“I made a mistake, pure and simple,” says Jeff Hill. It was a accident that could easily have cost him his life, but Trent Hanna, on his rounds as a letter carrier, found him and saved his life.
Hill was using a small handheld grinder in his workshop October 19 when the blade frayed and flipped over, cutting his right wrist — badly.
Hill was using the grinder as a saw. A very powerful saw that turns at 10,285 feet per second. The mistake, as Hill tells it, was using the blade too long. While making alterations to a wood burning stove the blade frayed and caused the unit to bind. When Hill attempted to free the blade it flipped over and hit his right wrist, severing two major blood vessels and a tendon.
Hill immediately knew he was badly hurt, but had the presence of mind to grab his arm and pinch off the blood vessels. Meanwhile, the grinder was still running, flipping around on the floor. Hill was finally able to corral the grinder with his foot and hit the off switch.
All this time he was losing blood and getting weaker. He somehow stumbled out of the workshop and started toward the street with the intention to lay down in the middle of road and basically force someone to stop. Hill’s wife was at work.
That’s when Hanna showed up. He was on his rounds, had already been down the adjourning alley and was on his way back to his van. As soon as Hanna saw Hill he grabbed his cell phone and called an ambulance. Then his attention turned to the blood. Hill said he knew he had to do something quick. First they attempted a tourniquet with a towel, but it didn’t work. Then Hill remembered a belt in the workshop. Hanna got the belt and rigged a tourniquet. Hill said the tourniquet saved his life, since he was getting weak and wouldn’t have been able to hold pressure much longer.
By the time they got the tourniquet in place and made it to the front of the house the ambulance was there.
Hill credits Hanna and the surgeon, Kelly Jensen, with saving his life. During a 2.5 hour surgery Jensen sewed both arteries back together and repaired the tendon. Hill said he expects to make a full recovery. He also says he’ll continue to work in his workshop.
Mark Montoya, branch president for the local letter carrier union, said Hanna will be nominated for the “Hero’s Award” from the postal service. The award is given to postal carriers who do heroic things, but it’s not all about saving lives.
Thousands of incidents
Letter carriers nationwide make a difference thousands of times a year in all kinds of situations, from saving lives to reporting crimes.
Postmaster Sandra Koon said carriers look out for the customers on their routes. They become familiar with the people and often know when something doesn’t seem right. As well as saving lives, letter carriers report gas leaks, crimes and at times even help elderly people move a garbage bin.
Postal carrier rescues badly hurt customer
Jeff Hill demonstrates how his accident with the blade-mounted grinder happened. STEVE CHRISTENSEN - SUN ADVOCATE