• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Man loses both his legs just minutes into first day on new job and by a 'miracle' survives

Home> News> US News

Published 14:47 9 Oct 2024 GMT+1

Man loses both his legs just minutes into first day on new job and by a 'miracle' survives

John O’Neill had just started a new job when he suffered a catastrophic injury, barely making it out alive

Kit Roberts

Kit Roberts

The first day at a new job can be stressful for anyone - but for one man, it quickly turned into a nightmare as he 'miraculously' survived a life-changing injury which saw him lose both of his legs.

John O’Neill's life had been on the up - he'd gotten sober, had a new home, and got a job he enjoyed working with trees.

The 33-year-old was just 15 minutes into his first day when he was working a wood chipper.

Advert

He had placed a hook-shaped branch into the chipper which was flipped around by the blades in the chipper.

By an awful chance, the hook became caught around an ankle monitor bracelet that John was wearing due to a court order.

This pulled him into the chipper feet first, with the blades slicing clean through his boots before working up through his feet, his ankle, and then over the knee.

For a few horrific moments, John's coworkers were oblivious to what was happening.

Advert

Speaking to the Denver Post, John recalled the accident.

John has said he plans to continue advocating for people struggling with addiction (John O’Neill)
John has said he plans to continue advocating for people struggling with addiction (John O’Neill)

He said: “I was yelling for help but everyone had ear protection on.

“It took a minute before my coworkers realized what was happening.”

Advert

The incident lasted only a few moments, and the blades had reached to John's thighs by the time his coworkers were able to extricate him from the machine.

He said: “I looked down and saw something that looked like what you see in movies."

That something was what was left of John's legs after the wood chipper had eviscerated them.

John recalled waking up in hospital on September 24, the day after the accident.

Advert

He said: “I was in an excruciating amount of pain. I felt my legs were broken. It took me a minute to realize and remember what had just happened.”

John woke up in hospital the following day (John O’Neill)
John woke up in hospital the following day (John O’Neill)

And when John looked down at the bed where his legs had been, there was nothing.

“The pain was very - it was not there almost,” he said. “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.”

Advert

John recalled helping his coworker to fashion a tourniquet, saying: “I didn’t freak out, I did stay calm. My coworker said I was very cognitive throughout the whole thing.”

Through his and his coworkers' quick and calm actions, as well as the efforts of medical staff, John survived his ordeal.

Now, he hopes to continue volunteering and supporting people trying to get sober once he gets prosthetics.

He said: “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.

Advert

“I’m someone who can do things I’ve never done before.”

Featured Image Credit: GoFundMe

Topics: Health, News, US News

Kit Roberts
Kit Roberts

Kit joined UNILAD in 2023 as a community journalist. They have previously worked for StokeonTrentLive, the Daily Mirror, and the Daily Star.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

11 hours ago
12 hours ago
  • 11 hours ago

    'Fridge cigarette' trend explained as Gen Z ditches traditional smoke breaks

    The new trend is taking TikTok by storm

    News
  • 11 hours ago

    Doctor reveals what you should never do in bed as he explains best way to beat insomnia

    Dr. Matthew Walker has offered some tips to curb insomnia and scrub up on your bedtime habits

    News
  • 12 hours ago

    FBI issues urgent warning to 150,000,000 US iPhone users to delete this text as soon as it appears

    Attacks on iPhones and Androids have surged more than 700 percent this month

    News
  • 12 hours ago

    Surprising meaning behind people who keep waking up at the same time every night

    It's surprisingly common

    News
  • Miracle mom survives husband allegedly stabbing her nine times in front of children
  • Woman opens up after completing $162,000 ‘Frankenstein’ surgery that extended her legs by 5.5 inches
  • Girl, 9, dies after collapsing during her first day at school
  • Woman spends weeks in prison and loses her job after police mistook SpaghettiOs on her spoon for meth