Snap Fitness, Brisbane: Gym visitor was trapped under kettlebells for 33 minutes

Gym fan lay under weights for 33 minutes while waiting to be released by emergency services.

The man, aged 25 to 35, was exercising at Snap Fitness in Spring Hill, Brisbane at 5:47 a.m. Thursday when he got into trouble.

Firefighters did not arrive until 6:20 a.m. to rescue him, paramedics arrived soon after. It took six minutes to get the man out from under the weights.

By this point, the man was unconscious and needed cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

He was taken to Brisbane’s Royal Women’s Hospital in critical condition.

At that moment, there were no staff in the 24-hour gym, and the man had to help passers-by.

“His injury happened while benching on a Smith machine,” one gym member wrote online.

“From the beginning, it didn’t seem life-threatening, although it was serious enough to call an ambulance.

“But it took 10 to 15 minutes for it to get really serious, i.e. ‘he-now-unknowingly-started-with-resuscitation-now’ seriously.”

Smith machines are designed to allow gym goers to lift barbells without a belayer.

Snap Fitness is open 24/7 every day, but the staff is only available from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Thursday and 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Fridays.

Queensland Police said the incident “is not a criminal matter”.

Originally published as The athlete spent 33 minutes under kettlebells