Tree surgeon transferred to specialist hospital

A tree surgeon who severed all the major blood vessels in his neck with a chainsaw has survived emergency surgery and will be transferred to a London hospital for specialist nerve repair.

Medics used techniques more usually found on the frontline in Afghanistan to save the life of the man who was conscious throughout.

The 21-year-old man was working 25ft up a tree in Thorney Road, Guyhirn, at 3pm yesterday when he slipped, causing the chainsaw to leave deep wounds in his neck and left arm.

He was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge and was received by a physician and a vascular surgeon for emergency surgery. His condition at the time was stable but critical.

This afternoon, a Magpas spokesman said: 'The man has survived his surgery, he has come through the vascular surgery and will be transferred to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London this afternoon for specialist nerve repair to his arm.'

Road ambulances and the Magpas Helimedix team attended yesterday's incident and found the man still fully conscious.

The spokesman said: 'He was sedated at the scene and measures were taken to stop the bleeding.

'Doctors and paramedics packed gauze into his neck to help clot the blood - a technique frequently used on the frontline in Afghanistan.'