http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/weird/Man-Rescued-After-Being-Trapped-for-Days-95998884.htmlOn Sunday, Jonathan Metz was working on the furnace in his West Hartford home when he dropped a tool, reached for it and things went terribly wrong. His left arm became lodged in it or around the furnace.
What followed were two and a half harrowing days of being trapped, infection setting in.
Metz, a financial analyst for an insurance company who lives alone, sustained himself only on water that was dripping from the boiler, but after two days, with gangrene developing, he made what is likely the toughest decision of his life. He decided to amputate his own arm.
He fashioned a tourniquet and, using his own tools, he was nearly able to remove his own arm in an effort to free himself. Doctors believe a nerve prevented him from removing the arm. They could not comment on what was going through 31-year-olds mind as he went through the ordeal, but his decision ended up saving his own life, doctors said.
Doctors said his left arm was his non-dominant.
On Wednesday afternoon, police officers and firefighters came to his rescue. Metz was in and out of consciousness as emergency crews fed him an IV and worked for 30 minutes to free him. He was then rushed to St. Francis Hospital. Crews brought his arm to the hospital, but they were not able to reattach it because of the level of infection.
Surgeon Dr. Scott Ellner said Metzs story is an amazing story of survival," and he must have been in indescribable pain as he removed his arm at his shoulder.
Metz's friend, Luca Digregorio, was the one who called police. Digregorio first became concerned when his friend didnt show up for their softball game Tuesday night.
Then one of Metzs coworkers called Digregorio to say she was also worried, so he decided to check to see what was going on.
I rang the doorbell and no one answered, Digregorio said. I checked the front door. It was locked. I went around back and saw the dog in back and I didnt know what else to do, so I called the cops.
Metzs dog Porsche was helpless during that time as well. Neighbors are now watching the dog and say she is healthy.
Metz's parents are coming in from out of town to be with him. Ellner said calling the parents was one of the most difficult calls he has ever had to make.
Metz will eventually be fitted with a prosthetic.
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Trapped man cuts off his arm to save his own life
- Thread starter MacNut
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very similar to this story from a few years back up here (yikes from 03!)
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20030502/ai_n11392294/
He has since climbed multiple 14'ers and has done 100mile race (running) since doing that
Talk about overcoming adversity!
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20030502/ai_n11392294/
He has since climbed multiple 14'ers and has done 100mile race (running) since doing that
Talk about overcoming adversity!
i don't know what i would do in that plight. although i would probably try to be more careful in the process so i wouldn't be in the situation. takes a lot of resolve to do that though. hope he isn't too traumatized by the ordeal.
I thought you were into body modification...
yes i am. that is a bit too sever for even my tastes.
too early?
I hate to be the one to say it, but... if his decision to cut off the arm didn't directly affect the timing of his rescue, doesn't that mean it was... well... unnecessary?
It sounds like his friends would have found him on Wednesday regardless. The story would be different if, after extricating himself, he was then finally able to call the police himself.
It sounds like his friends would have found him on Wednesday regardless. The story would be different if, after extricating himself, he was then finally able to call the police himself.
His arm was already getting infected and would not be able to be saved any ways. Wether he was rescued or not the arm had to go.
Well, in hindsight, perhaps. (unless the arm couldn't have been saved anyway)
He's not a doctor, so he wouldn't know if the arm was lost in any event. He also is not able to see the future. So when he decided, after more than two days had passed, to cut off his arm, he couldn't have known when the fire dept. was going to arrive.
Holy sh*t this is so sad...how can anyone even think about cutting their own arm? he must be in so much pain...
damn i feel weird even thinking about it..
damn i feel weird even thinking about it..
I doubt he's feeling much in hospital right now. Don't amputees get 'phantom arms' when they can feel an arm and fingers still?
Well,
*Maybe he's not part of the cell phone revolution
*He was in his house:
-if he has a land line, he wouldn't necessarily carry the cell phone in his pocket while at home
-maybe he didn't have any pockets
-maybe his cell phone was getting a charge
-maybe he tried it, and it needed a charge
-maybe he can't get a signal in his basement
-maybe he put the cell phone by his tools, but couldn't reach it
-maybe he thought that if he fell, he could get up
Oh! I bet he just forgot it was in his pocket for two days and then cut off his own arm.
Yeah, I'm just thinking it's really unfortunate either way. I agree that it sounds like the arm was beyond saving. However, if he had only known, he could have hung on just a little longer and had it professionally amputated (with anaesthetic) rather than... however he managed to do it himself.
Brave fellow, I'd probaby not have been able to do the same thing. A similar incident occurred in 2003 when a rock climber had to cut off his harm to free himself from a canyon where he became trapped.