Man undergoes surgery to get vision back after David Dobrik stunt left him with lifelong injuries
Topics: California, Health, Social Media, YouTube
Joe Yates
Featured Image Credit: Jeff/Instagram/Rich Fury/Getty
Topics: California, Health, Social Media, YouTube
A YouTuber has undergone a five-hour operation to correct his vision after suffering serious injuries during a dangerous stunt posted to social media almost five years ago.
At the age of 30, Jeff Wittek took part in a video with internet personality and fellow YouTuber David Dobrik which saw him swinging from a rope connected to a digger that a then-23-year-old Dobrik operated.
The event took place in June 2020, and it saw several influencers - known as the 'Vlog Squad' - take part swinging from the giant excavator.
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But when it came to Wittek's turn, he ended up sustaining some serious injuries, and he's been dealing with the consequences since.
After being swung around, with the crane beginning to slow down, Wittek was slammed into the crane arm and suffered a slew of injuries, including a torn ligaments in his leg, a broken foot, hip, shattered skull 'in nine places', and shattered eye socket.
Wittek, now 34, claims Dobrik, now 28, spun the crane too fast during his go, and to mitigate the speed, he slowed down too quickly, which caused Wittek to barrel into the metal arm.
The video was posted to social media the following year, but has since been deleted.
Wittek, who was born in New York but now resides in Los Angeles, California, has since forked out $90,000 to correct his vision at a plastic surgeon's clinic in Beverly Hills.
Taking to Instagram, the content creator shared his recovery to his 2.5 million followers: "Yesterday @drleifrogers and his team of avengers did a massive 5-hour surgery to take out some metal plates and adjust my eye a few millimeters forward to hopefully fix my double vision.
"Thanks for all the kind words and support from all of u, I already feel like I can run through a brick wall."
He is now taking Dobrik to court for 'general negligence and intentional tort' and is seeking $10 million in damages for the failed stunt.
In the lawsuit, which has been seen by TMZ, Wittek alleges that he has had to pay for several hospital bills, and claims that as a result of the accident he has lost out on earning wages and is also claiming for a loss of earning capacity.
It also stated how he initially took place as he thought the digger was only going to be used to spin participants around on a wake board on top of the water, before Dobrik suggested that people should be swung around by only holding the rope.
UNILAD has contacted David Dobrik for comment.