launcher explodes in YouTuber's face leaving him with extreme injuries

Horrific moment rocket launcher explodes in YouTuber's face leaving him with extreme injuries

He's lucky to to be alive.

One video showed the reality of explosive weapon demonstrations when things go horribly wrong.

On his YouTube channel called Ballistic High-Speed, US Army veteran, Adam Knowles, was showcasing the dangers associated with rocket launcher backblast.

During what was said to be the 'final shot of the day,' the demonstration took a horrifying turn when the weapon unexpectedly exploded while Knowles was firing it.

The viral video shows the incident in slow motion. The force of the explosion knocked Knowles backwards, blasting his helmet clean off and rendering him unconscious.

Diego González/Unsplash
Diego González/Unsplash

Friends of the military man ran quickly to his rescue where he was subsequently airlifted to hospital.

The army veteran suffered severe injuries including a broken jaw, a fractured skull, shrapnel injuries, long-term nerve damage to his face and third-degree burns on around 10% of his body.

As a result, Knowles underwent extensive treatment of 'multiple skin grafts, stitches, and other surgeries', amounting to over $300,000 in medical expenses.

But at the end of it, it's amazing his face is very much still intact.

So much so, that he appeared in another YouTube video about a month later where he revisited the incident in slow-motion with his colleague to identify where it all went wrong.

Knowles appeared to be wearing arm casts as part of his recovery, but seemed to be doing well nonetheless.

Rewatching the clip, Knowles said: 'The rocket launcher basically exploded.'

YouTube / Ballistic High-Speed
YouTube / Ballistic High-Speed

He explained how the booster in the RPG-7 failed, leading to a build-up of pressure in the firing chamber which ultimately caused a downward explosion. This is reportedly why more damage was inflicted on his body rather than his head.

Fortunately for him, the weld had failed first, acting as a 'release for pressure,' preventing a more devastating explosion that may not have left him so lucky.

His story has since reached Reddit forums such as r/OopsThatsDeadly and r/watchpeoplesurvive where viewers have Redditors expressed their disbelief: 'That man is a lucky dude.'

Another user asked: 'HOW DID HE SURVIVE?'

Many remarked on Knowles' incredible luck, writing: 'That could have been drastically worse' and 'He's so lucky he walked away from that'.

'One of the most unbelievable things I've seen, him looking that good after this crazy shit,' one user pointed out.

Whilst Knowles reports that he feels 'a lot better', the YouTuber informed his audience he has a 'solid few months' of rehabilitation ahead but is determined to 'keep moving forward.'

Featured Image Credit: YouTube / Ballistic High-Speed