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DIY Boiler Repair Gone Bad

6K views 23 replies 14 participants last post by  irplumber 
#1 ·
I guess he might not try this again... :eek:

West Hartford Man Tried To Cut Off His Own Arm

By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY and JULIE STAGIS Hartford Courant, WEST HARTFORD — — Jonathan Metz was on the wet floor of his basement for two days, his left arm wedged under a furnace.

He was in and out of consciousness, but Metz, 31, knew what he had to do.

He had to cut his arm off.

Metz's arm was decaying from a lack of blood flow, going into a "gangrenous state," Dr. Scott Ellner, a trauma doctor at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, said Thursday. The infection couldn't be allowed to spread.

"It was the right thing to do," Ellner said. "This man saved his own life."

Ellner and another trauma doctor spoke during the press conference at St. Francis, where Metz was brought at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. He had been trapped in his basement for nearly three days before a concerned friend summoned police.

Metz had almost succeeded in cutting off his left arm below the shoulder, Ellner said; his rescuers had to complete the amputation. Doctors were not able to reattach the limb. They hope he can be fitted with a prosthetic arm.

Metz wasn't well enough to talk to reporters Thursday, but he has been alert and talking since his arrival at the hospital, staff members said. He still needs surgery that will include skin grafts, said Ellner and Dr. David Shapiro, Ellner's partner on the trauma team.

Metz was trying to replace a part on his furnace when the accident happened Sunday. Ellner declined to speak in detail about his patient's ordeal, but said Metz was in a low position, close to the basement floor.

He was able to drink some of the water that had leaked out of the boiler onto the basement floor, Ellner said.

By the second day, Metz knew his left arm was in bad shape. It began to smell, he later mentioned to the doctor.

He managed to put a tourniquet around his arm, and using whatever tools were within reach, he started cutting. He managed to cut through most of his arm, except for some fat, Ellner said.

"He's a young, healthy guy," Ellner said. "His strength is just so inspiring." Ellner said he never saw anything like this in his more than 10 years as a doctor.

Said Shapiro, "It's inspiring to see someone take their life into their own hands, quite literally." Click Here to read entire article.
 
#8 ·
Hey, not without 'some' sympathy for the guy, but...

Here's a marketing tip...

Copy the article, put something to the effect of "Next time call your plumber" on it and send it out to your customers.

Not trying to be cold, but seriously? This should stand as an excellent resource for getting people's attention to the dangers of DIY, and knowing when to make that call!
 
#9 ·
Hey, not without 'some' sympathy for the guy, but...

Here's a marketing tip...

Copy the article, put something to the effect of "Next time call your plumber" on it and send it out to your customers.

Not trying to be cold, but seriously? This should stand as an excellent resource for getting people's attention to the dangers of DIY, and knowing when to make that call!
Post it at the DIY site in bold.:laughing:
 
#11 · (Edited)
Well while he was in the hospital some company showed up and gave him a brand new one to replace the boiler the fire department spread apart with their jaws of life...

Free of charge...

He's gonna get a fake arm...

Yep this is all true:whistling2:
 
#12 ·
Well while he was in the hospital some company showed up and gave him a brand new one to replace the boiler the fire department spread apart wit their jaws of life...

Free of charge...

He's gonna get a fake arm...

Yep this is all true:whistling2:

I saw that, too....It's HOP (Heating Oil Partners,LLP.)

They're the largest oil heating/service company in the state.

As well as replacing the boiler, they're going to collect money for the prosthetic arm..

Marketing, marketing, marketing........they wouldn't let this crisis go to waste...
 
#13 · (Edited)
I wasn't going to list their name to help with their marketing efforts...:laughing:

On a side note... Eddie Perez the crooked mayor of Hartford is resigning after being convicted on 5 of 6 corruption charges....
 
#14 ·
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#15 ·
I was wondering why they changed the logo on their trucks.....thought they were trying to promote biofuel.....

Trust me, mentioning them or not makes no difference. They had a huge article on the front page of the Hartford Courant.

Making out someone to be a hero when they aren't is wrong....but using the media to capitalize on your gross sales.....tacky.

This is strictly my opinion mind you.
 
#20 ·
I saw a press conference that the guy gave on tv. He sat with his surgeon during it. I understand it was a cast iron sectional hot water boiler.

Steam boilers are chemically treated on a frequent basis, to prevent/control scale buildup. If he drank water from a steam boiler, he would not be around, at all.
 
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