sam bailey accident

Sam Bailey became a quadriplegic following a car accident in 1987 when he was 19 years old. The accident occurred in the Northern Territory when the car he was traveling in blew a tire, and he was thrown from the vehicle. Despite this life-altering injury causing a C6/C7 spinal cord injury, Sam Bailey went on to adapt machinery to continue farming, learned to fly ultralight planes, and was working towards becoming the world's first quadriplegic helicopter pilot before his passing at the age of 58 in 2025. He was also known as an inspirational public speaker, best-selling author, and advocate for people with spinal cord injuries.