Two seriously injured

Hands caught in circular saw and log splitter

Work accident in Hippach: The seriously injured man was flown to Innsbruck Hospital by helicopter after initial treatment.(Bild: ZOOM Tirol)

Serious accidents occurred almost simultaneously on Saturday morning in Tyrol during woodworking. In Vals (Innsbruck-Land district), a 56-year-old man got his hand caught in a running circular saw, while in Hippach in the Zillertal valley a farmer (70) was seriously injured while working with a log splitter.

The serious accident occurred in Hippach at 9.10 am. The 70-year-old farmer was busy splitting wood with a log splitter. "When a part became wedged, the man reached under the piece of wood with his right hand to pull it forward," reported the police.

Three fingers jammed
As a result, he accidentally pressed the foot pedal, whereupon three fingers were trapped between the piece of wood and the table of the splitting machine. The 70-year-old suffered serious injuries and was flown by helicopter to the hospital in Innsbruck after receiving first aid.

Another accident five minutes later
The work accident in Vals occurred just a few minutes later. The 56-year-old local man was cutting firewood. When he wanted to clear away a piece of wood, he got too close to the saw blade, causing his glove to be pulled into the rotating saw blade.

He was also flown by emergency helicopter to the hospital in Innsbruck with serious injuries.