Quick action by a local doctor and paramedics probably saved a 22 year old man’s life this afternoon after his leg had to be amputated with a pocket knife.
At approximately 12:30 this afternoon ER24 paramedics were called to a farm in Wesselsbron about 70 kilometers outside Welkom for a man that was engulfed by a harvester. When paramedics arrived on the scene a local doctor was already in attendance after he was contacted by one of the local farmers.
The paramedics found the 22 year old man trapped underneath the harvester with both of his legs badly mangled into the blades. The ER24 paramedics and the local doctor had tried everything to free the man’s legs from the blades, but could not move the man.
The man was awake and in severe agony and paramedics slightly sedated him to calm him down. Emergency workers and farmers tried numerous times with tools to pry away the blades or take parts of the machine apart, but had no luck.
Almost an hour and a half later after numerous rescue attempts the only way to save the man’s life was to amputate his right leg. The doctor and paramedics liaised with an orthopedic surgeon from the Welkom Medi Clinic and ER24 dispatched a rapid response vehicle to the Welkom Medi Clinic to pick up the surgeon and rush him to the scene.
With telephonic advice and only a pocket knife at hand, the doctor amputated the man’s leg and managed to clamp major bleeding arteries which could not be previously accessed. Once the man was freed from the harvester paramedics could do a full assessment and found that the man’s left upper leg was also fractured.
The man was loaded into the ambulance and rushed off with the doctors and paramedics on board to the Welkom Medi Clinic where a team of specialized surgeons were waiting in theatre for the man.
Paramedics arrived at the hospital and the man was immediately operated on.
It is understood from other farm workers that the man was on the harvester at the time and apparently fell off right in front of it and got caught in the blades.
Doctors and specialists commented that the on scene paramedics and the local doctor’s quick actions are probably the factor that saved the man’s life.
The man is in the Welkom Medi Clinic and will be monitored under specialist medical practitioners.
At approximately 12:30 this afternoon ER24 paramedics were called to a farm in Wesselsbron about 70 kilometers outside Welkom for a man that was engulfed by a harvester. When paramedics arrived on the scene a local doctor was already in attendance after he was contacted by one of the local farmers.
The paramedics found the 22 year old man trapped underneath the harvester with both of his legs badly mangled into the blades. The ER24 paramedics and the local doctor had tried everything to free the man’s legs from the blades, but could not move the man.
The man was awake and in severe agony and paramedics slightly sedated him to calm him down. Emergency workers and farmers tried numerous times with tools to pry away the blades or take parts of the machine apart, but had no luck.
Almost an hour and a half later after numerous rescue attempts the only way to save the man’s life was to amputate his right leg. The doctor and paramedics liaised with an orthopedic surgeon from the Welkom Medi Clinic and ER24 dispatched a rapid response vehicle to the Welkom Medi Clinic to pick up the surgeon and rush him to the scene.
With telephonic advice and only a pocket knife at hand, the doctor amputated the man’s leg and managed to clamp major bleeding arteries which could not be previously accessed. Once the man was freed from the harvester paramedics could do a full assessment and found that the man’s left upper leg was also fractured.
The man was loaded into the ambulance and rushed off with the doctors and paramedics on board to the Welkom Medi Clinic where a team of specialized surgeons were waiting in theatre for the man.
Paramedics arrived at the hospital and the man was immediately operated on.
It is understood from other farm workers that the man was on the harvester at the time and apparently fell off right in front of it and got caught in the blades.
Doctors and specialists commented that the on scene paramedics and the local doctor’s quick actions are probably the factor that saved the man’s life.
The man is in the Welkom Medi Clinic and will be monitored under specialist medical practitioners.
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