Bailey critically injured on Alabama mission trip

Roger Bailey

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A Putnam County man remains in an Alabama hospital following injuries he sustained Friday while on a mission trip.

Roger Bailey was part of a group from Fillmore Christian Church and Bethel Baptist Church that traveled to Alabama. following the tornadoes that devastated the city on April 27. On Friday, while working in Pleasant Grove, Ala., part of a tree fell on Bailey, pinning him from the lower ribs on down.

The volunteers were working on a tree that had been pulled out of the ground, roots and all, by the tornado. When the upper part of the tree was cut off, the roots recoiled, sitting back upright in the hole it had left and trapping Bailey.

Two factors that aided in Bailey surviving the accident were the muddy ground, which kept him from being crushed, and the proximity of a boom truck to remove the tree. The truck was just up the street and was quickly on the scene to lift it off Bailey's body.

He was transported to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. His injuries included a punctured lung, broken bones and a severe hip injury.

He has undergone two surgeries to rebuild his hip and lower back area.

As of Monday, Bailey remained in ICU, but doctors hope to move him to a "step-down room." He remains in much pain, but is showing signs of recovery.