Massachusetts

Firefighters Free Man's Hand From Snowblower, Shovel His Driveway

A Lawrence man's hand was stuck in the chute of his snowblower. Firefighters took it apart to save him, then shoveled his driveway and dug out his wife's car so she could drive to the hospital.

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Firefighters rescued a Massachusetts man whose hand was stuck in a snowblower Tuesday, then finished cleaning up his driveway for him.

Dave Johnson of Lawrence got his left hand caught in the chute of his snowblower.

"All I did was put my fingers, hand, down a little bit into the chute," Johnson said. "Not the whole chute, just the top. And somehow, it sucked my elbow right in."

He yelled for help from a neighbor, who called 911.

Paramedics and firefighters raced to Johnson's house, fearing the worst.

A bucket was brought in for Johnson to sit on as firefighters meticulously took apart the snowblower to free his hand.

"He told me not to lose the nuts and bolts, and don't cut the belt," Lawrence Fire Captain Michael Blanchard recalled.

Johnson got seven stitches in his hand.

"I was very, very lucky," he said.

The responding firefighters grabbed shovels and finished the job Johnson started, even digging out his wife's car so she could drive to the hospital.

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