His guardian angel had overslept: Benedictine Father Wolfgang Pichler (66), pastor in Thalheim near Wels, has had to tend to the (hospital) bed instead of the sheep since his fall on Monday at 7:00. As reported, he fell into the 3.5-meter deep wood chip bunker behind the church. Now, thanks to the painkillers, he is happy again after the acute operation.
The “crown” reached him at the Wels Clinic: “The heating had failed, so I wanted to sweep up the remaining wood chips and empty them. Unfortunately, I wasn’t paying enough attention. The ladder wasn’t attached to the ground. When I tried to climb down with the shovel in my hand, the ladder turned and I fell down.”
Broken left thigh
Pichler fell backwards onto the concrete floor and broke his left femur: “As the son of a doctor, I could immediately assess what had happened to me. Surprisingly, I hardly felt any pain, probably it was the adrenaline.”
Hardness also became a test of patience
But the hardships also became a test of patience, as no one heard the cries for help from the stumbling man of God: “My cell phone was in the kitchen. I thought it would only be ten minutes before I would be back. But I knew that the community workers or later the janitor would discover the open hatch and rescue me,” Pichler said.
“Are you playing with us or is this real?”
At 8:50 a.m., two construction workers heard his cries for help. “They know me well. “He asked me if I was acting it out or if it was really real,” the pastor grinned.
The fire brigade eventually saved Father Pichler. During an operation at the Wels Clinic, the bones were fixed with a nail. A colleague will stand in for him at a wedding on Saturday. “Luckily, he knows the family too.” There is one more thing that is very important to Father Pichler: “Many thanks to the fire brigade and the rescue service. They really helped me a lot!”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
