An Ohio man who suffered a rare internal decapitation and miraculously survived has revealed the heartbreaking thought that crossed his mind when he feared he might not make it.
The Incident
Philip Pohle, 32, a maintenance worker at Hocking Hills State Park in Logan, Ohio, was removing dead trees from a road 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.
While trapped in the front loader, Pohle told WBNS that all he could think about was his two children and how much he would miss them if he died. “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.
Medical Details
Pohle suffered an atlanto-occipital dislocation, commonly referred to as an internal decapitation. According to the National Institute of Health, this occurs when the ligaments in an individual's neck are severed or severely injured, leaving their skull disconnected from their spine.
State natural resource officers rushed to his aid and stabilized his neck using a brace while a work crew cut the loose tree away from the branch in his neck with a chainsaw. Due to his remote location, emergency workers estimated it would take approximately 20 minutes to reach him. A medical helicopter was called but had to be grounded due to bad weather.
Pohle told the broadcaster that if he had been working alone on the day of the incident, he believes he would have died in the front loader.
Recovery and Prognosis
Despite the delays, Pohle survived and was taken to Grant Medical Center in Columbus. Surgeons used plates and screws to stabilize his skull in alignment with his spine. Internal decapitations are often fatal.
“About 50 percent of the patients with this kind of injury die at the scene, so of the other 50 percent who make it to the hospital, a significant amount of those are paralyzed,” Dr. Victor Awuor, a neurosurgeon with OhioHealth Physician Group, told WBNS.
Despite the dire prognosis, Pohle has made a speedy recovery and is currently walking without assistance. A GoFundMe has been established to help his family cover medical bills.
Pohle hopes to return to work soon and encouraged people to be mindful that their lives aren't guaranteed. “Love deeply and have a grace with people. Be patient, be kind. Tomorrow is not guaranteed,” he said.
