A Colorado man’s first day at a new job turned into a fight for his life — and his survival story is being dubbed a “miracle.”
According to the Denver Post, last month, John O’Neill, 33, a Colorado tree worker, was looking forward to his new job after getting sober following time in rehab. He was just 15 minutes into his first day, before he got into a wood chipper accident that took both of his legs.
O’Neill detailed the freak accident while speaking with the outlet.
On the morning of September 24, O’Neill was working the wood chipper, throwing branches into the machine. He said that after putting a fish-hook-shaped branch into the wood chipper, the hook of the branch flipped in the machine, before the wood got caught under his court-ordered ankle monitor and he was dragged into the wood chipper.
“Something happened in my brain to where I realized I was in fear for a lot more than just losing my leg or my foot,” O’Neill recalled, adding that he held on to the edge of the wood chipper.
“The pain was very — it was not there almost,” he continued. “I didn’t really feel the pain as much as I knew I was in trouble. It went from a fight for my limb to a fight for my life, very fast.”
While holding on, the machine’s blades began slicing him from his toes — first his boots, then his feet, then his legs, up to his knees.
O’Neill said he was “yelling for help,” but his coworkers initially couldn’t hear him because they were wearing ear protectors. “It took a minute before my coworkers realized what was happening,” he told the Denver Post.
The moment only lasted a few seconds, but by the time his coworkers were able to intervene and pull him out of the chipper, the blades had reached the middle of his thighs.
“I looked down and saw something that looked like what you see in movies,” O’Neill recalled, saying he saw skin, bone, arteries, muscle — and lots of blood.
“I didn’t freak out, I did stay calm,” he said. “My coworker said I was very cognitive throughout the whole thing.”
O’Neill said that he and his coworkers created a makeshift tourniquet with a rope, adding that he tried his best to slow down his breathing so he wouldn’t lose consciousness.
“I was fading out but my coworkers kept me alive,” he told the Denver Post.
First responders arrived at the scene, and O’Neill was airlifted to a local hospital, telling the outlet that while on his way there, he “technically died.”
“My heart stopped. …They essentially replaced all the blood in my body,” he recalled.
O’Neill’s friend, Garrett Safir, set up a GoFundMe for him in the wake of his accident. The fundraiser has reached $25,000 of it’s $30,000 goal.
“John was in a horrific accident at work and has had both legs amputated above the knee. It’s beyond a miracle that John is still with us, and he’s fighting harder than ever,” his friend wrote in the description. “John grew up being very active in all sports, including some extreme ones! Our friend has always been pretty reckless and living life on the edge! All while doing so, being a warrior in life. A man with a skill set ready for anything in life, even this new journey ahead.”
“John has very high spirits and is ready to get back to some rock climbing,” he added. “I’m here today so we can all show our boy and his family love and support through these times. Many obstacles ahead, but we got this! All donation funds will be put towards any accessories, new housing, rehabilitation, equipment and day to day tools to make his new life a bit easier.”
On October 1, Safir shared an update on the GoFundMe page, in which he thanked everyone for their “love and support,” and shared a photo of O’Neill flexing his biceps and smiling for a camera as he sits in a wheelchair.
“John is crushing his recovery faster than everyone,” Safir said, later adding, “You guys are the reason he fights so hard!”
While speaking with the Denver Post, O’Neill shared his plans to get prosthetics, and turn his horrific accident into something good. His mom, Barbara O’Neill, also told the outlet that in the second conversation she had with her son, he told her, “Mom, I’m going to be able to help so many people.”
Following his time in rehab, O’Neill had worked with a nonprofit organization in Denver, The Phoenix, which organizes sober events, and had volunteered with West Pines Behavioral Health in Wheat Ridge.
“I feel like this has given me a bigger platform to help people in recovery from drugs and alcohol and help people in recovery from traumatic events,” he told the Denver Post.
“That’s the kind of goals I’m setting for myself to be right back there and I’m not going to listen to anyone who tells me that’s impossible,” he added. “I’m someone who can do things I’ve never done before.”
“This is uncharted territory and I can’t wait to dive into it because I feel like life is going to be more exciting,” he concluded. “I’ve always enjoyed a challenge.”
O’Neill did not reveal the name of the company he worked for nor whether he plans to sue his employer. However, he did place blame on his ankle monitor, telling the Denver Post that he “firmly believes” that he would have been able to free himself from the machine if he hadn’t been wearing the device.
