At 12H17 Wednesday afternoon Netcare 911 responded to reports of a tractor incident at a farm off in the Krugersdorp area.
Reports from the scene indicate that an adult male sustained critical injuries when his left leg became caught in what was suggested to be a type of industrial chipper machine.
The patient was treated on scene by a Netcare 911 Emergency Care Practitioner while the fire and rescue services used hydraulic tools in an attempt to free him.
While being treated the Netcare 7 helicopter ambulance was activated to stand by on scene to airlift the patient to hospital.
After an extended period of being entrapped and crews battling against time to free the patient from the heavy-duty machinery, senior medical personnel on the advice of a medical specialist elected to fly a trauma surgeon to the scene in the event a limb removal would be required as a last resort to save the man’s life.
The Netcare 9 helicopter ambulance was immediately activated to uplifted the trauma surgeon from a private Johannesburg hospital and fly the Doctor to scene.
The surgeon performed an invasive procedure to control bleeding in the man’s leg while crews continued cutting away at the metal machinery eventually freeing his leg.
Once treated and stabilised the patient was flown in a critical condition to a specialised hospital for the treatment he required.
