Colorado
‘Miracle’ Colorado worker loses both legs in wood chipper freak accident on first day on job
A Colorado tree worker miraculously survived a freak accident with a wood chipper that left him losing both legs minutes into his first day on the job.
John O’Neill, 33, fitted with a court-ordered ankle monitor, was throwing tree branches into the machine when one caught the tracking device and dragged him into the chipper, according to the Denver Post.
O’Neill, who had battled addiction and is now sober and excited about his new job, had both legs amputated above his knee following the life-altering accident at 10:18 a.m. on Sept. 24.
“It’s beyond a miracle that John is still with us, and he’s fighting harder than ever,” O’Neill’s friend George Safir wrote on GoFundMe. “Our friend has always been pretty reckless and living life on the edge! All while doing so, being a warrior in life.”
Only 15 minutes into the workday in Longmont, O’Neill grabbed a fish hook-shaped branch and threw it into the machine.
The end of the branch caught onto O’Neil’s ankle monitor and dragged his leg into the spinning blades where it began cutting into his toes, foot, ankle and legs.
None of O’Neill’s coworkers immediately heard his cries for help as they were all wearing ear protection.
“It took a minute before my coworkers realized what was happening,” O’Neill told the outlet.
As the machine continued to eat into him, O’Neill began believing his time was ending.
“Something happened in my brain to where I realized I was in fear for a lot more than just losing my leg or my foot,” O’Neill said.
“The pain was very — it was not there almost,” he recalled. “I didn’t really feel the pain as much as I knew I was in trouble. It went from a fight for my limb to a fight for my life, very fast.”
O’Neill described the accident as “something that looked like what you see in movies,” as he saw skin, bones, muscle and a lot of blood coming out of his legs.
O’Neill said remained as calm as possible to keep his heart rate down.
“I didn’t freak out, I did stay calm,” O’Neill said. “My coworker said I was very cognitive throughout the whole thing.”
A coworker pulled him out as the blade reached his midthighs and O’Neill grabbed a nearby rope for a makeshift tourniquet.
He faded in and out of consciousness but credits his coworkers for keeping him alive using sternum rubs.
Police arrived at the scene and secured actual tourniquets on the remainder of O’Neill’s legs before he was rushed to a local hospital where he was flown to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, just outside of Denver.
During the helicopter ride, O’Neill “technically died,” he told the outlet, saying his heart stopped.
He “firmly believes” the ankle monitor design is why he couldn’t free himself from the wood chipper.
Doctors amputated the remainder of O’Neill’s mangled legs and needed to give him 15 pints of blood.
“They essentially replaced all the blood in my body,” he said.
When he woke up in his hospital room the next day, O’Neill called his mother who was left “in such a panic” she had to be admitted into the hospital for three days, according to the Denver Post.
Among the many people and organizations O’Neill has reconnected with during his hospitalization is “the Phoniex,” the non-profit that creates “sober events and activities” to help those battling addiction.
With the non-profit, O’Neill looks to continue his volunteer work where he will lead rock climbing and CrossFit events with the help of adaptive specialists.
“This is uncharted territory and I can’t wait to dive into it because I feel like life is going to be more exciting. I’ve always enjoyed a challenge,” he said.
O’Neill is “crushing his recovery faster than anyone,” Safir said. “John has very high spirits and is ready to get back to some rock climbing.”
Colorado
Avalanche To Play Mammoth in 2027 Discover Winter Classic in Salt Lake City | Colorado Avalanche
NEW YORK – The National Hockey League announced today that the Colorado Avalanche will be the visiting team in the 2027 Discover Winter Classic and play the Utah Mammoth at the University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. Additional details for the game, including ticketing information, date and start time, will be announced at a later date.
The 2027 Winter Classic marks the first time the Avalanche will play in the event and will be the fourth ever outdoor game the franchise plays in and the first one they’ll compete as the visiting team. Colorado hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Coors Field in the Stadium Series on Feb. 27, 2016, the Los Angeles Kings for the 2020 Stadium Series at Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium on Feb. 15, and the Vegas Golden Knights at Edgewood Tahoe Resort for the NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe event on Feb. 20, 2021.
“We’re excited and honored that the League selected us for the Winter Classic,” said Avalanche President of Hockey Operations Joe Sakic. “The Avalanche organization is always proud to be in consideration for marquee events like this. We’re looking forward to being matched up with a great team and represent the Rocky Mountain region in a game that appeals to these two markets in this part of the country.”
The Avalanche are 1-2-0 all-time in outdoor games but captured the most recent one at Lake Tahoe by a 3-2 score.
Colorado has faced the Mammoth six times since their inception ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, and the Avalanche have posted a 4-1-1 record. The club also owns a 2-0-1 record against Utah this season, which includes beating them in the home opener when Nathan MacKinnon became the first player in NHL history to record a game-winning goal against 32 franchises.
Colorado
Colorado Parks and Wildlife building ‘bison roster’ for new potential hunting
Colorado
Pedestrian dies after walking into highway traffic in Northern Colorado, police say
Police in Northern Colorado are investigating after a crash involving multiple vehicles claimed the life of a pedestrian.
The Greeley Police Department received reports of a crash at the 5500 block of Highway 34 around 5:50 p.m. on Monday. When officers arrived, they discovered that two vehicles were involved in a crash with a 19-year-old woman who attempted to walk across the highway.
Police said there was no crosswalk in the area, and she was struck by the driver’s side of a Chevrolet Blazer. The impact knocked the woman into the inside lane, where she was struck by a Chevrolet Traverse. A witness told officers they saw the woman crossing the roadway ‘as traffic arrived at her location.’
First responders attempted life-saving measures on the woman at the scene before she was taken to North Colorado Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. GPD said the Weld County Coroner’s Office will release her identity at a later time.
Neither driver involved was injured in the crash. Police said they don’t expect charges to be filed against those drivers at the moment, but the case remains under investigation. The police department asked anyone with information on the crash to contact Officer Ed Kubala at Edward.Kubala@greeleypd.com.
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