Kauai man ‘very grateful’ after surviving debris-clearing accident, loses leg

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Kauai man is on a long road to recovery after he said he nearly lost his life in the aftermath of Hurricane Lowell.

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Agenhart Puulei, known by many as “Tin Tin,” was using an excavator to clear debris from Hurricane Lowell when one of the logs he picked up fell.

“The log came right into the cab, shattered the window, and cut my leg off… my coworker and I took my belt off, and I already knew that I needed to make a tourniquet. If I don’t stop the bleeding, I’m going to lose my life,” Puulei said.

When asked what was going through his head at the time of the accident, Puulei responded, “I was in shock mode. But it was a very traumatic thing that I went through. Very, very grateful that I, not only for my life that has been spared, that God is good.”

As Puulei prepares for a long road to recovery, his family is in need of help to cover his medical expenses.

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“We are repairing my brother’s home at this moment. He needs to get room to get in through the doors and a ramp. There’s a lot of work to do,” Puulei’s sister Nancy Mae Chandler said.

There has been an outpouring of support for Puulei, as many donated on a GoFundMe page arranged for him.

“Mahalo everybody for all your help, prayers, and donations, I really appreciate it. From the bottom of my heart, my family, we love you guys,” Puulei said.

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