Harrowing footage shows strongman tearing both tendons, causing kneecaps to ‘shoot into his thighs’

Trigger Warning: Some may find the footage in this article disturbing.

Harrowing footage has shown the moment Dan Jones tore both tendons in his legs during a strongman competition, causing his kneecaps to “shoot up into his thighs”.

Jones took part in a strongman final in Southport on September 1, where he had to carry 80kg over 20 meters to the finish line.

But what could have been a great success ended in complete disaster when he tore both patellar tendons just meters from the finish line.

The 29-year-old father has been training for the strongman competition since the start of the year and took first place in the First Time category at the Strongman competition in Manchester in July.

To prepare for the Southport event, Jones was in the gym eight hours a week and eating a 4,500 calorie diet high in protein and carbohydrates to be in the best shape possible.

After the shocking injury, Jones explained it was “a freak accident” and they were still unsure how it happened.

“After slowing down the video with doctors and surgeons, it looks like the patellar tendon on my right knee ripped out of nowhere, causing my leg to buckle under me,” he said.

“Then my left knee bends underneath me and that tendon tears as it hits the ground. I felt like I was on fire, my kneecaps were in my quads because my tendons were torn.”

“The strangest thing I remember is silence. The whole crowd was cheering everyone on and then it went dead quiet and I was just laying on the floor,” he added.

Jones was immediately taken to hospital where he was given painkillers before undergoing a five-hour operation to have his tendons grow back together. He stayed in the hospital for three weeks to learn to walk again.

While this might deter the average strongman from ever competing again, Jones hasn’t ruled out a return to action.

“The surgeon has said it could mean the end of all strongman competitions, but that is a case-by-case basis,” he explained.

“He said it would be very rare that I would be able to compete again at the level I was at, but we won’t know until I start healing.”

“My biggest goal is to be a father and be able to chase my daughter around and play with her. I should be able to go to the gym and do aspects of strongman things.”

“The only thing that keeps me going are these little goals,” he added.