Ammi
23-03-2012, 04:21 AM
A quick-thinking former fireman who sawed off his arm was saved by a DIY tourniquet after rushing to find help.
Doctors said Stuart Frain, 50, was "seconds from death" after he cut off his left arm below the elbow with a circular saw while chopping wood.
But instead of panicking the retired fireman picked up his severed limb and ran to get help, flagging down a dog walker who helped him fashion a tourniquet with a lead to stem the blood
Frain collapsed and was taken to hospital, where doctors revealed how close he came to death.
"I was working in the garden with a radial arm saw. Ultimately it dragged my arm and took it off completely between the elbow and the wrist," he said.
"Because it’s quite secluded where I live I ran for help holding the arm. I attempted to stem the flow of blood by using my right hand.
"When I arrived at Oldham they said that I’d probably only been about 90 seconds away from death," he told the Manchester Evening News
Surgeons told how they worked through the night to sew the limb back on, with Consultant surgeon Vivien Lees saying she was impressed with Frain's survival instinct.
"I suppose it was just a case of he had to do that to survive. His fire service career meant that he knew what he needed to do and did it."
Doctors said Stuart Frain, 50, was "seconds from death" after he cut off his left arm below the elbow with a circular saw while chopping wood.
But instead of panicking the retired fireman picked up his severed limb and ran to get help, flagging down a dog walker who helped him fashion a tourniquet with a lead to stem the blood
Frain collapsed and was taken to hospital, where doctors revealed how close he came to death.
"I was working in the garden with a radial arm saw. Ultimately it dragged my arm and took it off completely between the elbow and the wrist," he said.
"Because it’s quite secluded where I live I ran for help holding the arm. I attempted to stem the flow of blood by using my right hand.
"When I arrived at Oldham they said that I’d probably only been about 90 seconds away from death," he told the Manchester Evening News
Surgeons told how they worked through the night to sew the limb back on, with Consultant surgeon Vivien Lees saying she was impressed with Frain's survival instinct.
"I suppose it was just a case of he had to do that to survive. His fire service career meant that he knew what he needed to do and did it."