Worker loses leg but life saved after horrific construction accident

By Joe Johnson

A man who was working to build an Athens Perimeter ramp fell into heavy machinery Friday morning and was rescued by an extraordinary team effort by firefighters, EMS workers and medical personnel.

In order to save his life, however, a surgical team had to amputate one of his legs that was caught in the machine, an aggregate placer being used to lay concrete.

“Due to the nature of the entrapment, a specialized medical team consisting of surgeons, an anesthesiologist, and nurses from Piedmont Athens Regional MedicalCenter responded to the scene to provide assistance during the extrication,” said Capt. Kevin Kearney, spokesman for the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department.

The victim’s identity has not been released.