Jonathan Willis was impaled through the abdomen by a tine on his forklift truck but survived.
Image source, EAAA
A “miraculously lucky” farmer who survived being impaled through the abdomen by a tine on his forklift truck has thanked medics who saved his life.
Jonathan Willis, 42, was unloading straw bales at his Cambridgeshire farm when the vehicle rolled into him.
The emergency services managed to free him before he was transferred to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge for surgery, still impaled by the tine.
Surgeon Emmanuel Huguet said his survival seemed “near impossible”.
Image source, EAAA/Chris Taylor
Image source, EAAA/Chris Taylor
On 26 October last year, Mr Willis was standing by a trailer of straw bales at his farm near Wisbech when the forklift rolled forward and trapped him. The tine entered his lower back and exited his abdomen.
His wife Wendy called 999 at 16:32 GMT and the East Anglian Air Ambulance arrived within seven minutes.
It took an hour for ambulance, police and fire teams to cut the steel tine from the forklift.
Mr Willis was given advanced pain relief, but was awake and standing throughout.
Image source, Willis family
Air ambulance consultant Dr Nathan Howes said: “It was incredibly important that any movement of Jonathan or the tine was minimised, in case it worsened any internal bleeding, but we also needed to free him quickly.
“I was so impressed by how stoic Jonathan and his wife Wendy were.”
Mrs Willis described it as “living my worst nightmare”.
Her husband arrived at Addenbrooke’s at 18:51, where a surgical team of about 30 people were on standby.
Image source, Surgeon Emmanuel Huguet
Specialty lead for the major trauma service, Mr Huguet, said they were “astounded by the trajectory of the spike”.
“It had transfixed parts of the intestine, but somehow found an incredibly improbable ‘eye of the needle’ line past all the major blood vessels, as well as missing the right kidney, liver and pancreas,” he said, making its removal safe.
“Mr Willis was… miraculously lucky.”
The farmer said he was “so thankful that there were so many expert teams available to help me get through it”.
The family has since raised £45,000 for the air medics charity that helped saved his life.
Image source, Tern TV
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