John O’Neill’s life-changing accident on his first day at work

In a tragic incident, a Colorado man lost both his legs in a wood chipper accident just 15 minutes into his first day on the job. John O’Neill, 33, was operating a wood chipper in Longmont, Colorado, when a branch became entangled with his court-ordered ankle monitor, pulling him into the machine. The accident occurred at approximately 10:18 a.m. on September 24, leaving O’Neill severely injured.

According to O’Neill, he was feeding tree branches into the machine when a fishhook-shaped branch caught on his ankle monitor. “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 told The Denver Post. He instinctively grabbed the edge of the wood chipper, trying to stop himself from being pulled in further.

A fight for survival

Despite his immediate efforts to hold on, his coworkers, who were wearing protective ear gear, did not hear his cries for help right away. “It took a minute before my coworkers realized what was happening,” he recounted. The situation escalated quickly as O’Neill was dragged into the machine. “The pain was very—it was not there almost… 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,” he explained.

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By the time his coworkers were able to intervene, the machine had already cut up to his mid-thigh. Emergency responders were called to the scene, and O’Neill was rushed to a nearby hospital before being airlifted to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Colorado.

A brush with death

During transport to the hospital, O’Neill experienced cardiac arrest and “technically died” on the way. “My heart stopped. …They essentially replaced all the blood in my body,” O’Neill shared, emphasizing how close he came to losing his life. Unfortunately, his legs were amputated above the knee as a result of the extensive injuries.

O’Neill only fully grasped the severity of the situation when he woke up in his hospital bed the day after the accident. His family rushed to be by his side, but the shock was so severe that O’Neill’s mother had to be hospitalized for three days after learning about her son’s ordeal.

Looking toward the future

Despite this life-altering event, O’Neill remains determined to move forward. While he has not disclosed his employer’s name or indicated whether he plans to take legal action, his focus is now on recovery and rehabilitation. He is hopeful about obtaining prosthetics and intends to dedicate more of his time to volunteering, using his experience to advocate for causes important to him, including sobriety from addiction.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support O’Neill’s recovery and future goals. As of now, the fundraiser has garnered over $27,000 out of its $30,000 target, with donors from across the country showing their support for his long journey ahead.