Michael Petit

On July 2, 2012, 25-year-old Monica Thayer’s scalp was torn off when her hair caught in factory machinery, just six days into her new job. Thayer was clearing a steel-tubing machine at JR Engineering in Barberton, Ohio, when her pulled-back hair became tangled and dragged her face-first toward the cutter. Unable to reach the emergency stop, she screamed for help. Emergency crews spent approximately 20 minutes freeing her before she was flown to Akron General Medical Center. Later reporting described an eight-hour operation to control the bleeding and save her life. Her family initially reported that surgeons had reattached approximately 75% of her scalp, with further reconstructive surgery expected.