A 13-YEAR-OLD boy had a lucky escape after he was impaled on a metal bin for two hours after falling backwards off a wall.

Sam Oversby, of Dent, was playing with friends with his bike on the wall when he stumbled back and fell three feet on to a metal spike sticking out from a wire mesh bin on Beech Hill.

The spike pierced the skin at the bottom of Sam’s back and travelled inches up along his spine.

Fire crews had to cut a six-by-eight-inch chunk of metal out of the bin while the Settlebeck High School, Sedbergh, pupil was still impaled on the bin.

A doctor had then to slice the metal bar out of his skin.

Neighbour Rita Cope raised the alarm, and the air ambulance and fire brigade rushed to the scene.

Grandmother Christine Ov-ersby, who was with Sam during his two-hour ordeal, said: “It looked horrendous and when I saw that the spike had gone vertically all the way up his spine I feared the worst. It was a freak accident.

“The fire brigade were using an angle grinder but the doctor told them to stop because of the vibrations, so they had to cut the metal peice from the bin using cutters, which took some time.

"The doctor then wanted to get the metal piece out of him before he was transported to hospital.”

“Sam was very good and did what he was asked but he did scream when they were cutting him out. But he was very brave and is a very lucky boy.”

Sam was flown to the Royal Preston Hospital accompanied by Dr William Lumb of the Sedbergh Medical Practice.

Mrs Oversby praised the emergency services, neighbours and doctors for their ‘excellent’ help.

Sam is now making a good recovery at his Lowhall home after an operation last Friday to stitch up his muscle, which was torn in the accident.

“It was very painful and I was in shock but I know I am very lucky,” he said. “It could have been much worse.”

Dr Lumb, who volunteered his time to help out, said: “It was an unusual situation but it was all in a day’s work.

"He could have been transported to hospital without the piece being removed but I thought the right thing to do was to take it out before he was taken to hospital because he was in distress.”

Paul Stephenson, watch manager at Kirkby Lonsdale Fire Station, said: “It was strange really.

"You couldn’t actually see a break in the wire but obviously with the weight of him going against the bin, it had left a bit protruding and it got up his back.”