Colorado employee, John O’Neill, has each legs amputated after wooden chipper accident

A Colorado tree employee miraculously survived a freak accident with a wooden chipper that left him dropping each legs minutes into his first day on the job.

John O’Neill, 33, fitted with a court-ordered ankle monitor, was throwing tree branches into the machine when one caught the monitoring system and dragged him into the chipper, according to the Denver Post.

O’Neill, who had battled habit and is now sober and enthusiastic about his new job, had each legs amputated above his knee following the life-altering accident at 10:18 a.m. on Sept. 24.

“It’s past a miracle that John continues to be with us, and he’s combating tougher than ever,” O’Neill’s pal George Safir wrote on GoFundMe. “Our pal has all the time been fairly reckless and dwelling life on the sting! All whereas doing so, being a warrior in life.”

Solely quarter-hour into the workday in Longmont, O’Neill grabbed a fish hook-shaped department and threw it into the machine.

The tip of the department caught onto O’Neil’s ankle monitor and dragged his leg into the spinning blades the place it started chopping into his toes, foot, ankle and legs.

None of O’Neill’s coworkers instantly heard his cries for assist as they have been all carrying ear safety.

“It took a minute earlier than my coworkers realized what was occurring,” O’Neill advised the outlet.

Because the machine continued to eat into him, O’Neill started believing his time was ending.

“One thing occurred in my mind to the place I spotted I used to be in worry for lots extra than simply dropping my leg or my foot,” O’Neill stated.

“The ache was very — it was not there virtually,” he recalled. “I didn’t actually really feel the ache as a lot as I knew I used to be in hassle. It went from a struggle for my limb to a struggle for my life, very quick.”

O’Neill described the accident as “one thing that seemed like what you see in films,” as he noticed pores and skin, bones, muscle and quite a lot of blood popping out of his legs.

O’Neill stated remained as calm as doable to maintain his coronary heart fee down.

“I didn’t freak out, I did keep calm,” O’Neill stated. “My coworker stated I used to be very cognitive all through the entire thing.”

A coworker pulled him out because the blade reached his midthighs and O’Neill grabbed a close-by rope for a makeshift tourniquet.

He light out and in of consciousness however credit his coworkers for preserving him alive utilizing sternum rubs.

Police arrived on the scene and secured precise tourniquets on the rest of O’Neill’s legs earlier than he was rushed to a neighborhood hospital the place he was flown to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, simply exterior of Denver.

In the course of the helicopter experience, O’Neill “technically died,” he advised the outlet, saying his coronary heart stopped.

He “firmly believes” the ankle monitor design is why he couldn’t free himself from the wooden chipper.

Docs amputated the rest of O’Neill’s mangled legs and wanted to provide him 15 pints of blood.

“They basically changed all of the blood in my physique,” he stated.

When he awakened in his hospital room the subsequent day, O’Neill referred to as his mom who was left “in such a panic” she needed to be admitted into the hospital for 3 days, in line with the Denver Put up.

Among the many many individuals and organizations O’Neill has reconnected with throughout his hospitalization is “the Phoniex,” the non-profit that creates “sober occasions and actions” to assist these battling habit.

With the non-profit, O’Neill appears to be like to proceed his volunteer work the place he’ll lead mountain climbing and CrossFit occasions with the assistance of adaptive specialists.

“That is uncharted territory and I can’t wait to dive into it as a result of I really feel like life goes to be extra thrilling. I’ve all the time loved a problem,” he stated.

O’Neill is “crushing his restoration sooner than anybody,” Safir stated. “John has very excessive spirits and is able to get again to some mountain climbing.”