An Arizona man narrowly escaped serious injury after being caught in a tornado in Heber, an experience he described as being similar to scenes from the movie "The Wizard of Oz." Artem, who withheld his last name, told Arizona's Family that the destructive weather event occurred while he was riding his bicycle home from the grocery store.
He recounted how the wind intensified rapidly, becoming a force he could no longer resist. "The wind came and flipped me around to go the other way. The force was just getting more and more," Artem said.
His bicycle was lifted from his grasp, flying away from him as he dismounted. "The next thing you know, the bike is flying; at that point, I got off the bike, it just flew out my hands," he recounted.
Momentarily, Artem was tossed about by the winds, with debris striking him. "Stuff was hitting me like on the back and on the neck; it threw me in the mud, and I tumbled," he described.
Emergency responders transported Artem to a local hospital. He arrived covered in mud and was fitted with a neck brace after undergoing a CT scan.
Physicians informed him that he had sustained no broken bones, and he was cleared to return home. Despite his release, Artem reported experiencing soreness and shock for the first two days, which interfered with his sleep.
A local charity group, Amigos Brotherhood Charities, learned of Artem's experience and offered financial assistance toward replacing his bicycle, which was destroyed by the tornado.