Phoenix
06-11-2010, 02:38 PM
...he might still have that severed arm attached :eek:
New York (CNN) -- Trapped in the basement by a broken furnace for three days and the only hope for survival is to cut off your own arm.
Certainly a horrifying tale, but reality for Jonathan Metz, 31, of West Hartford, Connecticut.
Metz had been trapped in his basement for two days when he smelled rotting flesh and realized his only hope to stay alive was to amputate his left arm that was trapped by a furnace. So he made a tourniquet just below his shoulder and sawed through 90 percent of his arm before he passed out.
Luckily, neighbors realized they had not seen Metz for a few days and called police, who were able to rescue Metz with the aid of firefighters.
According to West Hartford Fire Chief Matt Stuart, rescuers ripped apart the furnace using heavy tools to free Metz and completed the amputation. The arm could not be reattached due to infection.
In a news conference on Thursday, trauma doctors from Hartford's St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center who atended Metz recounted what happened.
"His arm was dying and once that happens, you release toxins and he did mention the smell so he knew something wasn't right," explained Dr. Scott Ellner.
The doctors said there was probably a nerve that got in the way of Metz finishing the amputation. He will have to undergo a few more surgeries to make the arm viable for a prosthetic, but he is expected to survive.
As of Friday morning, Metz was in muscle graft surgery with Ellner.
Dr. David Shapiro was inspired by Metz's actions saying, "The way that he did it was frightening, admirable, horrifying, brave, and just amazing to us."
Metz was trying to repair his furnace when he got trapped. He drank some water leaking from the furnace in an effort to survive.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/11/trapped.man/index.html?hpt=T3
New York (CNN) -- Trapped in the basement by a broken furnace for three days and the only hope for survival is to cut off your own arm.
Certainly a horrifying tale, but reality for Jonathan Metz, 31, of West Hartford, Connecticut.
Metz had been trapped in his basement for two days when he smelled rotting flesh and realized his only hope to stay alive was to amputate his left arm that was trapped by a furnace. So he made a tourniquet just below his shoulder and sawed through 90 percent of his arm before he passed out.
Luckily, neighbors realized they had not seen Metz for a few days and called police, who were able to rescue Metz with the aid of firefighters.
According to West Hartford Fire Chief Matt Stuart, rescuers ripped apart the furnace using heavy tools to free Metz and completed the amputation. The arm could not be reattached due to infection.
In a news conference on Thursday, trauma doctors from Hartford's St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center who atended Metz recounted what happened.
"His arm was dying and once that happens, you release toxins and he did mention the smell so he knew something wasn't right," explained Dr. Scott Ellner.
The doctors said there was probably a nerve that got in the way of Metz finishing the amputation. He will have to undergo a few more surgeries to make the arm viable for a prosthetic, but he is expected to survive.
As of Friday morning, Metz was in muscle graft surgery with Ellner.
Dr. David Shapiro was inspired by Metz's actions saying, "The way that he did it was frightening, admirable, horrifying, brave, and just amazing to us."
Metz was trying to repair his furnace when he got trapped. He drank some water leaking from the furnace in an effort to survive.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/11/trapped.man/index.html?hpt=T3