Man who survived world’s first successful face and double hand transplant reveals his 'afterlife' experience during 3-month coma

A man who fell into a three-month deep coma has revealed exactly what he saw in the time he was away from reality.

At 18 years old, Joe DiMeo, of New Jersey, was involved in a life-changing car accident after he fell asleep at the wheel on his drive home from working a night shift.

He was left with third-degree burns to 80 percent of his body, and had to have his fingertips amputated after his Dodge Challenger flipped on its back and set alight back in July 2018.

The blaze occurred due to the headers he had installed on the motor scraped the curb which also split the oil can, with the sparks from the metal scraping on the floor igniting the gas which in turn lead to the car being engulfed in flames.

Joe DiMeo was 18 when he was involved in the horrific life-changing car accident while driving his Dodge Challenger home from a night shift (YouTube/People)

Now, seven years on, the 26-year-old explained how his eyelids and lips were completely burnt off, and he had underwent 20 reconstructive surgeries and skin grafts by medics.

In August 2020, he became the first person in the world to undergo a successful face and double hand transplant.

But in the three months that passed immediately after the accident, he experienced what he believes was the afterlife.

Explaining what he felt and saw while in a coma, he told People: "You can hear people. It's all dreams, but they're mostly bad dreams, because, like when they take you into the tank room, where they wash you off, take off all the bandages - that's not fun.

"You can feel the pain, so you're dreaming about pain. They're [doctors] not meaning it towards you, they're just taking off the bandages, but it still hurts."

The teen's burned Dodge Challenger pictured shortly after the accident took place (Joe DiMeo)

DiMeo continued: "Everyone's asking, did you experience the afterlife? The only thing I experienced is me walking my dog.

"He passed away 2012/13. [I'm like] oh, this is, this is it. I'm assuming this is the afterlife, just me walking my dog on an endless hill."

Yes, strangely enough the then-teenager explained how he was walking his dog that passed away up to six years prior to his accident.

Since the crash, DiMeo has settled down with Californian Jessica Koby, who started following him on Instagram after she heard about his story.

Seven years on from the accident, DiMeo has since settled down with his wife Jessica Koby (Joe DiMeo)

A then 22-year-old Dimeo plucked up the courage to DM her, with Koby being 30 at the time, and soon after they started dating.

In December last year, the couple celebrated their love by getting married in Hawaii.

Speaking about going public with his story, DiMeo added: "I realized, you know what? Let me be real like, actually real, real. Putting my story out there to motivate people to get out their funky days and the cloudy days.

"Didn't realize my story can actually save life. It sucks, I got into accident, I lost 80 percent of my skin, and I have someone else's face and hands on me, but then also found my life partner, and if I wouldn't have had an accident, I'd probably still be a cocky 26 year old.

"I would prefer not to be burned, but I like my life now, just because I have Jessica around."