Man almost loses legs with chainsaw | Gympie News | Local News in Gympie

©iStockphoto/Steve Shepard

AN elderly Sunshine Coast man was airlifted to hospital for emergency surgery after a tree cutter's chainsaw nearly sliced his leg off.

The Caloundra man, aged in his 70s, nearly lost his leg in the accident, which occurred while he was watching a tree cutter at work on a property 60km northwest of Gympie on Thursday morning.

"The man was standing nearby, when a brushcutter used by another man, became stuck, kicked back and slashed through the injured man's leg," an AGL Action Rescue helicopter spokesman said

"Paramedics called the AGL Action Rescue Helicopter team to assist with the treatment."

The crew airlifted the injured man to the Royal Brisbane Hospital where a specialist medical team was waiting to perform emergency surgery.