A Perth father-of-two has cheated death in Bali after crashing through a glass wall while playing padel in an alleged horrific repeat of previous identical accidents.
Dee Saban was enjoying a match with three friends on Thursday at Amare Padel in Canggu when he sprinted for the ball and smashed straight through a 3m glass wall.
CCTV footage captures the moment he suffered serious injuries but somehow escaped with his life when the entire wall exploded into shards around him.
But after the video was posted online, Mr Saban and his wife Suzan were stunned to learn the same dangerous incident had reportedly occurred before at the venue.
‘Seven times that we know about,’ Mr Saban told Daily Mail. ‘There are other videos showing it too.
‘I could have died. There was blood everywhere, it was like a crime scene.’
The veteran padel fan was playing his first match since winning the Bali Padel Academy tournament in December and said he was excited to be back on the court.
He claims bumping into the perimeter walls during a game is common practice and something that can happen several times in a match.
Dee Saban (left) was enjoying a match with friends when he smashed through a glass wall
CCTV footage captured the moment the entire wall exploded
Dee Saban said he is lucky to be alive
When he collided with the back corner pane on court five, he initially went into shock and did not realise the severity of his injuries.
‘It was only when I saw my mates’ faces as they ran towards me that I realised it was serious,’ he said.
‘The level of injuries on my legs are bad. Some of the cuts are 5cm deep and I lost a lot of blood.
‘It’s lucky I didn’t hit it face on, which is common in the game. If that had happened, I don’t think I would be here right now.’
Mr Saban was rushed to hospital by ambulance where his wounds were treated, but X-rays revealed several shards of glass lodged deep in his shoulder and legs which required surgery.
The couple, who moved to Bali two years ago and run their own cafes and a development business, made the decision to fly back to Perth so Mr Saban could undergo emergency surgery to remove the glass.
‘This all happened at 3pm on Thursday and I was back in Perth that same night,’ he said.
‘The medical attention I received in Bali was actually amazing. The ambulance arrived really fast and I am so thankful for that.
He was rushed to hospital by ambulance
X-rays show glass still embedded in his shoulder
Since the incident Mr Saban has been overwhelmed with support from the padel community
‘We were just recommended to go to Australia or Singapore for the surgery so we decided to come home as it’s easier to navigate the system we know.’
Since the incident, the pair say they have been overwhelmed with support from their Bali community but say they have still to hear from the Amare Padel club.
‘We have had more than 400 messages from friends, the padel community, other clubs and even the sports minister in Bali,’ Mr Saban said.
‘But nothing from management or the owners where it happened.’
While there has been online speculation that the glass was not tempered, Mr Saban – who has worked in the building industry – does not believe that is the issue.
‘I think it was tempered and don’t know what has gone wrong because that glass shouldn’t break when someone runs into it,’ he said.
‘The issue is there are different levels of that kind of safety glass, from shower screens to sporting windows, and there is no way that glass was approved for a sporting court.
‘It’s disappointing we haven’t heard back from anyone yet, especially as there are numerous videos showing the same thing.’
Daily Mail has reached out to Amare Padel.
