Patient story

Jonathan Willis, 42, dodged death by millimetres when he became impaled on a forklift tine. 

Father of five Jonathan was working on his farm, unloading a trailer of straw bales when he got out of his forklift to untie some straps. Standing between the forklift and trailer, the forklift rolled forward and impaled Jonathan. He quickly raised the alarm and his wife, Wendy, called 999. Shortly after, the EAAA team was tasked from Cambridge to provide enhanced pre-hospital emergency medicine at the scene.

The EAAA team worked with the ambulance, police and fire and rescue teams to assess Jonathan’s injuries and coordinate a plan to release him safely. The tine had gone in through Jonathan’s back and exited through his abdomen, posing a severe risk to several major internal organs and blood vessels. It was a time-critical and life-threatening situation.

Trapped, Jonathan’s weight was supported by an ambulance trolley; he needed to be kept as still as possible while the tine was cut with an angle grinder. EAAA Dr Nathan Howes said, “It was incredibly important that any movement was minimised, in case it worsened any internal bleeding. The advanced pain relief [ketamine] we carry was still a risk to Jonathan’s tiring legs, having held the same position for an hour.”

Released but with the tine still in place, Jonathan could not be safely transported to hospital by helicopter. EAAA Doctors James Hale and Nathan Howes and Critical Care Paramedic Andy Bates travelled with Jonathan in the road ambulance for just over an hour to get him safely to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, where an expert surgical team was ready and waiting.

The surgical teams worked throughout the night to save Jonathan, operating on him for almost seven hours. Miraculously, the tine was safely removed and Jonathan was discharged just two weeks later to recover at home. It took almost five months for his wounds to heal fully.

Video (warning: does contain real CCTV footage)

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