Local farmer almost loses leg in remote farming incident. read the story of his recovery.
In October 2023, vegetable farmer Martin was working on a customer’s farm chopping maze when he learned first-hand how suddenly life can change.
‘It started off a perfect day for a farmer,’ says Martin. ‘We had bacon sandwiches, country music on and it was a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon.’
But that perfect day was not to last. The forage harvester machine that Martin was working on with his close friend and colleague, Rupert, became blocked. Rupert, who was driving the harvester, immediately followed the protocol of shutting down the machinery so that Martin could get out and clear the blockage. Stepping back at least 2.5 meters away from the machine (per regulations and experience of working with these dangerous pieces of machinery), Martin cleared the blockage, and the engine was restarted.
Unfortunately, unknown to Martin or Rupert, part of the blockage had become wrapped around Martin’s ankle and when the engine restarted, he was pulled into the machine. Rupert acted quickly, shutting down the engine, and jumped out of the cab to rush to Martins’ aid.
An swiftly unfolding horror
Martin recalls Rupert’s swift response.
‘He whipped off his belt to use as a tourniquet for my leg, there was a lot of blood. He climbed above me and sat me on his knee to hold me upright. Then he got up our exact What3Word location to help the emergency services find us. Rupert saved my life and potentially my leg. He doesn’t realise how amazing he is.’
As this horrific incident was unfolding, Josh, another farmer, was entering the same field on his tractor. Seeing the commotion, he knew something was very wrong and made the call to 999.
'Send everyone'
Before the emergency services arrived, four of Martin’s colleagues and one partner of a colleague all supported him in some way – holding him up to stem the bleeding and avoid further injury, applying pressure, keeping hold of his head and face to keep him awake and responsive while calling for help. Martin said:
‘They all turned from tractor drivers and farmers to emergency responders within seconds that day, staying to help the emergency services navigate the machinery with their expertise. Rupert, Josh, Chris and Joe helped to keep me still and calm until Dr Lauren and the crew arrived.’
Devon Air Ambulance (DAA) along with Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue, HART (Hazardous Area Response Team) and a BASICS (British Association of Immediate Care) pre-hospital doctor arrived on the scene and began to assess the situation.
DAA’s Doctor, Lauren Weekes, and Advanced Prehospital Practitioner Alex Sanders-Page worked alongside the other emergency services to apply a medical grade tourniquet and extricate Martin from the machinery, relieving his colleagues one by one to keep Martin upright and supported. The upright position that Martin needed to be kept in made it difficult for Dr Lauren who could not sedate him until he was lying down.
Martin recalls being on the floor beside the tractors before he was sedated. Once Martin was stable enough to be conveyed to the hospital, his colleagues alerted his family to the incident so they could make their way to Plymouth. Within an hour Jenna was at Derriford Hospital just in time to see Martin before he was rushed to surgery for the first of many operations.
A long road to recovery
Martin has undergone more than 30 hours’ of lengthy surgery to save and rebuild his leg.
Weeks of sheer determination and inner strength, with the support of his family and friends, Martin was discharged and able to return home in time for Christmas. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the end of the road for Martin who returned to the hospital earlier this year with a severe infection in his foot.
Martin continues to recover each day and is thrilled to be walking his dog and driving his car independently again. He is dedicated to supporting DAA in raising awareness within the agricultural community and recently shared his story with attendees of our Medi-Connect Conference.
I want to say a massive thank you to everyone at Devon Air Ambulance and at Derriford Hospital for looking after me so well. My two brothers, Andrew and Richard, were constantly with me and helping throughout the recovery. I’ve also had an amazing amount of ongoing support from DAA’s Adrian, Masons Kings, my colleagues and my family.
