Roy
Platinum Member
Story across today's newswire, 4-year old lost leg: http://www.freep.com:80/news/metro/capac3_20001003.htm. Tractor safety can never be overstated.
It can never be repeated enough times
- Thread starter Roy
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glennmac
Veteran Member
Horrible. For those who didnt read the link, it is about a four year old boy who fell off his father's lap on a tractor and had a bush hog go over him, mangling and severing his legs.
I had a potentially dangerous situation the other day. I thought the rear hydro pedal was sticking. So I go off the tractor and left it running at idle with no parking brake on. I looked under the tractor while I lifted up on the reverese pedal. I did not know it was connected to the forward pedal--ie, it is a rocker pedal but the rocker is under the floor deck so it appears as two separate pedals. When I lifted up the revers pedal, the rocker connection depressed the foward pedal and the tractor lurched forward stopping an inch from my head. The lurch ripped the pedal out of my hand, it went to neutral position and the tractor stopped.
TURN OFF THE TRACTOR. SET THE PARKING BRAKE.
I had a potentially dangerous situation the other day. I thought the rear hydro pedal was sticking. So I go off the tractor and left it running at idle with no parking brake on. I looked under the tractor while I lifted up on the reverese pedal. I did not know it was connected to the forward pedal--ie, it is a rocker pedal but the rocker is under the floor deck so it appears as two separate pedals. When I lifted up the revers pedal, the rocker connection depressed the foward pedal and the tractor lurched forward stopping an inch from my head. The lurch ripped the pedal out of my hand, it went to neutral position and the tractor stopped.
TURN OFF THE TRACTOR. SET THE PARKING BRAKE.
They moved the link already, so here is the article in it's entirety:
Detroit Free Press
"4-year-old's leg severed in fall from lawn mower"
October 3, 2000
A 4-year-old boy's leg was severed and mangled
Monday after he fell from his father's lap while
riding on a small tractor with a lawn-mower
attachment, State Police said.
Matthew Rope of Warren was at his aunt's home
at 4400 Martin Road in rural Mussey Township
in St. Clair County shortly before noon with his
34-year-old father, Earl Rope, police said. The
elder Rope was mowing grass at his sister's
home, located a mile and a half west of Capac,
using a Kubota tractor with a rear-mounted Bush
Hog mower attachment.
Capac Police Chief Ernie Combs, who
responded to the call, said the boy was sitting on
his father's knee when the elder Rope turned a
corner and the boy lost his balance and fell.
The father was unable to stop the tractor before
his son was run over by the mower's blades, he
said. One of the boy's legs was severed, and the
other was injured. Emergency medical workers
were able to control the bleeding and place the
boy's legs in a splint.
He was taken first to Port Huron Hospital, then
transferred to Children's Hospital of Michigan in
Detroit. Combs said Matthew Rope was
conscious in the ambulance.
The boy underwent surgery at Children's
Hospital and was listed in critical condition. A
hospital spokeswoman was not able to confirm
whether the boy's leg had been reattached.
"Those things are extremely dangerous," Combs
said of lawn mowers.
The State Police Richmond Post is investigating
the accident.
Detroit Free Press
"4-year-old's leg severed in fall from lawn mower"
October 3, 2000
A 4-year-old boy's leg was severed and mangled
Monday after he fell from his father's lap while
riding on a small tractor with a lawn-mower
attachment, State Police said.
Matthew Rope of Warren was at his aunt's home
at 4400 Martin Road in rural Mussey Township
in St. Clair County shortly before noon with his
34-year-old father, Earl Rope, police said. The
elder Rope was mowing grass at his sister's
home, located a mile and a half west of Capac,
using a Kubota tractor with a rear-mounted Bush
Hog mower attachment.
Capac Police Chief Ernie Combs, who
responded to the call, said the boy was sitting on
his father's knee when the elder Rope turned a
corner and the boy lost his balance and fell.
The father was unable to stop the tractor before
his son was run over by the mower's blades, he
said. One of the boy's legs was severed, and the
other was injured. Emergency medical workers
were able to control the bleeding and place the
boy's legs in a splint.
He was taken first to Port Huron Hospital, then
transferred to Children's Hospital of Michigan in
Detroit. Combs said Matthew Rope was
conscious in the ambulance.
The boy underwent surgery at Children's
Hospital and was listed in critical condition. A
hospital spokeswoman was not able to confirm
whether the boy's leg had been reattached.
"Those things are extremely dangerous," Combs
said of lawn mowers.
The State Police Richmond Post is investigating
the accident.
chuckp
Bronze Member
An update in todays paper.
"Boy runover by mower is expected to walk again"
See http://www.freep.com/news/latestnews/pm442_20001003.htm
Chuck
"Boy runover by mower is expected to walk again"
See http://www.freep.com/news/latestnews/pm442_20001003.htm
Chuck
Thanks for the update, Chuck. It deeply sadden me that the son may have to suffer for the fathers mistake. As a father, I also sympathize with him. Unfortunately, you can't go back in time to correct those periods of poor judgement. I will confess that I too rode my boys as infants on my old lawn tractor. There but for the Grace of God go I. No riders means no riders.
MChalkley
Elite Member
- Joined
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- EarthForce EF-5 mini-TLB (2001)
I have done it, too, but never while working, and, therefore, never with the PTO engaged or an implement on the ground. And, for that matter, in the last few years, almost never, period. And definitely never without taking some form of safety precautions.
A month or so ago, a woman who lived near a job I was working on and her daughter (5 or 6 years old, I'd guess) stood at a safe distance for the last hour or so I was there, just watching. I think I saw them earlier in the day, just briefly. I thought it was a little unusual, since I don't usually see females showing that much interest in tractors. (I know there are lots of exceptions, and I don't mean any gender insults by this. My mother-in-law is a tractor lover and has one of her very own which she relied on me to purchase for her.) Anyway, I waved to them several times and they both waved back, especially the little girl. I was tickled at having the audience - you know how it is. So, when I was done and getting ready to load up, I went over to say hello. The little girl hid behind her mother and she said "You wanted to ask him, so go ahead", but the girl remained hidden and didn't say anything. So the mother said "She wants to know if you will take her for a ride on the tractor." I had pretty much decided to say no, so I said, to the little girl "Have you ever ridden a tractor before?" At that point, she came out from behind her mother and walked over to me, apparently assuming my question or tone of voice meant she could. When she did, I could see she was handicapped because she walked with quite a limp, with the sole of one shoe quite a bit thicker than the other. So, what could I do? I didn't know how I could say no, and I wasn't sure how to say yes. I could just see the headlines "Well-meaning Contractor Runs Over Disabled Little Girl". In the end, I told the mother that I would have to take the blade off the back first and she could only ride if she could sit on my lap and if the seat belt would fit around both of us. And that's what we did. I stayed in low range, and rode her around a minute or so, very slowly, then we stopped and I showed her how to operate the loader, which I think was a bigger thrill to her than riding around. So, maybe, that's an idea for next time. Just maybe, to a kid, operating the loader while sitting still is as much fun as riding around, and a lot less dangerous.
Just curious, though: Would any of you guys have done it any differently?
MarkC
A month or so ago, a woman who lived near a job I was working on and her daughter (5 or 6 years old, I'd guess) stood at a safe distance for the last hour or so I was there, just watching. I think I saw them earlier in the day, just briefly. I thought it was a little unusual, since I don't usually see females showing that much interest in tractors. (I know there are lots of exceptions, and I don't mean any gender insults by this. My mother-in-law is a tractor lover and has one of her very own which she relied on me to purchase for her.) Anyway, I waved to them several times and they both waved back, especially the little girl. I was tickled at having the audience - you know how it is. So, when I was done and getting ready to load up, I went over to say hello. The little girl hid behind her mother and she said "You wanted to ask him, so go ahead", but the girl remained hidden and didn't say anything. So the mother said "She wants to know if you will take her for a ride on the tractor." I had pretty much decided to say no, so I said, to the little girl "Have you ever ridden a tractor before?" At that point, she came out from behind her mother and walked over to me, apparently assuming my question or tone of voice meant she could. When she did, I could see she was handicapped because she walked with quite a limp, with the sole of one shoe quite a bit thicker than the other. So, what could I do? I didn't know how I could say no, and I wasn't sure how to say yes. I could just see the headlines "Well-meaning Contractor Runs Over Disabled Little Girl". In the end, I told the mother that I would have to take the blade off the back first and she could only ride if she could sit on my lap and if the seat belt would fit around both of us. And that's what we did. I stayed in low range, and rode her around a minute or so, very slowly, then we stopped and I showed her how to operate the loader, which I think was a bigger thrill to her than riding around. So, maybe, that's an idea for next time. Just maybe, to a kid, operating the loader while sitting still is as much fun as riding around, and a lot less dangerous.
Just curious, though: Would any of you guys have done it any differently?
MarkC
Bird
Rest in Peace
Nope, Mark, I'd have probably done the same thing. I've taken my grandkids for a ride in my lap; slow speed, no implement on the back, level ground. And now that I have grandkids 9 & 10 years old, I've even let them drive the tractor; low range, half throttle, flat, wide open pasture, no implement, and me walking along within reach of the ignition key. Not recommended of course, but we'll all take a few calculated risks, and hopefully most of us are experienced enough, and careful enough, to get away with it.
Bird
Bird
gordon
Veteran Member
Mark I'd have done the same thing as well. You made the smart move that day and gave that child something that she will remember for a long time.
My childern get mad at me for hardly ever giving them a ride on the L3750. But even though I do have a hard sided cab and shut the side window when I do give them a ride on flat ground there still is the safty issue---what if? But as Bird said we all take calculated risks in everything we do. I never and repeat never give the kids a ride on the 8n when they get old enough and if I still have it they sure can drive it but NEVER AND I MEAN NEVER GO FOR A RIDE ON THAT TRACTOR WITH ME.
Gordon
My childern get mad at me for hardly ever giving them a ride on the L3750. But even though I do have a hard sided cab and shut the side window when I do give them a ride on flat ground there still is the safty issue---what if? But as Bird said we all take calculated risks in everything we do. I never and repeat never give the kids a ride on the 8n when they get old enough and if I still have it they sure can drive it but NEVER AND I MEAN NEVER GO FOR A RIDE ON THAT TRACTOR WITH ME.
Gordon
chuckp
Bronze Member
Mark:
I could not have done any other or better. I am a member of the Shrine and have a very soft place in my heart for all children, especially cripple children. I could not have said no, and like you I would have done everything to keep her safe. Children like that little girl, I see every time I go to the Shrine or Scottish Rite Hospitals for Children. If you see that little girl’s mother again, ask her if she would like for the girl to have some medical help. The Shrine and Scottish Rite Hospitals can repair the type of problem the little girl has, and the best part is, it is free of charge. These Hospitals do not have a billing department! Also, the finest and most experienced Doctors in the world donate their time and skills to these hospitals.
Chuck
I could not have done any other or better. I am a member of the Shrine and have a very soft place in my heart for all children, especially cripple children. I could not have said no, and like you I would have done everything to keep her safe. Children like that little girl, I see every time I go to the Shrine or Scottish Rite Hospitals for Children. If you see that little girl’s mother again, ask her if she would like for the girl to have some medical help. The Shrine and Scottish Rite Hospitals can repair the type of problem the little girl has, and the best part is, it is free of charge. These Hospitals do not have a billing department! Also, the finest and most experienced Doctors in the world donate their time and skills to these hospitals.
Chuck
MChalkley
Elite Member
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2000
- Messages
- 3,198
- Location
- Eastern Virginia
- Tractor
- EarthForce EF-5 mini-TLB (2001)
Chuck - Actually, I did ask her mother if the condition was correctible and she told me that there have been a couple surgeries already with more scheduled. I don't know if the children's hospitals you mentioned are doing them or not, but at least she is getting help. You're to be commended for working on such causes.
MarkC
MarkC