Father of 4 Survives Life-Threatening Accident After Tree Branch Nearly Reaches His Brain
A New Jersey man got impaled by a tree branch that went under his jaw and all the way up to his brain. It was nearly 12 centimeters long. And miraculously, he has no long-term damage.
Dad Is Impaled by Tree Branch in Backyard Accident
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Troy Hathaway had been trimming trees in his backyard when his ladder suddenly gave way. He fell about eight feet, taking a branch down with him — through his jaw. The branch went up behind his eye, but he didn’t know it at the time. He was still conscious, and just thought his jaw might be broken.
His wife, a physician’s assistant, drove him to the hospital. There, they learned how big the branch was.
“That’s the first time that I saw a slight reaction from my wife,” Troy recalled. “That was just a very quick hand up towards her mouth, in shock that it was as bad as it was.”
It Was A Tricky Situation that Called for Highly-Trained Experts
He needed a team of specialists to help him — quickly. An off-duty neurosurgeon and an ENT skull base surgeon were called in to help. They were able to operate on Troy through his nose and through his lower cheek.
“After reviewing his CT scans, we recognized that this was an extremely delicate and potentially life-threatening situation,” the neurosurgeon said, “where any misstep during removal of the branch could cause devastating bleeding, brain injury, vision loss, or serious infection.”
‘Somebody’ Was Looking Out for Him
Troy believes that “someone” was looking out for him, because he came so close to crucial injuries. Right now, his brain, breathing, and eyesight are fine.
His youngest child, four-year-old Sophie, thinks “daddy had a twig in his face.” For now, they think that’s best — she doesn’t need to know how bad it could have been.
Troy is just grateful to be alive. It’s such a rare thing that happened to him, and I’m glad that he’s going to be okay.
“They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:31
WATCH: Father of 4 Survives Life-Threatening Accident After Tree Branch Nearly Reaches His Brain
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h/t: People
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/CBS Philadelphia
Michaela Gordoni is an avid reader and part-time globe-trotter. With a bachelor's degree in International Relations and experience in the non-profit world, she has a passion for people and reporting. You can check out her portfolio here.
Originally published September 16, 2026.
