How ‘Lethal Weapon 2′ saved Rob Portman

Chris Moody
·Political Reporter

Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, rumored to be near the top of Mitt Romney's vice presidential shortlist, told the Associated Press about how a scene from "Lethal Weapon 2" saved him after a recent kayaking accident in Chile:

In Chile early this year, powerful rapids flipped his kayak over, dislocating his right shoulder.

"I had to get out of the boat because I'm underwater, bouncing down the rapids, and getting hit by a number of rocks all over my body. And I couldn't use my right arm," Portman said.

His son Will's kayak had already disappeared around a bend ahead of him, so no one knew of his plight. The 56-year-old senator got behind a large rock, holding on "for my dear life" with his left hand, wondering how to reach shore with one arm working.

"That was pretty scary," he said.

Portman said he thought of the 1989 movie "Lethal Weapon 2," when the Gibson character escapes a straitjacket by intentionally dislocating his shoulder, then gets it back in place by crashing against a file cabinet.

"Honestly, that was what flashed through my mind—Mel Gibson. So I took my shoulder, slammed it against the rock, and the shoulder popped in. I couldn't feel my arm, but I could use my arm. I was able to swim to shore."

Portman said he walked out of the canyon on his own, pleased about time spent years ago watching "Lethal Weapon" movies.

Here's the scene that gave him the motivation: