Posted on 01/02/2008 8:02:20 PM PST by trumandogz
The 911 call Wednesday morning started simply enough.
The caller, a 52-year-old employee of Alamo Concrete, gave the address of the company east of Manor. Gasping, he struggled to give the phone number. Then, he blurted out what was wrong: "I have my arm cut off, ma'am. I have my arm cut off."
The man's arm was amputated at the elbow after it became stuck in a conveyor belt of a machine at Alamo Concrete, said Warren Hassinger, spokesman for Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services. Officials released a recording of the 911 call later Wednesday.
The man, whose name was not released by authorities, was at work to warm up some equipment about 4:30 a.m. when his coat sleeve got stuck in the machine, Hassinger said.
The man typically went to the company, at 13101 Ballerstedt Road near Manor, early in the morning to start the machines for the day, Hassinger said.
He extricated himself from the machine in 15 minutes and called 911, Hassinger said.
The operator kept the man on the phone as paramedics went to the scene.
"Is there anyone else there with you?" she asked.
"No, no, no, Just me, ma'am, just me," the man said.
He said he had gone to the office once he untangled himself from the conveyer belt.
"Is there any serious bleeding?"
"I took my arm off, ma'am," the man said.
"What part of your arm?"
"I think at the elbow," he said, adding that parts of it were still caught in his jacket.
Hassinger said he was not sure whether the man cut off his limb or whether it was severed by the machine.
The 911 operator told him to stay still and apply pressure to the wound. The man said he was sitting in a chair and couldn't move.
Paramedics took him to Brackenridge Hospital at 4:57 a.m. The man almost died at the scene and was in critical but stable condition Wednesday, Hassinger said.
Elizabeth Todd, a spokeswoman for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said the accident is under investigation.
According to the administration's records, the Alamo Concrete plant where the accident happened has not been investigated for safety hazards in the past five years.
Employees at Alamo Concrete did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
One friday evening, when I was chilling with my workmates, I got a call from my mom. Could I come over and drive her to the hospital, it it’s not too much trouble?
It turned out to be a kidney stone. Not life-threatening, but incredibly painful. Of course, I got there as fast as I could, abusing traffic laws all the way. I got Mom to the local ER, which on a weekend night was a zoo. Got her a wheelchair and an ice pack, and then waited in the triage line.
Mom was 4’11” on her tallest day, and to use one of my favorite expressions, was the kind of Southern lady who could tell you to go to hell so sweetly that you’d look forward to the journey. She raised me. And here she was, doubled over and barely able to whimper.
At one point, a young woman walked up to the desk and started yelling because she had seen people who came n after her admitted before her. The young woman was not in apparent distress, and was nursing what appeared to be a sprained wrist. And she was trying to cut in front of my mom, who was doubled over in unbearable agony.
“Bitch,” I said, “This is not a deli. It is not first-come, first-served. Unless you are bleeding from both eyes, I don’t want to hear another f’ing word from you.”
Actually, I said that in my head. What I did in the real world was stand a few feet away, fold my arms, and glare. Don’t underestimate. I can bring a lot of glare. Mom got a lot of antibiotics, a decent measure of painkillers, and a metal screen to catch the stone. The assholes in the ER are let to wallow in their own wretchedness. I can’t avenge everything at once.
idiots and welfare recipients abound in the er with unbearable pain from papercuts.
BS. A limb torn off will always result in severe loss of blood. Stupid question.
Sure does. I've been in shock from a minor injury before. There's a certain sense of self detachment from the injury. All the endorphins flood your system and depending on the severity of the wound, the nerve clusters affected and such, the pain can feel distant.
But I don't think I'd be quite that calm.
Fine. Believe whatever you want. It’s pointless to attempt having a discussion with you. Happy new year.
No kidding!
Texas men...gotta love ‘em! (and I do!)
susie
Reminds me of my uncle. When he was bout 5 years old he got ahold of dynamite caps (I think they were doing some road work in the area but this was back in the late 30s or early 40s so I wasn’t around). He was hitting one with a hammer and it blew up. It blew most of his fingers off on one hand and some on the other. Now, this 5 year old kid went home, bleeding, and found his uncle. He asked him if he could fix his hands before his Mom got home because he knew he would be in trouble.
I swear this is a true story, I heard it many times growing up and my Uncle Bill is missing most of his fingers on one hand (and he played football like that and was good enough to get a scholarship offer).
He’s a tough guy.
susie
Seriously injured man dials phone.
“Thank-you for calling 911. All of our associates are currently assisting others. Please remain on the line. Estimated waiting time is ... 30 minutes.”
Horrible elevator music in the background.
Wow-—that poor man....
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