Fingers Lost To Lawnmower

[Bird]

A house a couple of doors from us is a rental house and new renters moved in this past week. I haven't met them, but we've been told it's a couple with 5 little kids, then the husband's parents are living with them to take care of the kids while the younger couple both work. I went to Walmart yesterday morning and when I came back, my wife said an ambulance and fire truck had just left that house. This afternoon, a neighbor across the street told my wife that the 80 year old grandfather was mowing the yard (which had been badly neglected by the previous renter), the grass built up under the mower, and he picked it up with the engine running. It took off all 4 fingers. They found one finger, but were unable to re-attach it, and he's still in the hospital. I don't know whether it was a lack of knowledge on his part, or if his age caused him to forget.

 

[Skyco]

Yikes!
About 30 years ago I lived in town and had an elderly neighbor across the street. One day he was mowing with an old style reel mower and somehow got his foot in it and cut off a few toes. He passed out from the pain and blood loss and collapsed on the lawn. This was in the middle of the day, quiet neighborhood with little traffic and he apparently layed there for quite awhile before anyone noticed him.

 

[wvpolekat]

Let me don my fireproof vest......

I can sum this up with "Remove all the warning labels and let nature take care of the rest". I mean, really. How much sense does it take to know not to reach under a running mower? That's not even an absent minded slip. That is just plain stupid.

Age could be a factor, which changes things completely and makes this a tragic situation.

 

[Bird]

I don't guess I've known of anyone getting bad injuries from a reel mower, but one of my employees, about 25-27 years ago was mowing with a walk behind power mower and he slipped on a slope and fell backwards and pulled the mower back onto his feet. He didn't lose his feet, but he was in the hospital a long time.

 

[Tractorbeam]

Hope he heals up fine. At his age, sometimes complications arise such as infections.

No pictures?

 

[MikeD74T]

A few years ago when I was a new EMT doing some Emergency Room time a 20 -22 year old guy came in mid morning with a bandaged toe. He'd been mowing up a bank with sandals on & pulled the mower back onto his big toe. Sliced it like a bagel back 2/3 to the first joint. During treatment Doc asked when it happened. Last night around 6 !!! Turned out he didn't have a car so he went in to clean up so he wouldn't get blood on his neighbors' car. By the time he got cleaned up the neighbors lights were out & he didn't want to bother them so he waited until he saw them up the next am. Now that's a considerate neighbor ! They were obviously horrified that he'd waited & brought him directly to the ER. Doc said it would take a long time to heal because so much tissue had been exposed overnight.
I did a small engine class for some 4H boys last year. We spent the first day, with boys & parents, talking about how little room there is for fingers & toes under a mower, how fast the blade comes around, & how many times it can hit before you can react. Also ran over a few objects, with boys & parents at a safe distance, to show how much damage can happen & how far things can get thrown. MikeD74T

 

[Transit]

What happened to the safety interlock? You must keep your hands on the handle bar or the engine will shut down. The safety was broken or tied down. Goes to show, you can build things that are fool proof, but not idiot proof.


On my way to work one morning, an idiot was standing on a bank pulling his mower up and down. I cautioned him about slipping a foot/leg under the deck. …… yes.

 

[Redneck in training]

Have done it too. The blade took off tip of my rubber boot but missed my toes.
Years ago when our yard was small we used Husquarna reel push mower. While cleaning jammed grass in I turned the wheel and as the reel turned it cut into tips of my four fingers. Stupidity hurts.

 

[KennyV]

You have to first realize this guy had made it 80 years without loosing his fingers... He could not be an idiot, and just getting by on dumb luck. Something definitely occurred that was not normal. I think Bird hit it, age could be a big factor... could be dealing with unfamiliar equipment or overlooking the real hazard.
After all the only reason more people are not maimed with the dangerous equipment we routinely use is we stay keenly aware of the hazard and consequences. If anything happens to interfere with that, bad or fatal things can happen.
I know a little old lady (she is 86) she mows her yard, trims and edges, thinks nothing of it, but she depends on those that know her to let her know when she should quit and do less dangerous things.
I also know a person that is around the same age, she can not understand why her keys were taken away and she dose not get to drive... She has dementia so bad that she is a genuine hazard to everyone...
Someone in that 80 year olds life has really let him down and for that person I also feel sorry.... KennyV.
age will eventually take its toll... too sad

 

[NuBota]

This guy could very well still have a sharp mind and simply had a momentary lapse of concentration. He's probably run a mower longer that many of us have been alive.

I mean how many of you have been driving, say on your daily commute, and been deep in thought on something, and don't really remember passing through a stretch of road. Not saying it's good or acceptable, but routine can breed complacency, which can cause a lapse in focus. Not saying it's still not "stupid" to let the mind wander.