January 2011

Leatherman ST300

I was working for a Xmas tree company during the Summer of 2010; it really was an ordinary day. Up at 5am, down to the fields to start pruning them, when about two hours in I hear a gut wrenching scream; one of my mates had caught himself on his arm by his chainsaw. I leapt over the quad bike and, as I am a trained EMT, sprung into what I like to call 'Medic' mode, where I treat the casualty for as long as I am physically able to. Somehow the chainsaw's chain had got itself entangled around my mate's bone, which was now scraping along his bone, severe bleeding was evident. I now had to use my Leatherman's file to somehow saw through the chain. This took what seemed like hours, however, it was only 30 mines. I had a Quickclot packet in my back pocket, as I always keep one there when out in the fields, and I applied a sterile roller bandage and a made up tourniquet with my belt. The bleeding had now stopped flowing to a trickle. I eventually sawed through the chain; there was no other way because when I tried to move the chainsaw away, this cut deeper into his arm. I had now got my mate onto the quad bike and now Paramedics in 4x4 ambulances had arrived and took over from me.

We got him out of the forest and into a nearby waiting helicopter to transport him to a specialist hospital for severe trauma to the body. The doctors had said later, had I not kept filing away at the chain, my mate would definitely have lost his arm, and possibly his life. I felt proud to save a friend who was in an awful situation, however I don't regard myself as a hero because I was trained for situations like that. The real heroes are the people who have no experience except do impossible things in extremely stressful situations!

Thanks again Leatherman for such a wonderful product.  I framed the Leatherman which I had used (I did not clean it either), and bought the same one again, as I felt I couldn't use the same one for day to day stuff.

Regards,

Simon K.

Co. Dublin, Rep. of Ireland