On Monday morning while heading for work I realized I had forgotten my belt knife. I had another pocket knife in my pants pocket but its not my favorite blade. So being who I am I turned the truck around and went home to get it.
I arrived at work a few minutes later than planned but oh well. The morning started out pretty well and was somewhat productive. I moved to one of the projects on my list replacing a broken torsion spring on a overhead garage door. I got the door open and my tools and myself inside. The garage area had no side door so the only way in or out was the garage door. The left hand spring had broken and the only way to remove it is to release the tension on the RH spring. I have done this dozens of times without incident until now.
While trying to release spring tension which can be 150#'s or more the spring broke. My right hand being exactly where it should not of been. The spring hook entered through my wrist at the base of the palm. The spring came out midway through the palm. So I have about 1 3/4" of flesh in the spring and 150-160# of pressure wrapping me up. The force drug my forearm across a sheetmetal bracket leaving a pretty nasty wound. Since I was working on a seven foot door I was just reaching up to work on it. My ladder sitting 8 feet beyond my reach. After fighting like mad to get free for 5 or 6 minutes I had lost a fair amount of blood. Getting woosey and starting to panick. I tried to tear the bound flesh but the skin on my old hands is tough as leather.
Finally I got my body turned and got my knife in my left hand. Pulling back against the spring as hard as I could. I gave one quick hard pull of my blade against my hand. Well it worked and I fell against the floor. I recovered my cell phone and called my partner who was working a couple hundred yards away. I was not strong enough to raise the garage door by myself so thankfully he had not left for coffee.
After 11 hours in the ER and surgery I was on my way home. My pride hurt and 120 stitches the richer. A little nerve and muscle damage but the tendons and veins remained intact. although you could see them as well as bone exposed in the forearm and palm. Thanks to the fact that I had that knife I am okay. Won't be doing any bowhunting for a while but okay.
Without my knife the only way to get into help me was to come through a wall or the roof. Opening the door would of only hurt me worse. So carring a good knife while making a great package opener/steak knife it could in fact save your hide one day.
I arrived at work a few minutes later than planned but oh well. The morning started out pretty well and was somewhat productive. I moved to one of the projects on my list replacing a broken torsion spring on a overhead garage door. I got the door open and my tools and myself inside. The garage area had no side door so the only way in or out was the garage door. The left hand spring had broken and the only way to remove it is to release the tension on the RH spring. I have done this dozens of times without incident until now.
While trying to release spring tension which can be 150#'s or more the spring broke. My right hand being exactly where it should not of been. The spring hook entered through my wrist at the base of the palm. The spring came out midway through the palm. So I have about 1 3/4" of flesh in the spring and 150-160# of pressure wrapping me up. The force drug my forearm across a sheetmetal bracket leaving a pretty nasty wound. Since I was working on a seven foot door I was just reaching up to work on it. My ladder sitting 8 feet beyond my reach. After fighting like mad to get free for 5 or 6 minutes I had lost a fair amount of blood. Getting woosey and starting to panick. I tried to tear the bound flesh but the skin on my old hands is tough as leather.
Finally I got my body turned and got my knife in my left hand. Pulling back against the spring as hard as I could. I gave one quick hard pull of my blade against my hand. Well it worked and I fell against the floor. I recovered my cell phone and called my partner who was working a couple hundred yards away. I was not strong enough to raise the garage door by myself so thankfully he had not left for coffee.
After 11 hours in the ER and surgery I was on my way home. My pride hurt and 120 stitches the richer. A little nerve and muscle damage but the tendons and veins remained intact. although you could see them as well as bone exposed in the forearm and palm. Thanks to the fact that I had that knife I am okay. Won't be doing any bowhunting for a while but okay.
Without my knife the only way to get into help me was to come through a wall or the roof. Opening the door would of only hurt me worse. So carring a good knife while making a great package opener/steak knife it could in fact save your hide one day.
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