Honesdale grad and PA National Guardsman Logan Freiermuth making a remarkable recovery
MILANVILLE — Every once in awhile, I come across a story that transcends the world of sports … a story in which the strength of the human heart overshadows any and all athletic achievement.
This is just such a story.
When last we checked in with Pennsylvania National Guardsman Logan Freiermuth, he was fighting for his life after a terrible accident suffered at his workplace back on November 17.
The former Honesdale High School athletic star was run over by a massive rock drill which caused severe crushing injuries from the waist down. Thankfully, the combination of Logan’s innate toughness and the professionalism of emergency responders allowed him to survive until he reached the hospital.
But even there under the care of a crack trauma team, Logan’s life hung by a thread for several weeks. Both of his legs and his pelvis were shattered while a massive infection was also raging.
When I initially wrote about Logan’s tragic accident back in late November, his situation was dire. Now, nearly two months later the Freiermuth family has reached out to share some truly exciting news: After a staggering 13 surgeries, including the amputation of his left leg just below the knee, Logan has been discharged from the hospital.
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“We are so blessed, so grateful and so thankful!” exclaimed Logan’s sister Nichole. “He has been working extra hard, physically and mentally. Now, he’s finally strong enough that an extended stay in a rehab facility is no longer necessary.
“We will continue to navigate through this together, but Logan is finally home where he can continue to recover.”
Logan will be staying at his Mom’s house in Milanville for the foreseeable future while he undergoes an intense course of physical therapy. It will be at least several months before Logan has healed enough, but plans for a prosthetic that will allow him to walk again are already in the works.
“We’re so incredibly proud of him,” Nichole said. “He has a long road ahead, but no one is tougher than Logan. He’s got this.”
The stuff of nightmares
November 17 started out like just another ordinary day for Logan Freiermuth.
It was a Friday, so he was counting down the hours until quitting time and the start of the weekend. Suddenly though, Logan’s life took a nightmarish turn beneath the tracks of a gigantic rock drill.
“I remember everything,” he said. “I didn’t lose consciousness or go into shock so I felt every bone break and watched my leg get torn apart. The track from the drill went over my foot up to just below my ribs and then had to be backed off of me.”
Incredibly, Logan somehow remained clear-headed and calm. He knew instinctively that his life was in danger, so he pulled off his belt and used it as a tourniquet.
Later on as he was being prepared for transport to West Chester Medical Center in Valhalla (NY), police and paramedics marveled at Logan’s toughness.
“We thank God for Logan’s knowledge that he used to keep himself alive until help arrived,” Nichole said. “We continue to thank God every day for keeping him here on this earth with us.”
Not surprisingly, there were some dark days between Logan’s arrival at the hospital and his miraculous discharge nearly three months later. And while Logan remained laser-focused on survival, there were definitely moments when his faith was tested.
“The first time I knew I was going to make it was right when I got into the ambulance,” he said. “But, there were a few different occasions in the hospital when I really wasn’t sure if I was going to pull through.”
Being an athlete all his life is a big part of why Logan’s recovery has gone so remarkably well. He wrestled and played football during his high school days, then transitioned to rugby at college and beyond.
In addition, Logan joined the PA National Guard nine years ago, rising to the rank of Sergeant as a member of the 1-109th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division.
All the countless hours of drills, workouts and weight training helped him develop strength, tenacity and a high level of pain tolerance.
“I learned that I’m strong enough to get through anything,” said Logan, whose most recent overseas deployment took him to Egypt in December 2022.
“I find something to look forward to in the near future and keep repeating the process until it’s over. I recover fast and push myself hard enough to be ahead of the average person. So, I just kept reminding myself of that.”
Overflowing with gratitude
Logan is deeply humbled and moved by all the support he’s received over the course of the past three months.
A GoFundMe page was established to to help Logan and his family through this difficult time. To date, it's generated more than $32,000 of a $50,000 goal.
“Thank you to everyone who visited, reached out, donated and prayed for me,” he said. “I can’t put into words how much it helps and means to me. Having this kind of community support makes the transition from hospital to home much easier. It allows me to start my life again.”
Several very special people have stood by Logan every step of the way as he’s fought to recover from his devastating injuries. Without them, Logan honestly doesn’t know where he’d be.
“I’m incredibly grateful to my girlfriend Natasha, my mom and her boyfriend Don, my sister Nichole and her boyfriend Luke, my brother Beau and his girlfriend Bri,” Logan said.
“They were with me through it all and I couldn’t have done it without them. They drove two hours to visit and stay the nights in a hotel to spend more time with me the next day.”
It’s relationships like these that lift Logan’s spirits when he needs it most, helping him to power through the pain and keep his eyes fixed on the prize.
Here’s hoping that I will be writing another update to Logan’s amazing story one day in the not too distant future … perhaps featuring a photo of him back on the rugby pitch or in his National Guard uniform.
With Logan Freiermuth, nothing is impossible.
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: National Guardsman from Honesdale survives tragic workplace accident
