A maintenance worker at an Ohio state park who suffered a rare internal decapitation and miraculously survived has revealed the heartbreaking thought that struck him when he feared he might not make it.
Philip Pohle, 32, was removing dead trees from a road at Hocking Hills State Park last month when his foot became stuck on the gas pedal of a front loader he was driving. The vehicle accelerated and a branch struck his neck, forcing his skull away from his spine.
Pohle told WBNS that while trapped in the front loader, all he could think about was his two 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.
He survived an atlanto-occipital dislocation, commonly called an internal decapitation, where ligaments in the neck are severed, leaving the skull disconnected from the spine. State natural resource officers stabilised his neck with a brace while a work crew used a chainsaw to cut away the branch. A medical helicopter was grounded due to bad weather, delaying his rescue.
Pohle was taken to Grant Medical Center in Columbus, where surgeons used plates and screws to stabilise his skull. Despite the severity of the injury, he is now walking without assistance. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover his medical bills. He hopes to return to work soon and urged people to be mindful that life is not guaranteed. 'Love deeply and have a grace with people. Be patient, be kind,' he said.
