Dad Survives Being ‘Internally Decapitated’ in Horrifying Tree-Clearing Accident

An Ohio father is counting his blessings after surviving a horrifying accident that doctors say should have either killed him instantly or left him completely paralyzed.

32-year-old Philip Pohle was working at Hocking Hills State Park in March, clearing trees with a front loader, when everything suddenly went wrong.

According to reports, a tree inside the loader’s bucket unexpectedly slid backward and crashed down on top of him. With his foot still pressed on the gas, the machinery kept moving — forcing a branch against his neck.

What happened next is almost unimaginable.

The pressure from the branch slowly forced his head backward, causing his spine to separate from his skull — a rare and often fatal injury known as internal decapitation.

“If it didn’t stop, it probably would’ve ripped my head off,” Pohle said, recalling the terrifying moment.

He remembers hearing a “pop” or “crack,” yet somehow didn’t suffer a single broken bone.

In a stroke of luck that likely saved his life, nearby officers had a trauma kit that included a neck brace. They quickly secured his neck, preventing further movement while emergency crews used a chainsaw to cut away the debris trapping him.

Even as he drifted in and out of consciousness, Pohle says his thoughts stayed with his children.

“I started thinking of my kids… how much I was going to miss them,” he said emotionally.

He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors discovered just how close he came to death.

Surgeon Victor Awuor revealed there was a 9-millimeter gap between Pohle’s skull and spine — just 1 millimeter away from severing his spinal cord completely, which would have likely caused instant paralysis or death.

Doctors performed a complex surgery using plates, rods, and screws to stabilize his neck.

Against all odds, Pohle is now walking just one month after the accident — a recovery doctors are calling nothing short of miraculous.

While many people who suffer this kind of injury either die or are permanently paralyzed, Pohle has been given a second chance — and he’s not taking it for granted.

“Love deeply. Be patient. Be kind. Tomorrow is not guaranteed,” he said.

A GoFundMe set up by a family friend to support his recovery has already reached halfway toward its $15,000 goal as he continues his long road back.