Colorado Tree Worker Loses Legs on First Day Of New Job

A man is being hailed as a “miracle” survivor after a tragic woodchipper accident on his first day at a new job. John O’Neill,33, was 15 minutes into his workday when he lost both of his legs in a freak accident.

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The incident took place last month when O’Neill was operating a wood chipper. According to TOO FAB, he explained that a fish-hook-shaped branch he was feeding into the wood chipper got caught under his ankle monitor, dragging him toward the machine. Seconds later, he sustained severe injuries to his feet and legs. Despite the harrowing situation, he remained calm and held onto the edge of the machine while shouting for help.

His coworkers couldn’t hear him immediately because he was wearing ear protectors, but once they realized what was happening, they rushed to help him. By the time he was pulled from the machine, the blades had reached the middle of his thigh. “It looked like something out of a movie,” O’Neill recounted.

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“I didn’t freak out, I did stay calm. My coworker said I was very cognitive throughout the whole thing.”

His coworkers created a makeshift bandage, helping him to stay alive until paramedics arrived. O’Neill was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he briefly “died” as his heart stopped, but doctors were able to revive him. Following the accident, his friend launched a GoFundMe campaign, which raised $25,000 out of its $30,000 goal.

O’Neill is determined to turn this tragedy into something positive, sharing plans to get prosthetics and use his platform to help others in recovery from both addiction and trauma. “Life is going to be more exciting,” he said.