Firefighters rescue woman impaled on fence

The Dominion Post 

AUKLAND, New Zealand — Firefighters used power tools to free a woman impaled in the thigh by two metal spears on a church fence.

Emergency services were called to Pitt St in central Auckland about 5.15am yesterday after the woman became stuck on a fence at Pitt St Methodist Church.

Fire Service senior station officer Sulu Devoe said the woman was in "real agony" when he arrived, and her partner was supporting her weight.

There was no way the woman could have freed herself, even with her partner's help, Mr Devoe said.

The palings were lodged about 5cm to 7cm into her right leg.
"The spikes had gone in right on the top of her thigh . . . she must have got one leg over the fence and then slipped and her weight has thrown her on to the spikes," Mr Devoe said.

"She was in great pain and was going into shock."

The woman, believed to be in her 20s, was given pain relief before fire and ambulance staff helped to support her weight while others used a small disc cutter and a hydraulic cutter to free her.

Because the palings were close together, cutting her free was "quite difficult" and took the fire crew about 30 minutes.

Water was used to cool the cutting tools and prevent the metal spikes from heating up and burning the woman.

"She was in an awkward position and because the palings were so jammed up, so close together, cutting them was difficult," Mr Devoe said.

He was not sure if both palings were removed from the woman's leg before she was taken to Auckland City Hospital.
"One or two were still attached to her . . . definitely one of them."

Mr Devoe said he was not sure what the couple were doing at the church.

A hospital spokesman said the woman suffered two puncture wounds and was treated at the emergency department.

He said the woman's injuries were "pretty minor" and she was in a stable condition. 

Copyright 2012 Wellington Newspapers Limited

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