Man, 72, falls out of tree
Monday 7th January 2008, 11:42AM GMT.
A Shropshire pensioner was airlifted to hospital after falling three metres from a tree.
Arnold Packer, of Gravel Hill, Ludlow, was pruning a lime tree in his front garden on Saturday when a branch swung round and knocked him off his ladder.
The 72-year-old fell, hitting his leg on the sharp iron railings of his fence and landing on the pavement. He cut the back of his head open and ended in the gutter.
Passers-by stopped the traffic, dialled 999 and alerted Mr Packer’s wife Celia, who was inside the house and knew nothing of the accident.
Today Mr Packer, who was treated and discharged from hospital, said he had been very frightened.
He said: “I was lopping the tree and I had roped the branch because it was so big. But when I cut through it, it swung and knocked me off the ladder. I fell onto my back and into the road.
“Someone very kindly dialled 999 and the first responder was here very quickly. I suffer from angina and I started to have chest pain, so I think they were worried about that.”
Mr Packer was airlifted to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital after the County Air Ambulance landed in the grounds of the nearby St Peter’s Catholic Church.
Mr Packer said: “The hospital did loads of X-rays but nothing was broken but I am badly bruised. The cut on my head was glued, but is still bleeding.”
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