Farmer digs himself out from under tractor

Madison, Ohio -- An 83-year-old Ohio farmer used his pocketknife to dig himself out when his tractor turned over, trapping him.

James Cockerham told WLWT-TV in Cincinnati when no one responded to his calls for help, he was inspired by the memory of raccoons he had trapped on his land.

"I happed to think, 'You know, I caught 'coons out here and I set a lot of traps to catch them, and they would dig all the dirt trying to get out," Cockerham said. "That come to my mind. Well, they dig it like that, why can't I dig like that?"

Cockerham said he ignored the pain from injuries he suffered during the crash as he worked for four hours.

"I kept digging and digging and digging and raking that dirt out of the way, digging and dug a little trench there," Cockerham said.

Eventually, he was able to crawl out, leaving his clothes behind. He spent 24 hours recuperating in a hospital.

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Copyright 2007 by United Press International.