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The incident took place around 3:30 a.m., Monday, March 21 at Carla's Pasta, 50 Talbot Lane, in South Windsor, in Hartford County.
The South Windsor Fire Department responded to the restaurant for a report of an employee with his armed trapped in a pasta roller machine.
Car 19 responded first, and while en route, was updated the man was trapped up to his elbow.
The patient was both entangled and impaled by the machine, which was in a tight location both above and under conveyor belts and tracks, the department said.
Disassembly of the involved machine was not an option, and cutting operations were hampered by its stainless steel composition.
The machine was a hopper-type device at the top of a roller machine, which had an auger in the middle and an output slot and roller at the bottom. The patient's position was on top of the hopper, officials said.
After an extended period of time, firefighters were able to cut the hopper off the machine, but the patient was still entangled inside it.
With the hopper off, crews gained better access to the entangled/impaled arm, and with careful maneuvering, the patient was freed, the department said.
During the operation, East Hartford Fire Department and Broad Brook Fire Department were both called in for extra equipment and manpower.
Life Star was called to the scene approximately one hour in due to the prolonged extrication and the patient’s condition.
The patient’s removal took a plethora of cutting equipment, rope operations, creating levers for mechanical advantage, and a generally combined effort from all three fire departments, several police officers, ASM medics, and the Life Star crew, they added.
The patient was transported via Life Star in serious condition, and his current condition is unknown.
"We wish the patient the best recovery possible and commend all crews on scene for their strong work," the department said.
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