Connecticut man who cut off most of arm while stuck in furnace says experience was surreal

Conn. man: Cutting off arm was surreal experience

HARTFORD, Conn. — Jonathan Metz says the ordeal of getting his arm trapped in his furnace and deciding to cut it off was “surreal.”

The 31-year-old West Hartford man met with the media Tuesday for the first time since getting his arm stuck in his furnace and cutting off most of the limb.

Metz also revealed his ordeal began June 7, not June 6, as doctors initially reported.

Metz’s left arm got stuck in the furnace of his West Hartford home while he was working on it June 7. He was rescued June 9 when worried co-workers went to his home and called police.

Metz says he started thinking about amputating his arm 12 hours into his ordeal, and it took him about six hours to “psych” himself up.

He used a saw blade to cut off most of his arm. Paramedics completed the amputation, and doctors will be replacing it with a prosthetic.