A Nebraska farmer amputates his leg after getting stuck in a machine: "I guess I'm stubborn"

May 14, 2019, 14:24 UTC

By Minyvonne Burke

Kurt Kaser, a farmer from Nebraska, was working when he found himself in a terrifying situation.

His leg was stuck in agricultural equipment while Kaser was unloading corn. Alone and realizing that he had to make a quick decision, Kaser used a pocket knife to amputate his own leg and free himself.

"I thought I would faint and something told me to keep going," he told NBC News during a phone interview Tuesday after the accident occurred in late April. "I did what I thought I should do, and it worked."

Kaser, 63, said he was planting corn on his Pender farm when he entered a corn hopper. His foot and the lower part of his leg remained stuck in the machine, which was still running.

He said his family was not at home and that he knew it would take a long time before anyone arrived on the farm.

After trying to free himself but without success, he grabbed a pocket knife that he was carrying and cut off his leg.

"I could feel it cutting my nerves," said Kaser. "Finally, he let go, then I started crawling to the house."

The test lasted for about five minutes, but Kaser seemed optimistic and lost the lower part of his leg.

"I look at other people who were [at the hospital] and I still have most of my leg and I hope to return to the street soon, "he said. There are many people in these places who are wheelchair users and will never walk again. … you have to think about that. "

When asked how he could have stayed positive on the situation, Kaser joked that it was because of his stubbornness.

"I guess I'm stubborn. I do not want to give up, "he said.

After being released from the corn hopper, Kaser crawled to his home at about 150 meters and called 911. He was rushed to the hospital and then airlifted. to another hospital where his daughter works.

After a week at the hospital and two weeks in a rehabilitation center, he was released on Friday.

Kaser said his recovery process was painful, but he was determined to walk again. The married father of three adult children reported meeting doctors to determine when he could have a prosthetic leg.

"I like being outdoors and I know I will be," he said.

The incident could remind some moviegoers of a scene from the movie "127 Hours" of 2010. James Franco plays Aron Ralston, a real-life adventurer, trapped in a canyon in southeastern Utah when a rock fell on his arm. After spending days stuck in the canyon, Ralston is released by cutting his arm.