Gardener crushed by 2-ton tree saves his life with his chainsaw
A GARDENER being crushed by a two-ton tree cheated death by cutting himself free with his chainsaw.
Kieron Robbins, 34, screamed for help in the middle of woodland after the 90ft ash fell on his legs.
His phone was in his pocket, stuck under the tree.
So he had to carefully hack himself loose with his chainsaw as he drifted in and out of consciousness.
Kieron spent several minutes slicing through the trunk to relieve the pressure on his limbs before crawling to safety and calling for help.
Friends eventually heard him and he was airlifted to hospital by helicopter.
He returned home after surgery on an ankle broken in two places.
Kieron, of Abberley, Worcestershire, who is single and works as a part-time gardener and gamekeeper, was cutting down the tree as it blocked a path.
But when he tried to saw through the wood it snapped and slammed into him, knocking him to the ground.
He said: “The tree flew back like a boomerang. It hit me in the chest.
“If that tree came up another half a foot, it would have killed me.
“I was cutting through the tree and the next thing I knew it hit me and I flew six feet backwards.
“I was screaming for help in the middle of the wood but no one knew I was there. All of the tree’s weight was on my left leg.
“If that chainsaw wasn’t there, I wouldn’t be here. I’m a very lucky boy.
“Instinct kicked in and I got to the saw. I started it as close as I could to the leg to take the pressure off. It got stuck a couple of times but brute force kicked in.
“I’ve been using chainsaws since I was 18. It was just a normal cross-cut but I was in a lot of pain and shock.
“It took me a good four to five minutes to cut myself free.”
An ambulance spokesman said: “The man was incredibly lucky.”