Riding mower rollover victim rescued from underwater!!

   / Riding mower rollover victim rescued from underwater!! #1  

kebo

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Joined
May 16, 2006
Messages
2,910
Location
Lexington, SC
Tractor
2001 John Deere 790 4x4, bar tires
Ok, it's not a tractor but a riding mower can still kill you if you're not careful. This older gent survived a rollover as well as a near drowning so he was doubly lucky! There is a short video as part of the article (worth watching), but you'll have to watch the commercial first.


Santee man swims across lake to save neighbor's life - WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina |


By Tim Pulliam - email
SANTEE, SC (WIS) - A Midlands man is being called a hero after saving his neighbor from drowning in Santee. The neighbor was mowing his yard near the water's edge, when he drove into a shallow creek. The mower flipped, pinning the man underneath the water.

"They talk about miracles everyday," said Richard Rhode. "I am a miracle."

Rhode counts his blessings, because two weeks ago he almost died.

Rhode was mowing his yard in Santee, when all of sudden his mower blade struck his fence by the water. He and the machine started to roll downhill. "When I saw that happening, I turned slightly to the water to get the silt from under the blade and the next thing I knew, my mower was turning upside down this bank," he said. "Turned upside down on top of me in the water."

Richard held his breath underneath the shallow water, trying to wiggle his way free with no luck. "I can't do anymore, my wife's upstairs and don't even know I'm under this water," Rhode described. "So I'd given up."

Richard was stuck underneath the lawnmower, but all hope wasn't lost. His neighbor from across the cove heard what happened, and came to the rescue.

Brandon Lukens was outside on the phone when he heard the splash. He swam about 30 yards in four feet of water to save Richard. "Once I got over there, I realized I didn't see him or anything moving so I realized he was still underneath the lawnmower," said Lukens. "If I didn't react as fast as I did, he would have been dead."

Richard's wife Linda is still emotional. "Happy tears, very happy," she said. "Because I can't be without this man. He's great. Wonderful man. Wonderful husband."

The Rhodes are calling Brandon a hero, but he disagrees. "I don't really look at it like that," said Lukens. "I was put there for a reason to help. I was there at the right time."

"I owe my life to him," said Rhode.
 
   / Riding mower rollover victim rescued from underwater!! #2  
Great story and happy ending to what could have been a tragic incident,
I too experience a similar incident when coming home from work one afternoon, I kept hearing a voice saying something but could never figure out where it was coming from..... as I walked back up my driveway I could hear the voice better and found it to be coming from across the roadway from the church yard, My wife seen a elderly man laying on the edge of an incline and ran to him, he was cut up badly from thorns when he got to close to the edge with his rear engine snapper, he said the ground give way from under him resulting in him sliding then rolling his mower landing in the middle of black berry briers, he said he had been pined under for a good while couldn't say for how long but seem forever, Finally got free and all he could do to climb on his hands and knees to the top of the incline, this man was 82 years old, broke his hip, and dislocated his shoulder and banged up pretty bad, spent 5 days in the hospital, this was last mid summer..... I have seen him over their cutting many times again this season although now he has another person helping him.... when he See's my wife out he always makes it a point to come thank her again and tell her she is his guardian angle:cloud9:, as she was the one who found him:thumbsup:
 
   / Riding mower rollover victim rescued from underwater!! #3  
My father in law was mowing a small "island" in a 5 acre pond on his new John Deere 425 when he hit the forward pedal instead of the reverse and launched him into ten feet of water. As a Navy veteran, he was able to get away from the tractor and swim ashore. Mowing around water always concerns me and we have seven ponds.
 
   / Riding mower rollover victim rescued from underwater!! #4  
My father in law was mowing a small "island" in a 5 acre pond on his new John Deere 425 when he hit the forward pedal instead of the reverse and launched him into ten feet of water. As a Navy veteran, he was able to get away from the tractor and swim ashore. Mowing around water always concerns me and we have seven ponds.

Kinda reinforces my suspicion of fwd/revrs pedal machines for folk who can't/won't deal with a clutch and lever.
 
   / Riding mower rollover victim rescued from underwater!! #5  
Glad your dad is ok! :thumbsup:

I would like to see a picture of this Moveable Island!
 
   / Riding mower rollover victim rescued from underwater!! #6  
Kinda reinforces my suspicion of fwd/revrs pedal machines for folk who can't/won't deal with a clutch and lever.

Not really sure if I understand your point. He drove fuel transports and fuel delivery trucks in addition to tractors with the old non synchro gear boxes as well as his Case with a Synchro Shuttle.
 
 
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