Man Trapped in Van for 2 Days Undergoes Surgery

LYNWOOD — Lee Risler, the 53-year-old sandal maker who tried to amputate his own left arm while trapped in his overturned van last weekend, underwent a second surgery on his mangled arm Wednesday as doctors tried to determine whether it would need to be removed, a family spokesman said.

Risler had careened down a steep embankment of the San Gabriel Freeway early Saturday and lay helpless for more than two days, his arm pinned under the vehicle. He told authorities that he tried to cut the limb off with a pocket knife, but dropped the knife. He then tried unsuccessfully to chew his arm off, family members said. He was found by a Caltrans worker Monday at noon.

A fund to defray medical expenses for the Lucerne Valley man has been set up: The Risler Recovery Fund, First Mountain Bank, Box 2100, Lucerne Valley, CA 92356.