Bobcat Accident - 175 ft down... & ALIVE!

[JohnMiller3]

Bobcat Accident

Rotterdam, NY

“A local man is injured when he falls down a 175 foot embankment while operating a Bobcat loader.

Twenty-four-year-old Scott Bates of Mayfield was working on installing a pool at 1718 Crawford Road in Rotterdam, when he slid down the embankment in the Bobcat. He received a laceration to his head as a result. The victim was airlifted to Albany Medical Center where he is in stable condition. “

On the television news, they say the operator was dumping excess dirt from digging out the pool. During one run of dumping the excess dirt, he had the bucket full, and got the Bobcat too close to the edge and tipped over, sliding down the embankment for 175 ft, while strapped inside the caged/rollbar area of the Bobcat.

The seat belt kept this man inside the cage, the cage prevented the collapse of the unit, the rollbar added to the overall protection.

He basically was able to “walk away” with a cut on his head, from being bounced around inside the cage… alive & well…

Another miracle… /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Mrwurm]

Yep, those skid-steers have safety pretty well engineered into them. A tractor operator would've produced a different story.

 

[5030]

We have a small Bobcat that we use for cleaning out the run-in-sheds and the barn. The cage on the 'Bcat is very well engineered. The only problem is that when the bucket is at it's highest point, if it is very full, some material (horse poop) rolls over the back of the bucket and drops on the top of the cage. The cage is called a FOPS (falling object protective structure). The FOPS has a series of rectangular holes in the top and the material (poop) comes through those holes and down on you!!!!!

 

[bgott]

Just don't use it for pig poop! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[40Kchicks]

The very first time I ever used a skid steer I dumped half a bucket of 2" rock on myself. Then later while doing a demo on different skid steers to buy my wife emptied half the load of chicken manure in her lap. The CAT 216 we ended up deciding on has a self leveling bucket. At first we used this feature all the time but now the CAT controls are just extentions of our hands so we auto level without even thinking about it.

So your experience with dumping the load on the FOPS and your lap must be fairly common.

That FOPS is really nice expecially when I put the tracks on and go wipe out a couple acres of black berries. Just tilt the bucket and push like a bull dozer. Safe in the cab.
Eric

 

[5030]

We don't have pigs. My wife raises Percheron Draft Horses, BIG POOPERS!!!!

Our web page: http://www.cass.net/~flip/

For somereason, Mohammads server won't put the whole address in. If you want to see it, type it out exactly like I have it.

A.R.D. Farm-Percherons

 

[Phred]

A hard hat would have prevented the head injury and the guy could have walked away without a scratch.

I know others on this site have pointed this out before, but the stihl chain saw helments are great for tractors. Ear head and face protection all in one. Comfortable also.

Fred

 

[billfires]

Daryl, a piece of 1/8" Lexan is a great way to cover the holes, don't ask how or why I know!!!! Bill C