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Farmer impaled by three-foot spike of forklift truck is lucky to be alive

Fun VLOG November 20, 2021
Jonathan Willis, 42, holds the three-foot spike that nearly killed him
Jonathan Willis, 42, holds the three-foot spike that nearly killed him (Picture: EAAA/Mark Logan/SWNS)

A farmer had a close brush with death after becoming impaled on a three-foot long forklift truck spike.

It ripped trough Jonathan Willis’s back and exited through his abdomen, but luckily it missed his vital organs by just millimetres.

The dad-of-five was stacking straw bales when he climbed off his JCB to untie straps.

But the vehicle rolled forward — and he was pinned to the bales as the metal fork pierced his body. He writhed in agony, wife his Wendy dialled 999.

Within 25 minutes an air ambulance team was giving him painkilling drugs while firefighters used an angle grinder to cut the fork off the JCB.

Mr Willis, 42, was conscious throughout the horrific ordeal in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire.

Emergency consultant Dr Nathan Howes said: ‘I’ll never forget his sense of humour. It felt like treating a friend.’

Jonathan Willis and Mr Emmanuel Huguet. See SWNS story SWCAforklift; This is the moment a farmer is impaled by a forklift's THREE FOOT spike that tore straight through his body - but miraculously missed his vital organs. Jonathan Willis, 42, was working on his farm when the vehicle rolled forward and ripped through his back, pinning him against a stack of straw bales on October 26, 2020. Video footage shows Jonathan unaware of the yellow JCB armed with a pair of three-foot-long steel spikes moving towards him. The left fork pierced his lower back - ripping through his intestine - and exited at his stomach. Within seconds, Jonathan's wife Wendy rushed to his aid and called 999, with crews from East Anglian Air Ambulance arriving at the scene 25 minutes later.
Dr Emmanuel Huguet (left) said it was lucky the spike didn’t cause life threatening damage (Picture: SWNS)
Jonathan Willis being cut free from the forklift. See SWNS story SWCAforklift; This is the moment a farmer is impaled by a forklift's THREE FOOT spike that tore straight through his body - but miraculously missed his vital organs. Jonathan Willis, 42, was working on his farm when the vehicle rolled forward and ripped through his back, pinning him against a stack of straw bales on October 26, 2020. Video footage shows Jonathan unaware of the yellow JCB armed with a pair of three-foot-long steel spikes moving towards him. The left fork pierced his lower back - ripping through his intestine - and exited at his stomach. Within seconds, Jonathan's wife Wendy rushed to his aid and called 999, with crews from East Anglian Air Ambulance arriving at the scene 25 minutes later.
Rescuers had to cut Mr Willis free from the forklift as he writhed around in agonising pain (Picture: EAAA/SWNS)

With the fork sticking out, Mr Willis had to be propped up for the drive to Addenbrooke’s hospital, Cambridge.

There 30 members of staff operated on him for seven hours overnight. Some had to hold the metal piece from underneath until it was safe to remove.

Dr Emmanuel Huguet, who led the team, said the fork ‘must have pushed major blood vessels out of the way’ as it found an ‘eye of the needle’ route past his right kidney, liver, and pancreas.

He added: ‘Mr Willis was very unfortunate to have his injury, but miraculously lucky the spike didn’t cause life-threatening damage.’

Mr Willis was discharged two weeks after the accident, in October last year. His family has since raised £45,000 for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

He said: ‘I’m just so, so thankful that so many expert teams were available to help me get through it.

‘Otherwise, I’m sure the outcome could have been very different. I’ll be eternally grateful to everyone involved in saving my life.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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