Farmer Amputates His Own Leg After Getting Trapped in Machine

He knew he had to act fast so he took the knife out of his pocket.
Madonna Rehabilitation Center (Facebook)

He knew he needed to act fast before he passed out.

A wrong step cost a Nebraska farmer a leg after it became trapped in a grain auger. To free himself, he amputated his own limb.

Kurtis Kaser, 63, told CNN that after his foot got caught in the machine on a farm in Pender by himself, he knew he had to act fast. He wasn't sure how long he'd stay conscious.

That's when Kaser remembered he had a pocket knife with him.

"I didn't have a phone on me, I didn't know where it had gone, so I just started cutting with the knife," Kaser told the station. "I knew I was done cutting because I felt a funny feeling, maybe it was a tendon I cut."

Kaser then crawled to his house and was able to call for help. He was rushed to Bryan Medical Center in a helicopter.

He’s now recovering at a rehabilitation center.

Although the ordeal was not ideal, Kaser has been able to remain positive after the experience. He’ll eventually get a prosthetic, he said.

"Everyone asks me why I am so calm about the situation and the truth is, when I was in Madonna [the rehabilitation hospital], I saw so many people who will probably never be able to walk again and I know I will be able to walk mildly normal, I'm fortunate,” Kaser said.

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