Man survives rare internal decapitation while clearing fallen trees at work

HOCKING COUNTY, Ohio (WBNS) – A routine day cleaning debris at an Ohio state park turned into a life-threatening ordeal for a 32-year-old maintenance worker. It was an accident so severe that doctors say many victims don’t survive.

Philip Pohle, 32, was clearing fallen trees from the roadway at Hocking Hills State Park in March when his foot got stuck on the gas pedal of a front loader, forcing a tree branch into his neck. As responders rushed to help, the branch – estimated at six to eight inches in diameter – was forcing his skull away from his spine, causing an internal decapitation.

Trapped in the machine, Pohle says his thoughts turned to his two young children.

“I started thinking of my children because it was really nice being a dad. I just thought how much I was going to miss them, miss my babies,” he said.

State natural resource officers were able to stabilize Pohle’s neck with a brace while other crews cut away the tree with a chainsaw. An ambulance was 20 minutes away, and a medical helicopter was grounded due to the weather.

Pohle made it to Grant Medical Center in Columbus, where surgeons used plates, screws and rods to stabilize his skull to his spine. But doctors still feared he wouldn’t survive or ever walk again.

“About 50% of the patients with this kind of injury die at the scene, so of the other 50% who make it to the hospital, a significant amount of those are paralyzed,” neurosurgeon Dr. Victor Awuor said.

Pohle says if he’s been working by himself that day, he’d probably be dead. Instead, less than a month after the accident, he is once again walking unassisted. It’s a recovery his doctor calls extraordinary.

Pohle now hopes to return to work and is sharing a special message after coming so close to dying.

“Love deeply and have a grace with people. Be patient, be kind. Tomorrow is not guaranteed,” he said.

A GoFundMe has been created to help Pohle and his family with medical bills.