Philip Pohle was clearing fallen trees at Hocking Hills State Park when a branch pinned his neck and caused a life-threatening injury.
LOGAN, Ohio — An Ohio maintenance worker is walking again after surviving a rare internal decapitation in a March 13 accident at Hocking Hills State Park, where a tree branch forced his skull away from his spine.
Philip Pohle, 32, was clearing fallen trees from a park roadway when the accident left him trapped in a front loader and badly injured. Doctors later diagnosed him with atlanto-occipital dislocation, a severe injury often called internal decapitation because the skull separates from the spine inside the body. The case has drawn attention because doctors say many people with the same injury die at the scene or face paralysis if they survive.
Pohle was working for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources at the park in southeastern Ohio when the cleanup job turned into a medical emergency. He was operating a front loader while trying to move a large fallen tree from a roadway. His foot became stuck on the gas pedal, and the machine pushed him into the tree. A large branch pressed into his neck and forced his head upward. Pohle later said he heard “a pop or a crack” as the pressure built. “I started thinking of my children because it was really nice being a dad,” Pohle said as he described the moment. “I just thought how much I was going to miss them, miss my babies.”
State natural resource officers and other responders reached Pohle while the branch was still pressing against his neck. The limb was estimated at 6 to 8 inches wide. Officers used a neck brace from a trauma kit to keep his head and neck from moving while other crews used a chainsaw to cut away the tree and free him from the loader. An ambulance was about 20 minutes away, and bad weather kept a medical helicopter from flying. Pohle was intubated at the scene before he was moved from the park. He was first taken to Hocking Valley Hospital, then transferred to Grant Medical Center in Columbus for specialized care.
At Grant Medical Center, neurosurgeon Dr. Victor Awuor diagnosed Pohle with internal decapitation. The injury meant the ligaments holding the base of his skull to his upper spine had been badly damaged. Doctors said Pohle was within millimeters of severing his spinal cord. Awuor and other medical staff stabilized the injury with plates, screws and rods, securing the base of Pohle’s skull to his spine. Awuor said about half of patients with that kind of injury die at the scene, and many of those who make it to the hospital are paralyzed. Pohle’s survival without paralysis made his early recovery stand out.
The accident happened at Hocking Hills State Park, one of Ohio’s best-known outdoor destinations. The park draws visitors to caves, cliffs, waterfalls and forest trails near Logan in Hocking County. Pohle’s work involved clearing downed trees and keeping park areas passable after debris blocked the roadway. A fundraiser organized by Brittany Berry on behalf of Pohle’s girlfriend, Haley Davidson, said Pohle had worked in maintenance for ODNR for two years and enjoyed the job. Berry wrote that Pohle and Davidson share two small children and that the family faces medical bills, rent and child care costs while he recovers.
No criminal charges have been reported in the accident, and public reports have not listed any enforcement action connected to the case. It was not immediately clear whether a workplace safety review or a separate state incident report had been completed. The next steps center on Pohle’s medical recovery, follow-up appointments and whether he can return to work. Doctors said he was walking without help less than a month after the accident, a result they called extraordinary. The fundraiser said his recovery remains long, even as he has made major progress since surgery.
The first minutes after the accident became a key part of Pohle’s survival. Body camera reporting showed responders finding him pinned in the equipment as the branch held his neck in a dangerous position. The trauma kit and neck brace carried by natural resource officers helped keep his neck stable until crews could cut away the tree. Pohle said he believes he would have died if he had been working alone. The rescue also showed how weather and distance shaped the response, with crews unable to use a medical helicopter and an ambulance still minutes away from the park.
Pohle has described the accident through the lens of his family and the workers who reached him. He said the injury changed how he thinks about ordinary time with loved ones. “Love deeply and have a grace with people,” Pohle said. “Be patient, be kind. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.” His comments came as donations continued for his family and as friends, coworkers and supporters followed his recovery. The online fundraiser listed more than $23,000 raised toward a $30,000 goal as of Sunday.
Pohle is recovering after surgery and walking without assistance, though his family says he still faces a lengthy road. The next milestone is continued medical follow-up as doctors monitor the repaired connection between his skull and spine.
Author note: Last updated May 3, 2026.