By Rapids City Times staff

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – A Go Fund Me page is working to raise funds for a utility worker who was injured while clearing debris following the severe storms that hit the Wisconsin Rapids area on July 20.

Brian Ortner, a Solarus lineman, was called out to clear a line that was affect by the storms.

“As I understand it, he was clearing debris off of telephone lines when the limb swung and hit him in the back,” Brian’s wife, Amy said. “Luckily the line he was trying to cut it off of kept the tree from completely pinning him to the ground, or we most likely would have lost him.  He immediately could not feel his legs.”

Ortner was taken to the Marshfield Medical Center, where they learned that Brian’s spinal cord had been severed, along with multiple fractures to his neck and ribs.

“The neurosurgeon told us that we are lucky that he is even alive,” Amy said. “People with that severe of injury usually do not make it to the hospital.”

A Go Fund Me page was created with a goal of $100,000, of which $65K has been raised. For more information, visit www.gofundme.com/f/brian-ortner039s-spinal-injury-recovery-fund.