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Darwin Awards
2008 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

Intelligence Gives an HM, not a DA

2008 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

Editor -- I did a search for "big toe" and came up with 3 stories, none of which match this one:

Stuck in machinery, man uses big toe to call 911 With arms trapped, he shook his cell phone off his belt and dialed in.

MARY ESTHER, Fla. - Even with his arms stuck in a piece of machinery, one northwest Florida man was able to call 911 using his big toe.

(Editor -- Come on, how'd he get hands stuck in it and what KIND of machinery? What's DRS?)

Police said the unidentified man was at the DRS Technologies building early Thursday when he became trapped in a press-like machine that resembles an elevator.

He was alone.

(Editor -- Aha! Working alone on a dangerous piece of machinery, clearly while it was energized. (Else, how'd he get stuck in it?) Come on ... what safety interlocks were bypassed to allow this one! It resembles an elevator ... hmmm ... and he stuck his arms in it when it was running?)

He shook his cell phone off his belt, kicked off one shoe and used his toe to dial 911.

Rescuers used a thick metal bar to pry the machinery off his arms.

He was airlifted to a Pensacola hospital where his condition was not immediately known.

(Editor -- Sounds like a good last minute save. If fire crews had to use such means of leverage to free him, he clearly had to have done something stupid. At least there had to be this: "Damn, how'd my wallet end up in there?" or some such thing. Well, SOMETHING made him reach into the machinery!

We could well hear of this individual again and with persisting effort, he could make a full award.

I'm saying the spark of intelligence that saved him should not disqualify an HM.)

Submitted on 05/05/2008

Submitted by: Mike Durthaler
Reference: MSNBC, 5 May, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24434271/

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

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>> Moderator Scores <<

Tracy said:
Definitely Keep: Honorable Mention
This has potential to be an interesting story - but we need more info, please - names, facts etc - thanks


Graham said:
Maybe Toss: Lacks Excellence
I agree. With more pertinent information, this could be a contender!


Bruce said:
Definitely Toss: Lacks Excellence
We really do need more information on this. The article is so sparse on details that there's no way of knowing whether he got into this predicament through stupidity or if it was a true accident. I think it's inappropriate to vote on this without knowing exactly how he got stuck. Please do let us know if more details emerge and they do show he was acting in a truly stupid manner. Thanks, Mike.


Chip said:
Definitely Keep: Honorable Mention
I am going to give this one a nod since, as Mike pointed out, working on a dangerous piece of equipment alone and somehow bypassing safety interlocks, etc smacks of gross stupidity to me. Thanks for the story, Mike


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