Chainsaw accident man thanks Addenbrooke's life savers

A tree surgeon who nearly cut off his own head in a chainsaw accident has thanked staff at Addenbrooke’s who helped to save his life.

 

Tom Connelly was 15 metres up a horse chestnut tree near Wisbech when he lost his footing and fell onto his chainsaw. The moving blade sliced into his neck and arm.

 

“It was an everyday job that I had done hundreds of times before,” he said. “But I was halfway through cutting the tree trunk when my foot slipped and I rolled into the chainsaw. I was left dangling in the air and I could see blood dripping from my arm.

 

“I went into shock, but the adrenaline kicked in so I didn’t actually feel any pain. I screamed for help and my colleagues quickly got me out of the tree.

 

“My friend Rob told me to put my hand across my throat and hold on to my head and it was then I realised my neck was bleeding too. I later realised I’d nearly cut my head off, so I am incredibly lucky to be here today.”

 

His colleagues managed to lower him to the ground and control the bleeding before an ambulance and the Magpas team arrived.

 

Dr James French, who attended the incident, told the BBC: “When we got there, there was a young man with a very large wound in the side of his neck with, literally, blood spurting out of it.

 

“We sedated him and made him comfortable and then packed the wound with this gauze that's used in Afghanistan to treat combat wounds.”

 

Speaking to journalists this week, Tom said: “It’s only thanks to my colleagues, the staff at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, and the Magpas team that I'm here today. You try to express emotions for it but you just can't put it into words. I wouldn’t be standing here if it weren't for these blokes. It's quite a powerful emotion.”

 

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