It was a harrowing act of valor.
An Australian veteran lost both his legs after heroically leaping in front of a snowplow to save his two daughters during a ski trip in California. The valiant act of sacrifice was detailed in an online fund-raiser set up to help the the family in wake of the freak accident.
“Dave’s actions ultimately saved the lives of the girls,” describes the fund-raising page, which was created by a family friend.
The tragedy occurred Dec. 15, 2022, while Dave Miln and wife Clare — who lived in San Diego at the time — were taking their young daughters Ilsa, 3, and Anna, 1, to ski lessons at Mammoth Mountain in Northern California, People reported.
However, their family vacation turned catastrophic after they were struck by a motorized snowplow. Thinking quickly, the Australian Defense Force veteran threw his body over his children in an attempt to prevent them from being sucked up into the machine.
Unfortunately, while Dave was able to shield his younger daughter from harm, his eldest was swallowed up by the runaway blower. Fearing the worst, Clare alerted authorities, who subsequently transported their eldest to the hospital, where it was revealed that she’d sustained serious injuries.
Dave, meanwhile, “spent over an hour in the machine” until rescuers managed to free the father and ferry him to the hospital. He reportedly remained conscious throughout the nightmarish ordeal.
Due to the horrific accident, Dave had to undergo a double amputation, “one above the knee of the left” and the other “below the knee on the right,” according to their GoFundMe page. He also broke both femurs, his pelvis, a number of his lower vertebrae, his sacrum — the region between the hip bones — along with three ribs.
The road to recovery has been equally arduous as the valiant veteran underwent “10 different surgeries in three weeks,” with many more operations still to go. He has since been medically transferred to Australia, where he’s recovering alongside his wife and daughters.
Despite the traumatic ordeal, “Dave still maintains his dark sense of humor and razor-sharp wit,” per the page.
Meanwhile, Ilsa suffered breaks in both of her legs and her pelvis, along with other injuries, and underwent three procedures. Doctors predict that she will make a full physical recovery.
“Isla is still in her wheelchair but appears to be slowly getting back to her old self smiling more and asserting herself a little more,” described Tsen Bogan, a family friend who created the GoFundMe, in a Saturday update on the “brave and strong girl.” Bogan joked that Anna, who was uninjured in the accident, “is doing her best to be … a little sister who knows her sister can’t chase her … for now.”
The stalwart pal is currently imploring the public to donate to the family’s GoFundMe page during their time of need. While Defense is reportedly covering the medical expenses, they are “unable to directly fund all the bits and pieces we take for granted in daily life,” he describes.
These necessities “may include things like vehicle modifications for Dave, household equipment and modification and other bits and pieces that Dave will need in adapting to his disability,” the page states.
Bogan also praised Dave for putting his life on the line for his children. “[He has] shown strength and resilience beyond comprehension,” the friend wrote, adding that “the family has banded together with positive determination for the future.”
Coincidentally, the freak accident occurred a week before “Avengers” star Jeremy Renner, 52, had to be hospitalized after getting crushed by a snowplow near his home in Reno, Nevada.
The actor reportedly broke more than 30 bones and suffered blunt chest trauma during the horrific incident, which required him to spend over two weeks in the hospital.