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Teen's Arm Amputated to Free Him
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A doctor had to amputate a teenager's left arm to free him from a large oilfield pump he had been playing with, firefighters said.
The 17-year-old boy and his friend jumped an 8-foot fence Sunday to play with a pump jack, a common, motor-driven piece of oil field equipment that rocks up and down to lift oil out of a well.
He turned on the machine to ride it but became entangled in one of its moving parts, and his friend couldn't shut it off, Fire Chief Cecil Clay said.
The friend flagged down a taxi cab driver, who turned it off. Firefighters were unable to free the boy without further endangering him, so a surgeon was flown in on a medical helicopter to perform the emergency amputation.
The boy was then airlifted to the University of Oklahoma Medical Center.
Fire Chief Brian Stanaland said Monday the decision to amputate the arm was made after it was determined the limb was so badly mangled that it couldn't be saved even if firefighters disassembled the machine.
The boy's name was not released and hospital spokesman Allen Poston said the teenager's family requested that no information be released.
The boy's mother was at the site and went to the hospital with her son.
"I would caution anyone who's heard stories about riding these pump jacks and getting out here and messing with them to write that off," Clay said. "It's not that much fun anyway. It's dangerous."
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The 17-year-old boy and his friend jumped an 8-foot fence Sunday to play with a pump jack, a common, motor-driven piece of oil field equipment that rocks up and down to lift oil out of a well.
He turned on the machine to ride it but became entangled in one of its moving parts, and his friend couldn't shut it off, Fire Chief Cecil Clay said.
The friend flagged down a taxi cab driver, who turned it off. Firefighters were unable to free the boy without further endangering him, so a surgeon was flown in on a medical helicopter to perform the emergency amputation.
The boy was then airlifted to the University of Oklahoma Medical Center.
Fire Chief Brian Stanaland said Monday the decision to amputate the arm was made after it was determined the limb was so badly mangled that it couldn't be saved even if firefighters disassembled the machine.
The boy's name was not released and hospital spokesman Allen Poston said the teenager's family requested that no information be released.
The boy's mother was at the site and went to the hospital with her son.
"I would caution anyone who's heard stories about riding these pump jacks and getting out here and messing with them to write that off," Clay said. "It's not that much fun anyway. It's dangerous."
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Oldman on
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Funny how kids don't think about the dangers. I'm sure he was told not to do it, and did it any way. I know I was told, and a bunch of us still did it. Looking back, it really wasn't that much fun.
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Permalink Reply by Kim Chamberlain on
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to bad the kid had to learn the hard way, hopefully this will not happen to anyone else but teens will be teens and if they can get away with it they will.
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Permalink Reply by Kimberly A Bownas on
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I don't see why anyone would want to do that any ways. It was stupid and he was lucky he wasn't killed. Now he has to live with missing his arm. I hope his friends realize how stupid this was and don't try to do the same stunt.
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Permalink Reply by John Rulli Jr. on
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I did some stupid things when I was younger. Kids will be kids!!!! Its a shame he lost his arm thankfully he didn't lose his life.
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Permalink Reply by Denise Co 29 on
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Thankfully it was only his arm and not his life. Hard lesson learned. Kids think it will not happen to them, remember they are teenagers , they know everything.
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Permalink Reply by Shawna Syth on
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never thought of riding anything such as a oil pump... but that is just me. i think that it would be kinda stupid; and well there is a fence there for a reason. TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT.
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Permalink Reply by Amber on
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It's all fun and games until someone puts out an eye, or as in this case, loses a limb. Kids will be kids and they will never think it can happen to them. Sad lesson to learn.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Cox on
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The oil company will probably be sued for this kid jumping the fence and trespassing on their rig. Hopefully others will learn from this and stay out of places they don't belong.
Be safe
Mike
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