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Boy Saves Self After Train Severs Leg

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Associated Press

A boy whose leg was severed by a train used his belt as a tourniquet to save himself from bleeding to death.

Alex Compton, 10, was crossing the tracks near his home Monday when his foot got caught on some rocks. After the train had passed, he removed his belt and tightened it around his thigh to stem the bleeding, rescue workers said. He told them he learned the technique from his mother, Lisa Compton, who had studied first aid at nursing school.

A neighbor found Alex along the tracks. His leg also was found but doctors couldn’t reattach it, said his great aunt, Mary Revels.

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Alex was listed in fair condition at a local hospital.

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