Giant cactus crushes Arizona city water worker

[kingsnake]

http://www.yumasun.com/news/mason-79890 ... actus.html

[joebartels]

Doctors have so far removed nearly 150 cactus spines from him

There aren't enough o's in owie for that kind of pain
We aren't talking cholla those are toothpick spines

the falling cactus broke Mason's back and leg and injured his arm.

[writelots]

I thought it was interesting that this report turned up on the BBC news website, but not any of the larger AZ papers'... Maybe the thought of a man killed by a giant plant is 'sensational' across the pond!

[kingsnake]

The original link I posted was from the BBC -- where I first heard of it -- but I thought I had changed the link to the Yuma newspaper ...

[azbackpackr]

I thought it was interesting that this report turned up on the BBC news website, but not any of the larger AZ papers'... Maybe the thought of a man killed by a giant plant is 'sensational' across the pond!

Don't get me started. From the rest of Arizona's standpoint, Yuma doesn't exist. Having lived there, I am well aware of that. And people in Yuma, in kind, know nothing of the rest of AZ, preferring instead to visit California. It may as well be part of California.

[outdoor_lover]

There aren't enough o's in owie for that kind of pain
We aren't talking cholla those are toothpick spines

I cannot even imagine...It must have been horrible...Has anyone seen any updates? The original article stated that he was in critical condition in intensive care and might not make it....

[hikeaz]

Has anyone seen any updates? The original article stated that he was in critical condition in intensive care and might not make it....

YUMA, AZ - The wife of a Yuma city worker seriously injured after a 16-foot saguaro cactus fell on him says that her husband has come through surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.

Billy Mason suffered a broken back and numerous other injuries and has been in intensive care at the Yuma Regional Medical Center since the Tuesday accident.

His wife, Felisha Mason, tells the Yuma Sun that her husband had successful back surgery on Thursday and that doctors expect him to make a full recovery without nerve damage.

Mason was responding to an emergency water leak in a Yuma subdivision when the cactus fell on him and pinned him.

Other members in his work crew freed him and called 911.

Saguaro cactus can weigh several thousand pounds, depending on how much water they're holding.

[writelots]

The original link I posted was from the BBC -- where I first heard of it -- but I thought I had changed the link to the Yuma newspaper ...

You did - I saw it on BBC first as well ;)

It may as well be part of California.

I wouldn't wish that on anyone ;)

[azbackpackr]

The original link I posted was from the BBC -- where I first heard of it -- but I thought I had changed the link to the Yuma newspaper ...

You did - I saw it on BBC first as well ;)

It may as well be part of California.

I wouldn't wish that on anyone ;)

Well, spend the winter there sometime. You'll see. It's a great town. I absolutely love it. However, that is with one caveat: I don't want to live there full-time! ;) It really is pretty darned hot in the summer, although not much different than Phoenix.

Besides all the great road biking, mtn. biking, hiking and kayaking, I think it's amazing how it is such a melting pot. I worked in a middle school and used to observe the kids at recess. There didn't seem to be any racial grouping. Everyone hung out with everyone else. And you can't guess by looking at a person whether they have an Anglo or Hispanic last name. Great town, nice people live there.

Western Arizona is full of Californians recreating on the river and its lakes, plus the dune buggy and RV crowd come over that way. Water skiing is also very popular. You can actually water ski up and down the river for miles and miles, above Imperial Dam. Not to mention over 100 miles of undammed river you can kayak down.

Reminds me of that Joni Mitchell song, "Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on..." or ski away on?