Twenty-one year old Pennsylvanian tree trimmer James Valentine is a very lucky man.
Valentine was trimming branches while hanging from a tree along the Perry Highway in Ross Township on Monday when the chainsaw he was using suddenly kicked back and became embedded in his neck.
Showing maturity beyond his years, Valentine then cooly switched off the chainsaw and slowly descended from the tree with the help of a colleague, all the time holding the blade steady in his neck to prevent excess bleeding.
Once on the ground, emergency crews carefully removed the engine of the chainsaw and loaded Valentine into an ambulance for the trip to Allegheny General Hospital where the blade was removed during surgery.
Doctors said Valentine was extremely lucky as the blade missed all his major blood vessels, damaging only muscle and tissue.
He is expected to make a full recovery.
Talking about the hazards of his profession and his keenness to return to work once he recovers, a laid back Valentine told a local news station "I am a tree climber; that's what I do."
