Pinned under a tree, 66-year-old man amputates own leg (When Trees Attack)

AP/sfgate ^ | June 6, 2007

[lowbridge]

Residents are pulling for a neighbor who was forced to amputate his left leg below the knee using pocket knives after a tree fell on him, pinning him for about 11 hours.

Al Hill, 66, was cutting trees on a property near the Big Dipper Mine last Friday when a tree fell on his leg and trapped him, authorities said. Alone in the woods and in an area where cellular phone service is spotty or nonexistent, Hill was forced to take the extreme measure to save himself.

Eventually, a neighbor in the area heard Hill's cries for help. Eric Bookey declined to talk about the events.

[lowbridge]

You might be going out on a limb, there. I’ll leave it at that -no sense branching out into rootless speculation.

I think you're barking up the wrong tree.

[Cobra64]

The idea of anyone, let alone a 66-year-old, doing dangerous work without a buddy for backup is foolish.

A 66 year old has more experience doing timber work than an 18 year old young buck.

I'm 57 and have cut down many dozens of large trees over the last 30 years clearing land to build my houses. The real work is the limbing and feeding the chipper.

[Jeff Chandler]

A 66 year old has more experience doing timber work than an 18 year old young buck.

True, but an 18-year-old is much less likely to experience a heart attack from physical exertion in the woods.

My real point was not the age of the worker but the importance of the buddy system.

[Jeff Chandler]

Innuendo: (Italian) A suppository.

[Centurion2000]

Guy’s got balls indeed .... although I hope he tried to dig a channel under his leg first.

[reagan_fanatic]

Damn! I don’t think I could ever cut off a body part regardless of the situation!

Same here. I just can't see myself doing something like that.

My hat's off to this man - he has a bigger set than I do!

[reagan_fanatic]

You wake up hung over one Saturday morning. Your arm is pinned under Helen Thomas...

LOL - in that case, I think I would cut my own throat!

[TChris]

I think you're barking up the wrong tree.

You wood think that.

[TChris]

I think you're barking up the wrong tree.

Leaf the guy alone.

[mutley]

That wasn’t a joke. The idea of anyone, let alone a 66-year-old, doing dangerous work without a buddy for backup is foolish.

Probably wasn't wearing safety glasses either.

[spiffy]

Damn! I don’t think I could ever cut off a body part regardless of the situation!

I saw a news show a few years ago, featuring some guy who had amputated his own arm below the elbow. He was in a cave somewhere and somehow got his wrist wedged into a tight space between some rocks. He was by himself, trapped for a few days. He thought he was going to die there, until he realized that there was a way for him to get unstuck. He said that once he figured out what he needed to do, a feeling of peace and relief came over him, joy almost, that he was going to live. He talked about how he first had to break his arm because he knew he wouldn't be able to cut through the bone. I guess it would break easily enouhg if it was wedged in bewteen a couple of big rocks. Very inspiring to hear him tell the story.