In September 2008, Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker was involved in a deadly plane en route to California crash that killed four people, including the two pilots, Barker’s security guard, and his assistant. Barker himself escaped narrowly with his life, but not before obtaining severe burns on over 65 percent of his body.
The crash was caused by a tire bursting as the plane was taking off, causing the plane to collide with an embankment at the airport.
The 39-year-old rockstar has recently opened up about the harrowing day to ABC News, claiming that he offered his friends large sums of money to pull the plug.
“I mean, [medical officials] had to take my phone out of my room because I was making these phone calls. I would call friends of mine and go, ‘You know, I’ll deposit a million dollars into whoever’s bank account. Like, I’m done.’”
Travis underwent a rigorous four month rehabilitation in a burn center and underwent 27 surgeries.
He also spoke about how he was just moments away from being caught in the enormous explosion that would have surely taken his life.
“The plane’s on fire and my hands are on fire so I unbuckle my seat belt and I jump right into the jet, which holds all the fuel. I basically ignite my whole body in fire.
“I’m so soaked in jet fuel, there’s nothing I can do to put the fire out.
“I’m completely nude at this point…I’m running, grabbing my testicles, my genitals, because, I don’t know why, and then we realise, you know, we’re out of the plane and… the plane explodes.”
Barker recounts the devastating experience as well as detailing how his two children helped him see the light in the darkness in his new memoir ‘Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums.‘
[h/t ABC News]