Kyle Thomson, a 22-year-old student at Iowa State University, died tragically earlier this week during a weightlifting accident. According to a spokesman for the Elite Edge Transformation Center, where the accident occurred, Kyle was bench-pressing 315-pounds when his grip slipped and the barbell crushed his neck.
Our thoughts are with Kyle’s family and friends during this tough time. Here’s a story of a good kid trying to stay in shape and healthy when some freak accident happens and takes his life way too soon. To us, the scariest part about this story is that Thomson reportedly had spotters (plural) watching him as he was lifting. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve asked for a spot, and I’ve never seen or heard of anything like this before. Absolutely unfair and tragic.
Who Was Kyle Thomson?
Kyle Thomson was a 22-year-old student at Iowa State University, where he studied criminal justice. After he graduated from Iowa State, Thomson told friends and peers that he wanted to be a K9 handler.
Thomson had recently quit his job at Lowe’s and traded it in to work at the Youth Emergency Services & Shelter in Des Moines. Like we said, this couldn’t have happened to a better man.
What Happened?
Thomson was bench pressing a 315-pound barbell (with spotters) at Elite Edge Transformation Center, a gym in Ankeny, Iowa. While Thomson was benching the weight, his grip slipped and the spotters weren’t able to catch the bar before it fell on him, crushing his neck and causing massive internal damage. The spokesman for Elite Edge says that “The trainer, manager, and members who were on-site called authorities and an ambulance. Unfortunately, the member later died at a local hospital.”
