A 29-year-old man is lucky to be alive after an accident with an angle grinder in which a blade cut deep into his upper leg, severing an artery and a vein.
Matt LeFevre lost 2.5 litres of blood and needed eight hours of emergency surgery after it happened about 10am on Friday, June 1, when he was working on window frames at Downtide Caravans in Alby-with-Thwaite in north Norfolk.
Mr LeFevre, who lives in Argyle Street, Norwich, said had it not been for the quick-thinking staff at the business he would have died.
He said: 'If it wasn't for them I wouldn't be here. They acted quickly because I was losing so much blood. It was really deep, and I went onto the floor.
'I couldn't see and I felt tired and cold and then hot.'
The centre's employees rushed to his aid, keeping pressure on the wound to stem the bleeding using towels.
They also called an ambulance for Mr LeFevre, who is a self-employed handyman and dad of six-year-old twins, Jarred and Elliot.
Medical help arrived after about 15 minutes, and he was given a blood transfusion on the way to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
Mr LeFevre said: 'The ambulance turned up after a while.
'Then, when I was in the ambulance they told me what I had done.'
Matt's brother Tom LeFevre, 27, said: 'After he arrived at the hospital they took him straight to theatre.
'He was in theatre for just over eight hours.
'They had to connect back his artery.
'After four-and-a-half hours they said they had managed to connect one, but then had to do another because a vein was cut through as well.'
The tool Mr LeFevre had been using had a nine-inch blade which spins at a high speed.
Doctors have told him he would have to be on medication for the rest of his life to help manage his blood, but it was 'extremely lucky' that he should recover with no permanent injuries.
Mr LeFevre will need to undergo another operation, but will hopefully be out of hospital by the end of the week.
The brothers said they both wanted to thank the caravan centre's employees for saving Matt's life.
Mr LeFevre said he could only offer his heartfelt thanks to employees including Ben Furner, Hayley Heslin, Bruce Peck and Joel Good, who all pitched in to help after the accident.
Henry West, the business's co-owner, said he was proud of their actions.
Mr West said: 'It was quite a serious cut to his leg, and he did lose an awful lot of blood.
'But (the staff) jumped to it and that was it. They rallied around and did what they had to do at the time. I'm very proud of them.'
Ms Heslin said there was no time to hesitate.
She said: 'You don't think about what's happening, you just do it.
'I'd say he is very lucky to be alive.'
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here