Another Tragedy

cowboydoc · Feb 21, 2001

Ernie,
I feel for you buddy. My uncle who was 82 passed away yesterday and he was as real of a cowboy as you can get. My grandfather and him went out west from south dakota after the dust bowl many, many years ago. They homesteaded the Snake River Valley in southern Idaho where noone wanted to go. They took desert and pumped water from the river and made farmground and pastures. They built reservoirs in the high desert and cleared sagebrush and made pasture. In the end my grandfather and him own about 100,000 acres there and had alot of cattle and horses. They are both as true of cowboys as you will ever meet. It was a sad day yesterday when I got the news of his passing. I hope your friend and him are sitting at the pearly gates talking about cattle and horses right now.

bsauter · Feb 21, 2001

Bird, I can't imagine the pain that family is going through. I have a 3 year old boy and a 1 1/2 year old girl and this will just remind me again to take every precaution to ensure thier safety around our little farm. My heart goes out to them.

Brad, Kubota L3010HST, loader, R4 tires
Pictures at http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=179207&a=9183978

Muhammad · Feb 22, 2001

Yes, that is terrible to hear. And an accident that could have been avoided. Bystanders, and children especially, have to be watched very carefully... not just the danger of running them over but also the flying object dangers when mowing.

Safe tractoring...

RobertN · Feb 28, 2001

This is tragic. I guess it's worse, because I've been on scene for a couple incidents where something this bad has happened, and have seen up close and personal.

Even worse, as I think about my 6 year old, is how this was easily preventable. Every book I have for the tractor, auger, rotary mower and my brush cutting Husky, says keep people away, FAR AWAY.

I have seen my rotary mower throw rocks 50'. My Husky trimmer with the brush blade throws stuff pretty far too. My harness for the Husky even comes with a sign that says "STAY BACK 50 FEET".

I make sure Ian and my Wife are no where around when I mow. When I have to mow near the house, I ask them to go to the other side of the house, in case a rock or piece of wood goes through the window. I really prefer to mow when noone is home, even though that's not the safest if something happens to me.

The same goes for the compound miter saw, and table saw, and grinder. I do not want Ian anywhere near where I am using them.

This is truly tragic. But, the tragedy is as much the fact that the kid was there to begin with, as it was the fact it happened.

Please, I hope someone learns from this. To lose people like this is too terrible, even more so when it is a child.

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

rekees · Feb 28, 2001

Here's an example of what can happen when passengers ride on a tractor:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Child Loses Arm After Tractor Accident
Doctors Try To Save Limb
GOSHEN, Ohio , 9:42 p.m. EST February 26, 2001 -- A 5-year-old girl's arm was torn off in an accident Saturday when she was riding a tractor.

An officer at the scene said that the girl was riding the tractor with her brother. It appears that her coat became caught in a mechanism in the tractor and she was forced off the back of the vehicle and pulled underneath.

The officer said that her arm and shoulder were completely severed.

The girl is listed in serious condition at Children's Hospital. Doctors' efforts to reattach her arm were not successful.

Chuck in IN

Thomas · Feb 28, 2001

rekees,
Thats just plan sad!!
I hope the little girl recovers and the family can come together.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

deere4600 · Mar 18, 2001

I read the post about the boy who was killed when runover by the tractor and rotary cutter and it made me shiver. I have two 11 year old boys who love tractors and need to constantly be reminded to respect the fact they are pieces of potentially dangerous machinery, not toys. So far, so good. But I do some custom mowing of a park owned by about 30 homeowners. They share the maintenance cost, taxes, etc. I mow once each week with my 4600 JD and grooming mower. The tractor makes enough noise so that every homeowner knows I am out mowing their park. But is amazes me how often the parents let their children run into the area I am mowing while they watch from their decks, lawn chairs,etc. I stop to wait for them to get out of the way but often I have to stop the mower and kindly ask them to leave the area until I am finished. This all takes place while mom and dad are watching. When tragedies like the one posted earlier happen I shake thinking what it would feel like to lose a child. I don't mean to add to the guilt that the parents of that 6 year old boy must feel but parents need to take more responsibility to keep the children away from the power equipment. Children are not miniature adults and their curiosity will get them into these trajic situations. But as parents we need to show some responsibility and not have our children running and frolicing where power equipment is being used.

Thomas · Mar 18, 2001

Some people also parnets aren't all that well educated when it comes to machinery operations,for machinery has not love or feeling towards anything and doesn't stop on a dime.

Like that old saying..it happens to the other guy not me etc..well that person is the other guy if they could only realize that.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

skent · Mar 19, 2001

Back in 63 my cousin (5 years old) was crushed and instantly killed by his father while backing up to a 3 bottom plow. Making matters worse, his mother was watching from the kitchen window 150' away. It all happened so fast and there was no doubt as to fatality. All hope of survival was gone. My Uncle (as you can guess) was devistated, many years of blame, sorrow, marital problems, guilt. They moved out of state to try to leave it in the past. I am currently caretaker of the property and every time I look down the hill to where it happened, I get the biggest lump in my throat and wonder, what if somebody had just been a little more careful. . . . .

We take care of the farm now. . and have four (young) daughters. They know as well as I to be aware of where the equipment is and to stay clear.

When operating equipment - I remember the past. . . . (how can I forget it. . . . )

Take the extra time to turn and look - on both sides, because it only takes an instant!

jimmoore · Mar 19, 2001

Bird, one of our elementary teachers was killed in a tractor accident SAT.This was his first year to teach here at Augusta,. He taught the first grade. He was my grandsons teacher. He live in a little community in ROSEBUD. He has a few acres and some cows and calves. As near as I can find out he was loading those big round bales on a trailer with his tractor with a bale fork or front end loader. He was parked on a slope and as he raised the load it became over center down hill and flipped the tractor and the steering wheel crushed his chest. His wife sent their seven year old girl to tell him supper was ready and she found him pinned under the tractor and she had to run about half a mile back to the house to get help. The coroner claims that he died instantly. Or that might have been told to make the wife feel a little better. I have been unable to find out if rops or seat belts were used and this is a bad time right now to going asking questions. That is so sad for his 5 y/o boy and 7 y/o girl. They will be hurt the worst. The school had special councilors in his classroom today to deal with his students. They all just loved him.

jim