Man somehow survives a chainsaw lodged in his neck

A Pennsylvania tree trimmer is recovering this week after an on-the-job accident sent a chain-saw blade several inches into his neck and shoulder — and he is expected to make a full recovery.

James Valentine, 21, was part of a crew pruning trees Monday afternoon when his saw suddenly kicked back and the blade sliced into him. His co-workers brought him down from the tree and he was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital.

Emergency workers removed the motor of the saw but left the blade in Valentine’s neck and shoulder to prevent additional blood loss.

Despite the circumstances, Valentine was “in control,” said Christine Toevs, the trauma surgeon who operated on Valentine at Allegheny General Hospital. “He was appropriately upset, but his death was not imminent. He didn’t lose control, he wasn’t crying uncontrollably and he was holding still as best he could.”

Fortunately for Valentine, the blade missed his carotid artery and most of the damage was to his shoulder muscle, Toevs said.

Toevs speculated that while Valentine was sawing into a branch, the blade hit a knot in the wood, causing the chain saw to kick back.

Valentine is likely to make a full recovery, according to Toevs, who expects he’ll need several weeks to completely heal.

“We deal with all kinds of impalements: knives, axes, tree branches,” Toevs said.

Valentine was not available for comment, a spokeswoman for the hospital said.