Jeremy Renner is opening up about the life-changing experience following his snowplow accident and how it altered his perception of life and death.
In his revealing memoir, My Next Breath, the actor reflects on the harrowing incident that took place on New Year’s Day 2023, which left him with more than 30 broken bones. Known for his role as Hawkeye in the Marvel universe, Renner shares the physical and emotional toll the accident had on him, as well as the profound spiritual moment he experienced while waiting for help.
Renner recounts the terrifying moment when he believed he had died. He describes how, as he lay in the freezing cold, his heart rate slowed to the point where he felt his life slipping away. “As I lay on the ice, my heart rate slowed, and right there, on that New Year’s Day, unknown to my daughter, my sisters, my friends, my father, my mother, I just got tired,” he writes.
The actor explains the intense physical strain of trying to survive in the freezing conditions. “After about thirty minutes on the ice of breathing manually for so long, an effort akin to doing ten or twenty push-ups per minute for half an hour… that’s when I died,” he recalls. He further describes the moment in chilling detail, stating simply, “I died, right there on the driveway to my house.”
While his physical injuries were severe, Renner emphasizes that the extreme cold posed just as much of a danger as his internal damage. Hypothermia became a critical threat as he lay barely conscious.
Renner’s heart rate dropped dangerously low, and he remembers the moment his vital signs were at their worst. “I know I died, in fact, I’m sure of it,” he reflects. “When the EMTs arrived, they noted that my heart rate had bottomed out at 18, and at 18 beats per minute, you’re basically dead.”
Describing what he felt during what he believes was his brief death, Renner shares a profound spiritual experience: “When I died, what I felt was energy, a constantly connected, beautiful and fantastic energy.” He describes it as a timeless, peaceful place, filled with what he calls “electric serenity.”
For the first time in his life, Renner says, his existence was no longer tied to time. “It was an entirely beautiful place, filled with a knowable magic,” he reflects, sharing his deep connection to the universe in that moment.
His emotional and physical recovery has been a long journey, but this life-altering experience has left Renner with a renewed sense of peace and connection.
