Overview
- Philip Pohle, 32, was clearing fallen trees at Hocking Hills State Park in March when his foot stuck on a front loader’s gas pedal and a branch drove into his neck.
- State natural resource officers braced his neck at the scene as crews cut the tree away, and he was taken to Hocking Valley Hospital before a transfer to Grant Medical Center in Columbus.
- Neurosurgeon Dr. Victor Awuor diagnosed an atlanto‑occipital dislocation, and surgeons used plates, screws and rods to stabilize the junction between his skull and spine.
- Doctors said his spinal cord missed being severed by about two millimeters, and they described his progress as he now walks without assistance.
- A GoFundMe organized by a family friend passed $15,000 by Thursday to help cover living costs during what supporters say will be a long recovery.