Man in Washington survives going through woodchipper

A man in Washington was badly injured, but miraculously survived going through a wood chipper.

CBS Seattle has reported that the Longview man is in a hospital recovering from the serious injuries he sustained when he became trapped and was sent through a shredding wood chipper machine at work.

According to KATU, a good portion of Frank Arce’s body has been shredded and crushed after he climbed into a wood chipper to remove something stuck in the device. Climbing in an out of the machine has been practiced before by him and his co-workers at the Wood Products Company.

"Actually going through the machine itself wasn't the worst part about it," he said Wednesday from his hospital bed. "What was the worst part (was) the not knowing what was going to happen."

Doctors are amazed the Arce even lived through the accident.

The machines used to reduce wood can have horsepower up to 1,000.
Arce will remain at the PeaceHealth SW Washington Medical Center for at least another few weeks, but he is good spirits and realizes he’s lucky to be alive.