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.

[Northern Alliance]

Seems like I come across one of these stories every year or two. Just reading them makes me want to puke - I don’t know how these guys can find the determination and guts to actually cut off a limb. They have my respect and admiration - what fighters!

[lowbridge]

What kind of tree was it?

"If you were a twee, what kind of twee would you be?"

[bobbyd]

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.

I agree.

[July 4th]

I agree as well, but as the story said, this guy is from a town with no electricity and few services. I’m guessing most of the residents are pretty indepedent, and otherwise pretty good at being independent.

[lowbridge]

Do you know what bigotry is?

It's an Italian forest.

Big-a tree.

[neb52]

“, and otherwise pretty good at being independent.”

You mean stubborn and hard headed?

[neb52]

[PLMerite]

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

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

[MaxMax]

A hat on a cat in tree it will be, who will save it, not me not me.
A tree with a hat, a leg under it's knee, certainly I will help, pick me, pick me.

/Salute

[Smocker]

” “What kind of tree was it?”

Most likely an Ent.”

Think it might have been one of the wives? Maybe they’ve been found.

[CholeraJoe]

Geez, Louise! He sawed through his own tibia with a pocket knife? The intact tibia is about 2” in diameter and solid bone. It must have already been fractured and he just cut through the soft tissue.

[beckysueb]

Major coffee spew!

[YourAdHere]

Whoever owns that tree will be sued.

[Sloth]

I believe I’d have chipped away at the tree instead.

[Teacher317]

What was the name of the guy who cut his arm off when pinned by a boulder in some incredibly remote place out west?

[Hemingway's Ghost]

“Innuendo” = how an Italian man asks his wife for a certain forbidden carnal delight.

[lowbridge]

Aron Ralston?

http://www.amazon.com/Between-Rock-Hard-Place-Ralston/dp/B000IFS0LI

[lowbridge]

So he couldn’t chip away at the tree with the knife first?

Oops.

[corlorde]

Now that’s a hardcore dude! Someone who appreciates life and was willing to do what needed to be done.

[andy58-in-nh]

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