Trapped Under Loader 3km Down Mine, Colin Jones Cut Off His Arm

Newcastle Herald

Monday June 30, 2003

By ALEXANDRA SMITH

MINER Colin Jones cut off his own arm with a Stanley knife rather than wait to be rescued after he became trapped under a front-end loader in a Lake Macquarie mine on Saturday night.

Mr Jones, 43, (pictured) was pinned by his right arm after his loader tipped and trapped him against a wall three kilometres underground at the West Wallsend Colliery.

Fearing an explosion, the experienced miner from West Wallsend asked his workmates to sever his limb, which was crushed below the elbow.

``By the time the bloke had walked around to the other side of the front-end loader, Col had competely severed his arm off," a co-worker said yesterday.

Surgeons were unable to re-attach his arm.

He was recovering last night in John Hunter Hospital.

Reports, Pages 4 and 5

© 2003 Newcastle Herald

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