Douglas McDonald shatters vertebrae at buck’s party

The dream wedding of a Queensland couple is hanging in the balance after a buck’s party bike stunt shattered the groom’s back, leaving him unable to walk.

The dream wedding of a Coomera couple is hanging in the balance after a bucks party bike stunt shattered the groom’s back, leaving him unable to walk.

A Gold Coast carpenter is learning to walk again only two months before his dream wedding after breaking his back in a horror motorbike incident during his buck’s party at the South Burnett.

Douglas McDonald, 26, was flown to hospital after he bailed from his motorbike mid-air while he and 20 mates were riding at Boondooma’s Manar Off Road Park on Friday, July 14.

With just weeks before he weds fiance Cass Webster, Mr McDonald said he was determined to have a speedy recovery.

Doctors at Sunshine Coast University Hospital have told him he will spend up to three months wearing a back brace while learning to walk again.

Mr McDonald said he had ridden motorbikes for most of his life and never been involved in a major accident.

“I was finished the session and my friend whipped out his camera and asked me to go round one more time for a video before we went back to camp,” he said.

Riding his Kawasaki KX450F, he circled back around the track at 4pm for one last jump and “over shot it”.

‘WENT UP WAY TOO HIGH AND HAD TO BAIL MID AIR’

“I went up way too high and had to bail from the bike in mid air as I was going past the down ramp,” Mr McDonald said.

“I then landed on my arse and broke my back,” he said.

Mr McDonald lay in agony for 40 minutes before paramedics arrived.

Mr McDonald lay in agony, surrounded by his party for 40 minutes before paramedics arrived.

Due to the lack of reception it was two hours later when his fiance found out about the horrific incident.

“All that was going through my head was ‘will I ever walk again?” Mr McDonald said.

“I was lying on my side in a lot of pain, trying my best not to move.

“I was flown to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital where they told me I had a compression fracture in my L1 vertebrae.”

“We have no choice but to go ahead with the wedding in September at Braeside at Gin House Creek Estate,” Mr McDonald said.

Mr McDonald was told by doctors at the Sunshine University Hospital that he had suffered a compression fracture in his vertebrae.

“There’s a chance I could be out of the back brace by then,” he said.

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Mr McDonald’s aunty-in-law Rosalind Beaton is fundraising on his behalf on GoFundMe, which raised nearly $3,000 in two days.

Miss Webster said she was overwhelmed with the support the couple have received.

“This will help us so much,” Miss Webster said.

Ms Beaton said the accident had completely shattered the couple.

“Doug is a very health focused guy, who loves going to the gym and works in a physically demanding job,” Ms Beaton said.

“Instead of focusing on their dream wedding they're looking at how they’re going to survive the regular day to day bills.

“He's got a long road ahead for recovery,” she said.

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