Man Impaled On Pipe In Fair Condition

Thu., Aug. 6, 1998

From Staff

A Trout Creek, Mont., man who was impaled on a boat dock pipe was in fair condition Wednesday in a hospital at Coeur d’Alene.

James Anderson, about 50, fell off the dock onto the vertical pipe at Noxon reservoir Monday afternoon, Sanders County Deputy Sheriff Wayne Abbey said.

Emergency medical workers had to cut the pipe off with a hacksaw, leaving a length of it in his body, and he was airlifted to the hospital for emergency treatment.

“Mr. Anderson is stable, in fair condition and doing well,” said Jim Faucher, spokesman at Kootenai Medical Center.

The pipe held up logs beside the dock, Abbey said.

“He fell on that, and it caught him on the right side, and it went through in an angle and hyperextended his stomach,” Abbey said.

Anderson was conscious and able to talk when the deputy arrived, but he was in considerable pain, Abbey said.

A friend who noticed that Anderson had not returned from the dock found him impaled on the pipe, Abbey said.

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