Advertisement

Ouch! Builder Alan Williams trapped for hours after nailing himself to floor

Shropshire man taken to hospital attached to floorboard

This is the shocking picture of a five-inch nail that went through builder Alan Williams' hand, leaving him pinned for nearly four hours.


Mr Williams, 46, had been doing some DIY in his home in Market Drayton, Shropshire, when he slipped at the top of the stairs and accidently fired the bolt through his left hand.

He was left nailed to the floor unable to move or get help after the slip-up early on Saturday evening.

And it was until his partner and staff nurse Suzanne Amos got home from work at around 11pm that he was found - shivering and going into shock.

Quick-thinking Suzanne had been expecting a cup of tea and her dinner after finishing her shift but instead found herself dialling 999 to get help.

As the pictures show the high-powered bolt had gone right through Mr Williams' hand but amazingly it missed vital tendons and veins.


The fire brigade had to lift off the whole floorboard to take Mr Williams to the City General hospital in Newcastle-Under-Lyme.

Thankfully, after just one hour in theatre, Mr Williams was freed from the nail and will have full use of his hand for work.

Mr Williams, 46, said: "I slipped at the top of the stairs and put my left hand down and then the nail gun in my right hand went onto it - bang.

"I was pinned to the floor, I couldn't move, but actually there wasn't much blood and I wasn't in pain.

"After three hours though my leg was starting to go numb and I was very cold, I was grateful when Suzanne walked through the door."


[Related Articles: Surfer Survives Bite After Falling On To Shark]



Mr Williams said the fire service were great in rescuing him but at first couldn't cut the nail because the vibration caused too much pain.

He said: "The fire chief said he hadn't seen anything like it in 40 years, I ended up having to go to hospital with a floorboard attached to my hand."

Partner Suzanne - who admits the DIY to the couple's home was her idea - hadn't
slept for nearly 39 hours by the time she got her man home safe again.

She said: "Alan is a builder and obviously he's had a ribbing from his mates about the
whole thing but I'm just glad he's home in one piece."