Logger cuts off toes to free himself

DENVER (Reuters) - A western Colorado logger said on Wednesday that he amputated all the toes on his right foot with a pocket knife to free himself after a 7-ton trailer landed on his foot, trapping him in an isolated forest. Jon Hutt, 61, of Montrose, Colorado, said hes on the mend after the harrowing August 19 incident. Hutt told Reuters he was gathering a load of firewood for the upcoming winter months in a remote area west of Telluride, Colorado. As he was working on his tractor-trailer, the trailer lurched, became detached and landed on his foot. It was like stepping into a bear trap, he said. Unable to free himself, Hutt said he hollered for help but after 30 minutes realized no one was coming, and he needed to take drastic action before shock set in. Utilizing the 3-inch blade on his pocket knife, Hutt cut away his boot and saw that his only option was to cut off all five toes to escape. The three smaller toes were easy, but it took some work to cut through the tendons on the two big toes, he said.

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