An impatient man who vaulted a fence at his athletics track to dodge the wait now faces two years without training - after the spikes left his funny bone hanging out.
Fence Vault Goes Wrong
Hamish Franklin arrived at the athletics track on 25 May, only to find it closed due to a bank holiday. Determined to train, he chose to climb the metal fence. He cleared the 7ft fence on his way in, but on exit, a spike punctured his left hand. Panicking, he jumped down, and his arm got snagged and ripped open beneath his bicep.
The 26-year-old from Harrow, Greater London, feared he would 'bleed out and die' as friends rushed him to hospital. There, doctors diagnosed a severed ulnar nerve, warning recovery could take up to two years.
Severed Nerve and Surgery
The ulnar nerve, located near the elbow, helps grip objects and enables sensation in the hand and fingers. Shocking photos show the nerve protruding from Hamish's arm. He underwent an eight-hour operation to reconnect nerves, but still cannot feel his pinky and ring finger.
Hamish said: "I just wanted to train and the athletics track was closed. I travelled quite a far distance to get there and paid for parking. It was supposed to be open but I think because it was a bank holiday it was unexpectedly closed."
Recovery and Impact
Medics warned it could take up to two years before sensation returns and he can train properly again. Hamish, who trained daily before the injury, now can only do running. He said: "The doctors told me it would be two years before I'm able to properly train again. I was going to the gym every day before. I was doing calisthenics training four times per week and then on the days in between I would do running or swimming."
Hamish, currently between jobs, has not regained feeling in his fingers. He said: "It's going to be about 18 months for that nerve to grow back. The doctors said they can't guarantee [that the feeling in my pinky and ring finger will come back]."
