Grand Bassa County – A 67-year-old man, James Droglen is calling for help following a near-death injury he sustained when he fell from a palm tree few days ago.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
Droglen fell on a sharp stick that pierced his chest and shoots in the back when he tripped while harvesting palm nuts.
The incident occurred on Saturday, June 2020 in Gorbhah Town, Wee Statutory District located in Electora District #4, Grand Bassa County.
He survived following hours of surgeries performed by Doctors at the Liberia Agriculture Company (LAC) Hospital.
Explaining his ordeal to a team of reporters following the surgeries, Droglen said he was recused by two ‘Good Samaritans’- Dorris Weeks and Esther Davis who heard him screamed following the incident.
“When this happened to me, I felt that my time had come for me to die. My spirit left me totally but God gave me the strength to shout for rescue. He saved me,” Droglen narrated.
He is currently under observation at the hospital. He thanked the women and the Doctors and nurses at the hospital for saving his life.
Also speaking, an official of the Hospital, Sampson Neivell said Droglen’s condition was the first recorded emergency of such nature at the hospital.
He hailed the medical team headed by Dr. James McSiyei and Dr. Danee Kalabah both trained in Kenya and D.R. Congo for their life-saving work and encouraged residents of the area to make use of the facility.
He confirmed that the survivor in his recovering steadily, emphasizing “we took an oath to save life, a public service duty that remains our priority.”
The rescuers, Weeks and Davis, in separate remarks said they were encouraged by Droglen’s bravery and were able to chop off portion of the stick with a cutlass to allow him walked from the bush to the main road and he did. The distance, the women lasted for over an hour.
Droglen’s injury and successful surgeries have left residents in the area and social media followers in a state of disbelief.
Emmanuel Spencer, writing on Facebook said: This is a complete miracle and a manifestation that God exists. I can’t just believe that this man survived”
Joseph Nyumah added “We are asking all political leaders of Bassa and well-wishers to contribute towards medical bill of this Elder. Thanks to these foreign Doctors for exhibiting their qualification in their discipline. We pray for Liberian doctors to emulate such. Thank God for saving his life.”
Droglen is said to be a member of the Kpelle ethnic group and have lived in Grand Bassa County since the 1980s. Reports says he had earlier worked for Grand Bassa County’s Senator Jonathan Kaipay.
Like many rural dwellers in Liberia, Droglen and his family live by subsistence farming. He harvests wild palm to sell in order to buy rice and other food items for his family
.