Close Call for Ozzy Osbourne

Feb. 19, 2004 -- It's been a tough year for the Osbournes; the close-knit rock 'n' roll family went from huge ratings on television and incredible success to face illness, drug addiction and then a brush with death.

The famous family recently sat down with Diane Sawyer to talk for the first time about 2003, which ended with Ozzy's near-fatal all-terrain vehicle bike accident, leaving the star in an eight-day coma with multiple injuries.

The accident came after the family had already endured Sharon's struggle with cancer and their son Jack's battle with drugs.

"It's like it couldn't get any worse, there's no way," daughter Kelly told ABCNEWS. "Hands down, the worst year of my life."

‘No Alcohol, Just a Terrible Accident’

Ozzy ended up in the hospital while in England with his daughter Kelly. They were promoting their new duet, a remake of the Black Sabbath song, "Changes." They were staying at their Victorian estate in Buckinghamshire, where they have 150 acres and a seven-bedroom house.

It's a place where the Osbournes have typically gone to relax and have some fun, which included riding ATV's. Then Ozzy took his out for a ride across the sprawling, uneven landscape for what would be one unexpected trip.

"Absolutely no drugs, absolutely no alcohol. It was just a terrible, a terrible accident," said Ozzy. "The last thing I remember, what I do remember is I got on the bike and, and something in my mind went 'bad move. There's something's really bad is gonna happen.' And I go oohuh-oh."

ATVs are increasingly popular in England, but bring their share of dangers. The number of people injured or killed on these during accidents has quadrupled in the last four years.

Bodyguard Revives the Rocker

Ozzy said at the time of his accident he was going, "pretty fast," and was not wearing a helmet while on the 600-pound vehicle.

Although there are not helmet laws where he was riding, Ozzy admits it was "stupid," to not wear one. He was riding near his bodyguard of eight months, who recalled the accident. "I see the bike hit some berms, and it starts to bounce, and Ozzy's holding on," said Sam Ruston. "But what happens is the back end of the bike comes up off the ground, throwing him forward and over the handlebars."

Ruston explained that the ATV whipped on top of Ozzy, landing on his back, neck and shoulder. "As the bike's tumbling and he's tumbling, he actually somehow gets entangled in the bike, and he's rolling with the bike," said Ruston.

When Ruston approached the fallen star, he was lying face down and needed a lot of help. "I turned him over and I put my head on his chest, and I hear — no breath, no heartbeat, nothing," said Ruston.

Ozzy says he has "no memory" of being revived by mouth-to-mouth resuscitation — twice.

"I remember tilting his head back and pinching his nose, and I cleared his mouth — he had a lot of blood and saliva — his tongue had fallen down deep inside of his throat, so I, I cleared it with my finger, and I remember — breathing in his mouth a — four short breaths, but it was kind of like — it reminded me of blowing up a balloon," said Ruston.

When Ozzy stopped breathing a second time, Ruston again provided assistance. "He was the weirdest blue color when I turned him over … so — I again cleared his throat, and — I just gave one good breath, and he started breathing again."

An MTV camera crew member radioed for emergency help but Ozzy, in typical fashion, spouted four-letter words to describe his thoughts.

"And he said, you were cursing at me and in all different kinds of ways," said Ozzy.

"He told me — just get me the F up — is what he said," said Ruston. "So — I helped him up."

Preparing for Another Battle

After his fall, Ozzy was rushed to the hospital and placed in intensive care. His injuries included fractured vertebrae and eight rib fractures, a partially collapsed lung and a badly fractured left collarbone.

His wife Sharon was in Los Angeles working on her talk show at the time and said it was a trauma to learn her spouse was in danger.

"You know, when you — you suddenly think well, what happens if my partner goes and I wake up in the morning and I'm on my own, and what do I do?" said Sharon. "I wouldn't know where to pick the pieces up and start."

Sharon and Ozzy met during his early rock 'n' roll days, and the family is incredibly close. Their daughter Kelly rushed to the hospital after the accident, and recalled conversations with her father.

"I didn't realize how bad it was. Because he was fully talking to me … And all he kept saying is, 'I love you. I'm going to be OK,' " said Kelly. "And I'm like, oh my God, my dad's gonna die. And I'm by myself. And it was the horriblest thing that's ever happened to me."

The Osbournes continue their discussion with Diane Sawyer tonight on Primetime, at 10 p.m. ET with more on Ozzy's life-threatening injuries, his eight-day coma and ongoing rehabilitation. Plus, an update on Sharon's health after her battle with cancer.

The Osbournes airs on MTV Tuesday nights at 10:30 p.m. ET.