A man from Colorado, USA, lost both of his legs in a bizarre accident with a wood chipper and survived to tell his incredible story of resilience.
John O’Neill, from Colorado, lost both of his legs in a bizarre accident that occurred on the first day of his new job. Despite his serious injuries, he survived to tell his story of resilience.
According to the The Denver Post, O’Neill, 33, had recently left rehabilitation and was ready to start a new chapter in his life. By court order, O’Neill was wearing an electronic ankle monitor, which did not prevent him from working normally.
But just minutes after starting his new job, O’Neill was placing a branch shaped like a hook into the wood chipper when the tip of the branch got caught on his ankle monitor and dragged him into the machine.
O’Neill screamed desperately for help as the blades of the chipper cut through his legs, but his coworkers took time to hear his cries because they were wearing ear protection.
“The pain was immense,” O’Neill told the Post. “It quickly went from a fight for my limbs to a fight for my life.”
O’Neill remained conscious for almost the entire time and was airlifted to the hospital, where the remaining parts of his mutilated legs were amputated. He needed 15 liters of blood and later learned from the doctors that his heart had stopped during his rescue.
“It’s more than a miracle that John is still with us, and he’s fighting harder than ever,” wrote O’Neill’s friend, George Safir, on the GoFundMe he created to raise money for medical bills, to buy a wheelchair, and for future prosthetics.
“Our friend has always been very reckless and lived life on the edge! All while being a warrior in life,” he added.
O’Neill, an avid climber and outdoor enthusiast, plans to get prosthetics as soon as possible to resume the activities he used to do.
Even while describing his situation as “uncharted territory,” O’Neill reveals he is ready for whatever comes next: “I can’t wait to dive into this because I feel like life is going to be more exciting. I’ve always enjoyed challenges.”