Man who lost both legs minutes into first day in new job during freak accident explained what he plans to do next
A man who was looking forward to the first day of a new job lost both of his legs in a freak accident.
US Colorado resident John O’Neill was 15 minutes into his first shift as a tree worker when he got caught in a woodchipper on 24 September.
The 33-year-old was throwing branches into the chipper when the end of a branch caught his tracking device, which pulled his leg into the machine.
Within seconds, the spinning metal blades were slicing up his legs, and no one could hear his cry for help because they had ear protectors on.
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After clinging onto dear life by gripping the edge of the wood chipper, his colleagues eventually caught on to what was happening.
John woke up in hospital hours later, without his legs.
“My heart stopped. …They essentially replaced all the blood in my body,” John told the Denver Post.
“I was yelling for help but everyone had ear protection on.
“It took a minute before my coworkers realised what was happening.
“I was fading out, but my coworkers kept me alive.”
He recalled: “The pain was very — it was not there almost.
“I didn’t really feel the pain as much as I knew I was in trouble.
“It went from a fight for my limb to a fight for my life, very fast.”
In what could have been his last moment, John said he thought of his loved ones, along with his high school wrestling coach.
“I thought of my mom and my friends and people who look up to me and people who needed me and people who were counting on me and people who have taught me to fight,” he admitted.
Although when he was pulled out, John could see his own torn-up skin, bones and blood, he says he somehow managed to 'stay calm'.
Following a stint in rehab, John plans to continue charity work to help others become sober, as well as continuing with his passion for rock climbing.
“I feel like this has given me a bigger platform to help people in recovery from drugs and alcohol and help people in recovery from traumatic events,” he said.
“That’s the kind of goals I’m setting for myself to be right back there and I’m not going to listen to anyone who tells me that’s impossible.
“I’m someone who can do things I’ve never done before.”
“It’s beyond a miracle that John is still with us, and he’s fighting harder than ever,” his friend George Safir wrote on GoFundMe.
“Our friend has always been pretty reckless and living life on the edge! All while doing so, being a warrior in life.”
Anish Vij