# Man killed by chainsaw



## ansehnlich1 (May 6, 2008)

Yeah, way too frequent, this young man lived in my neck of the woods.

http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_9141128?IADID=Search-www.eveningsun.com-www.eveningsun.com

Thirty-year-old Benji J. Masenheimer died Thursday at his family's Pigeon Hills farm after a chainsaw he was using to cut wood kicked back and struck him in the chest. 

Masenheimer's father, Ed, said they previously cut down a tree on their farm on Beaver Creek Road. Benji Masenheimer happened to be at the farm Thursday when someone came by to take the wood, and he was still cutting when the accident happened late that afternoon, Ed Masenheimer said. 

Benji Masenheimer then walked to his great-uncle's home on the property and drew his attention, his mother said. His great-uncle contacted emergency personnel, but Masenheimer was pronounced dead at the scene. 

"The ambulance guys said there wasn't anything anybody could have done," Jim Masenheimer said.


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## custom8726 (May 6, 2008)

Sad... But One more reason to appreciate each and every day because you never know when it will be your last.


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## Zodiac45 (May 7, 2008)

Wow what a bummer! Seems really flukish too? Getting hit in the chest I mean and being fatal.


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## ansehnlich1 (May 8, 2008)

Turns out Benji was nephew of a co-worker and good friend of mine. In this tragic event it is difficult to determine exactly what happened. I was told he was bucking a downed log, had a "v" notch cut into it, had a pinched saw, was yanking on it, or possibly tried to pull up on it, when it kicked back on him. So he may have had both kick back, and been pulling up on the saw at the same time. I don't know what happened as a result of that, that saw may have flipped backwards or something. He made it a hundred feet in a desperate attempt to get help but as the article said nothing could be done to save him.


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## pdqdl (May 12, 2008)

Zodiac45 said:


> Wow what a bummer! Seems really flukish too? Getting hit in the chest I mean and being fatal.



About 15 years ago I told one of my lawn guys to grab the little Stihl 009 and use it to cut some weed trees out of a chain link fence. I knew that he had enough chainsaw experience to do the job, so I didn't go into a lot of details.

I was wrong. 

He didn't follow my instructions. For some unknown reason, he grabbed a Pioneer "Farm Saw", which was rated to carry up to a 36" bar. It had a 24", I think. NO chain brake.

He got severely hurt when the saw ran up the chain link fence and HAMMERED him in the chest. The chain chopped a vertical groove into the left side of his jaw and lower cheek, right beside his chin. Naturally, that was pretty gruesome.

What surprised me was the damage done to his neck and chest by the engine case. He had a number of different injuries on his chest that needed stitches, and later formed prominent "keloids", those hideous scars that rise above the skin like mounds of tissue. To all appearances, the saw engine had been the main force that struck him, then the chain & bar followed after he had already been knocked back by the engine.

He recovered just fine, with a nasty scar on his jaw. It never seemed to bother him, he just laughed it off, stating "Now my left side matches the right". He had previously been disfigured in a car wreck.

If the saw had hit him at a different angle, or in a different place, I can easily see that it would have been fatal for him, too.


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## gmcman (May 18, 2008)

I was topping a large row of bushes near a chain link fence with my 340, most of the stems were about 3/4"-1" dia. After I topped the bushes, I went to take a few of them off near the ground and was very close to the fence, my gut naturally said go get the sawzall but having done this before I took all 5 or 6 out. 

On the last one, I was only at part throttle ( I know, WOT only) but if anything went wrong there would be much less inertia. I was only going to cut 90% through then tear it out but the tip went through and the chain stopped instantly...honestly, I thought a vine was wrapped in the chain since it didn't contact the fence.

Sure enough, the tip hit the fence and the inertia brake worked impercievably(sp)..hats off to Husky for designing a very effective brake to cover my small lack of common sense...lesson learned. I had no idea the brake engaged, was instantaneous and the saw never really kicked.

Sorry for the hijack but the dangers of the fence warranted the reply.

Just like the saying in the movie "The Rock"....."The instant you don't respect it, it kills you"


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