A Minneola firefighter cut off the tip of his left index finger while using a hydraulic extrication tool at the scene of a crash Monday.
Firefighter Robert Seigworth responded to a crash on U.S. Highway 27 after a semi-truck and a car collided, leaving two people in the vehicle badly injured, according to The Orlando Sentinel.
He used the tool to snip off the metal pillar connecting the roof to the frame of the car, but when he came to the pillar between the driver side and passenger window, his glove got caught.
His left hand was pinned between the car and the tool, causing his left index finger below the nail to be pinched off.
"It was pretty intense," he told the newspaper. "I tried not to make a big scene of it, I knew I definitely messed it up pretty good."
Instead of walking away, finished the cut, allowing colleagues to remove the passengers from the car.
They were transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center for treatment.
Fire Chief Derryl O'Neal saw what happened and sent Seigworth to the hospital.
His fingertip was reattached with more than a dozen stitches though officials say there is only a 20 percent chance the finger will work normally again.
O'Neal commended the 26-year-old for sticking to the job at hand.
"He is a firefighter -- he's got a firefighter's heart. I think if you ask him or any other firefighter, I think they'll say it's just part of the job."
