Brendan Clancy says the air ambulance saved his life
By Thamayanthi McAllister
BBC News
A former builder whose stomach was cut open after he fell on his circular saw has thanked medics who saved him.
Brendan Clancy slipped while cutting pallets and initially believed he was fine but soon felt “something squidgy”.
The 67-year-old from Upper Cwmtwrch in the Swansea Valley managed to drive himself to a local hospital.
He was flown to Cardiff for emergency surgery and has since recovered fully from his ordeal with no lasting injury, but has a 12-inch scar on his abdomen.
Warning: this article contains graphic details of injury
He said: “I must have been running on adrenaline, I knew I needed help but knew I couldn’t wait for help to arrive.
“My wife was away in Carmarthen and my phone was in my pocket where my insides were spilling out.
“They just kept coming out and it seemed as if it would never stop.”
He wrapped his innards in a clean T-shirt then drove from his home to the minor injuries unit in Ystradgynlais, a 10-minute drive away.
Image source, Brendan Clancy
Brendan Clancy’s wife Jayne was away for the day and he could not reach her as his phone was in his pocket
“I was making sure I was keeping my senses and concentrating on the road while driving.
“I have a manual car, and all my guts were all over the gear lever side, but it helped to take my mind off it.
“When you are carrying your guts, you don’t think of anything else apart from keeping them all in one place.
“There was no blood even though the saw had cut through about four inches of my bowel, but I could see my breakfast.
“When I got to hospital, two ladies were coming out and said they were just about to close. They looked down and saw my bowel bag and my innards being outwards and called me an ambulance.
“It was only when I was put on a trolley I felt the rush of pain.”
Image source, Brendan Clancy
“I appreciate how incredibly lucky I am to be alive,” says Brendan, with his wife Jayne
He was taken to the nearby playing fields, where the air ambulance was waiting for him.
They flew him to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.
On arrival he had four hours of surgery and was discharged a few days later.
Reflecting on his accident, he said the air ambulance played a vital role.
“I could not fault the Wales Air Ambulance; they were all absolutely fantastic.
“I have lived all over the world and to my mind there is no other service in this world that could better it.
“I appreciate how incredibly lucky I am to be alive and how lucky we are to have such an amazing service in this country.”
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