unilad homepage
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • World News
    • Crime
    • Health
    • Money
    • Sport
    • Travel
  • Film and TV
    • Netflix
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Man who had both his arms chopped off in freak farming accident made shocking recovery

Home> News> US News

Published 14:19 18 Apr 2024 GMT+1

Man who had both his arms chopped off in freak farming accident made shocking recovery

John Thompson had a horrific accident which tore both of his arms off, but made an astonishing recovery

Kit Roberts

Kit Roberts

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover
Featured Image Credit: InForum

Topics: News, US News, Good News, Health

Kit Roberts
Kit Roberts

Kit joined UNILAD in 2023 as a community journalist. They have previously worked for StokeonTrentLive, the Daily Mirror, and the Daily Star.

Advert

Advert

Advert

A farmer who lost both of his arms during a horrific accident made an astonishing recovery.

Farming is a highly dangerous job, particularly when operating heavy machinery.

And North Dakotan farmer, John Thompson, found this out in an awful way when he was unloading pig feed with a grain auger.

Advert

In 1992, John was working as usual when his t-shirt snagged on an uncovered power takeoff (PTO) shaft on the machine.

The then-18-year-old was home alone at the time of the accident, and woke up with his dog licking his face.

In a shocking moment, John realised that both of his arms had been torn off in the accident.

Somehow, he managed to walk 100 yards back to his home, turned the doorknob with his mouth and used a pencil in his teeth to dial on the phone to get help.

He then sat in the bath so he wouldn't get blood on his mom's new carpet.

After going to hospital, John was reportedly told by a medic that he 'shouldn't be alive', as there was practically 'no blood in you'.

John Thompson made a full recovery after losing his arms. (InForum)
John Thompson made a full recovery after losing his arms. (InForum)

You might think that this would have been an extremely painful experience, but John recounted that the moment of losing his arms he didn't feel anything.

Recounting that day, he said: "I was just doing that, standing around playing with the dog and somehow I got too close to the PTO shaft.

"My shirt wasn't tucked in and they figure my shirt got wrapped up in the PTO shaft. I still remember spinning on the shaft and then my arms just finally came off, didn't feel a thing."

He added: "It's said when I got to the emergency room at the first hospital that all my nerves were hanging out of my right arm, if they touched that it sent me through the roof but otherwise I didn't have anything."

But not only did John survive an accident which could very easily have killed him, he went on to make a full recovery.

Yes, including getting his arms back.

Thompson regained the use of his arms after they were torn off. (InForum)
Thompson regained the use of his arms after they were torn off. (InForum)

John was put onto a plane bound for Minnesota, where his arms were surgically reattached.

He was then placed into a medically induced coma to help him to heal properly.

But things were far from over. During his coma he got a blood infection, and had to undergo further surgery.

Ultimately, however, the procedure was a success, and he was able to regain the use of his arms in an astonishing recovery.

After leaving hospital and undergoing rehabilitation to help him to get used to using his arms again, he lifted weights to rebuild his strength.

He did say that he has lost some of the fine motor skills, as well as some memory problems around the accident.

But he does remember his first ever plane journey, which was the one he took to hospital, and joking that his arms felt cold.

At the time, they were in a box of ice being preserved.

  • 22-year-old student who lost part of both legs in shocking boat accident 'still doesn’t know' extent of injuries
  • Shocking text messages between Cassie and Diddy reveal disturbing impacts 'freak off' parties allegedly had on her body
  • Alabama woman opens up on wedding night car accident that led to life changing diagnosis
  • Student tragically died in freak accident after gum mistake blew half of his face off

Choose your content:

27 mins ago
an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • Getty Stock
    27 mins ago

    Doctor explains how to travel with GLP-1s and why you should never pack it in your suitcase

    It's a question that the millions of Americans using GLP-1s are likely to have asked themselves

    News
  • Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images
    an hour ago

    Pentagon getting plans ready for possible military op in Cuba as Trump makes threat

    Tensions between the U.S. and Cuba have grown in recent months

    News
  • Ethan Miller/Getty Images
    2 hours ago

    Robert De Niro makes jibe at Ben Stiller's career as Ariana Grande appears in 'Focker-in-Law' trailer

    Ariana Grande appeared in the trailer for the latest sequel to the hit comedy Meet the Parents

    Celebrity
  • Zach Gibson/Getty Images
    2 hours ago

    Former Virginia Lt. Gov Justin Fairfax shot wife then himself in murder-suicide

    Police said the high profile Virginia politician murdered his wife and shot himself while their three kids were in the house

    News