JUST over a week out from the official opening of Tamworth’s newest country music venue, Hooper’s Homestead, there’s been a cutting blow to their plans.
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The homestead of Dale Hooper’s dreams almost turned into a nightmare on Tuesday when the country singer sliced open his leg with an angle grinder, while cutting steel posts for a marquee.
The former Sydney-based artist, now living in Tamworth, was literally millimetres away from death, with the power tool narrowly missing a major artery and slicing halfway through a tendon on his right lower leg.
Mr Hooper said it was instinct that made him rip off his T-shirt, twist it into a knot and apply a tourniquet to the leg to staunch the blood flow.
“I was calling out to my partner, Gloria, but she was in the house and couldn’t hear me properly,” he said.
“She thought I was calling out to the sheep. When she finally came out, I got her to phone the ambulance and it was all go after that.”
After being taken to Tamworth hospital, he had surgery on the leg where doctors discovered the extent of the damage.
“They are not confident I will have all the feeling back in my right foot, as they fear the nerves have been damaged,” Mr Hooper said.
“I’m not really sure how much movement I’ll get back in it, but I’m just keen to get on with the next step so I can be back here for the festival.”
Mr Hooper was airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital yesterday, where he will have skin grafts to the affected area.
The Hoopers have been preparing the Manilla Rd, Hallsville property for the past two years in readiness for its first festival concerts.
“With all the time and money we’ve spent on getting it to this stage, there’s no way the show won’t go on,” Mr Hooper said.
“Gloria reckons she’ll run it herself if I’m not up to it. She says she’s going to sit me up on the verandah so I can be in amongst all the action while she does all the work.”
Mr Hooper said there was very little left to be done at the property ahead of next week’s official opening, but already friends had called in, offering their manpower and support.
Hooper’s Homestead is 6.5km along Manilla Rd, just past Oxley’s Anchor, and will be officially opened by Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson at 10am on Friday, January 15.
