Colorado man loses both legs in wood chipper accident 15 minutes into his first day at his new job

Oct 16, 2024

A Colorado man lost both his legs after a freak accident with a wood chipper during the first day of his new job.

John O’Neill, 33, had been chucking tree branches into a machine in Longmont when a branch shaped like a fish hook got caught on his court-ordered ankle monitor and dragged him inside. The blades cut his toes, foot, ankle and legs. He was 15 minutes into his shift around 10:18 a.m. on September 24.

“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 then grabbed the edge of the wood chipper trying to hold on. His coworkers didn’t immediately hear his cries for help because of their protective ear gear.

“It took a minute before my coworkers realized what was happening,” O’Neill told the outlet. “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.”

When his coworkers managed to pull him out, the blade had reached his mid-thigh area. Police arrived at the job site and took him to a local hospital. He was then he was flown to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Colorado.

On his way to the hospital, he “technically died,” the outlet reported.

“My heart stopped. …They essentially replaced all the blood in my body,” said O’Neill.

His legs were later amputated above the knee. O’Neill only realized what happened when he woke up in his hospital bed the day after the incident.

His family has rushed to be by his side. When his mother found out about what happened, she was so panic-stricken doctors admitted her to the hospital for three days.

O’Neill declined to name his employer or say whether he planned to take legal action against the company. He plans to get prosthetics and commits more time to volunteering. He’s hoping his new platform will give him a chance to advocate for issues he cares about, including sobriety from drug and alcohol addiction.

A GoFundMe page set up to help O’Neill with his future goals has reached over $27,000 out of a $30,000 goal.