Associated Press - September 6, 2009 3:34 PM ET
BOVILL, Idaho (AP) - A Bovill man says quick thinking by his wife and neighbors saved his life after a tree pinned him in his back yard.
Bob Coates had cut down the spruce tree before it rolled downhill and pinned him recently. Coates says he had trouble breathing because of the pressure the tree put was putting on his neck, hips and abdomen.
His wife called 911 and his neighbors used car jacks to lift the tree high enough to keep Coates alive until medics arrived.
Coates was airlifted to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Wash. He had no broken bones but suffered substantial nerve damage that will require extensive physical therapy.
Information from: The Moscow-Pullman Daily News, http://www.dnews.com
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
